In the fashion world, Kathryn Ferguson is one of few creative people who is able to repackage beautiful fashion into visually attractive pieces.

The Belfast-born filmmaker is renowned for her popular short films for fashion designers and musicians, from Richard Nicoll, Charlie Le Mindu, Katie Eary to Lady Gaga and Domino Records.

She has also produced experimental films such as Tingel Tangel dance film and the music video for Sinead O'€™ Connor'€™s '€œ4th and Vine'€.

Her most recent film-related project is the new seasonal Fash/On Film festival, in collaboration with the British Fashion Council.

'€œI'€™ve been very fortunate to have worked with many names and people are coming based on my previous work,'€ Ferguson said on the sidelines of a recent media discussion for the Dressing the Screen fashion film project.

The project is collaboration between Jakarta Fashion Week, the British Council and Indonesia'€™s Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry.

During her visit in town, she shared knowledge and exchanged ideas with several Indonesian fashion designers such as Yosafat Dwi Kurniawan and Toton Januar, as part of the fashion film project.

 Ferguson praised them, calling them inspiring.

'€œThey are very creative and thoughtful,'€ she said. '€œWhat I really like was their comments about their heritage, and how they feel that there has been a lacking of celebrating it within fashion.'€

She is aware that it has always been European or western-style garments flooding the Indonesian market but noted that there was so much more here -- a rich textile and fabric industry, people and models.

'€œ I don'€™t really follow trends, and I'€™m really trying to have some integrity. I feel the feminism frame is something that is valuable in my work, it'€™s my responsibility as a female filmmaker,'€ she says.

'€œThe great thing about fashion is that people look at it and it'€™s a fantastic carrier. But I think that when you get people taking it and hit them with something that'€™s a lot harder or thoughtful, that'€™s an area that I'€™m really looking into.'€

Before becoming who she is now, Ferguson saw fashion film solely from an aesthetical point of view .

'€œI was probably lifting from fashion editorial for quite a bit, using marbles, using beautiful sets and working with stylists,'€ she says. '€œBut then I went for my masters in film and after that it completely changed.'€

Ferguson got her masters degree in Communication, Art and Design at The Royal College of Art in 2011. Prior to that, she studied Fashion Communication at Central Saint Martins and graduated in 2005.

'€œI'€™ve transferred into a state where I want to spread a message in my films, I like to make works that are engaging for an audience, maybe such a vanity project. I feel like I carry a responsibility,'€ Ferguson says.

'€œI find that I'€™ve been very lucky with my previous work and that I'€™ve got recognition from that, and I want to use that to tell stories and messages.'€

Inspired by her mother'€™s best friend who runs a women'€™s center in Belfast, Ferguson is more than eager to empower women.

One of her ways is through filmmaking.

'€œI work as curator as well. I just try pushing them [women] out, I think they need to have their stories told all around the world, and fashion film is something that women can really relate,'€ she says.

'€œThey think of a camera and say, '€˜Oh I can shoot a model'€™. And then, they can grow within the medium. Fashion film is the first step.'€

Ferguson began curating the annual Birds Eye View Film Festival'€™s Fashion Loves Film strand at the Institute of Contemporary Arts and British Film Institute in 2008 and continued until 2011.

Beginning to draw public attention in 2008, fashion films have become important in today'€™s fashion industry, especially in London.

Ferguson shared that such creativity had been around even in the 1950s.

'€œPhotographers took film cameras and tried but it never really took off,'€ she says. '€œNick Night set up Show Studio in 2000 '€” he was totally the pioneer [in fashion film], I totally respect the guy for doing that.'€

But since the Internet was so slow back in 2000, she said people could only watch film if they really wanted to since it took time to load with dial-up Internet.

She said that as a recognized medium and genre, 2008 was really early for fashion film and only in 2010 did it grow in popularity.

'€œAnd now you can say that even one of the best shops in London, Westfield '€” it'€™s a commercial shopping center, they'€™ve got fashion films playing, it'€™s gone total extreme to commercial,'€ explained the lecturer of London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

 Ferguson also plans to make a feature film in the future.

'€œFirst and most of all I'€™m a filmmaker,'€ she says.

'€œMaking a feature film is definitely my big goal, but I'€™d like to make feature films that I'€™m really proud of. Entertaining and beautiful but making a point, communicating a message, and carry that around the world to spread the message,'€ she said, adding that she was preparing for a documentary film project.

Juggling her time as a filmmaker as well as curator and lecturer, Ferguson saw focus as the most important thing in her hectic life.

She refuses to let herself feel too satisfied with the things she has done and works to balance her life '€” between work and personal affairs. She loves outdoor activities as well as spending time with family and friends.

'€œSome say that when you feel satisfied, your game is over. So, I just keep going, keep striving,'€ she smiled.

'€” Photo by Niken Prathivi

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