How Alexandra Shipp Prepared to Judge (and Dress for) The Tribeca Chanel Women's Filmmaker Program

The "Tick, Tick... Boom!" actor chats with Fashionista about being on jury for the program and, of course, her Chanel outfits.

Chanel and the Tribeca Festival held their eighth annual three-day workshop for rising filmmakers in New York City this month. The collaboration with Pulse Films culminated with a cocktail celebration on Thursday — where a $100,000 prize was on the line.

After listing off each of the finalists' projects and their distinguishable qualities, actor Thuso Mbedu announced the winner following a drumroll: Wendi Tang and Hongwei Wu's "Fishtank" – a film about a 28-year-old protagonist, Jules, who has been sober for a year but can't stop vomiting fish. As expected from a life-changing announcement, applause filled the space, and tears were shed.

"Now more than ever, the unique perspectives of women need to be front and center in cinema," said Tribeca Co-Founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal in an official statement. "Tribeca's core belief is that art can change the world, and our long-standing partnership with Chanel will pave the way for larger audiences to celebrate the power of storytelling through the lens of female and non-binary filmmakers."

Fashionista caught up with actor and activist Alexandra Shipp, who was on the judging panel alongside actor and director Jennifer Morrison, producers Bonnie Hammer and Riva Marker, and actor Thuso Mbedu. Best known for playing singer Aaliyah in a 2014 Lifetime biopic, as well as roles in "Tick, Tick... Boom!" and Greta Gerwig's forthcoming "Barbie," Shipp told Fashionista that making the decision was indeed difficult.

"I'm feeling excited and kind of sad because you want everyone to win because they all worked extremely hard to do this. It's really exciting to be a part of something where you're helping to facilitate a grant to young women or female-identifying people and having them make incredible art. But it's also bittersweet."

When it comes to her overall experience, the actor revealed her main takeaway to be one full of hope: "Everybody has a story, especially one that deserves to be told, and there are intricacies to each and every person as an individual," she told Fashionista. "When you look at art and visual storytelling, you understand that you are not alone. It was so beautiful because I was able to help people tell their stories because it means something. These are women, especially women of color. That is something that's relatable and I think we need that relatability in our world right now and to see ourselves on screen for once."

Coming into such a powerful role means dressing the part, too. Over the three-day event, Shipp wore head-to-toe looks by Chanel, and the final evening was no exception. For the occasion, she chose a black, white and red tweed jacket paired with matching shorts and a slightly side-boob-revealing white silk organza top, all hailing from the brand's Fall 2022 ready-to-wear collection. Shipp elevated her outfit with Chanel's Mary Janes heels, along with its signature “Coco Crush” earrings and diamond-studded ring with Chanel makeup to polish off the look.

"What I love about Chanel is that I can be fashionable but still comfortable," she said. "I have freakishly long arms and a very tiny torso. When you think of me, you think of a spider. This jacket is super proportionate to my crazy freaky long arms and these shorts are super cute, too. I have hips and thighs and they fit me very well. You don't always get that with really fancy brands."

View more photos from Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program cocktail celebration, below.

View the 12 images of this gallery on the original article

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