Actress Janine Gutierrez wears Vania Romoff and JMA Jewelry at the Venice Film Festival. Photographed by Anthea Bueno, courtesy of Janine Gutierrez
For the world premiere of Phantosmia at the Venice Film Festival, Janine Gutierrez wears Filipino designers Inno Sotto and Vania Romoff. Along with her stylist MJ Benitez, the actress talks to Vogue Philippines about putting her looks together, her first time at the festival, and pushing Filipino cinema forward.
“Venice has always been a dream,” Janine Gutierrez wrote on Instagram in July, when it was announced that the Lav Diaz-directed film she stars in, Phantosmia, would premiere at this year’s La Biennale de Venezia, in the Out-of-Competition section. “I’m just so thankful that all the work has led me here, part of another story that showcases our Filipino filmmaking to the world.”
Last night, she finally stepped out onto that world stage. For her first Venice Film Festival, the actress sought out looks from Filipino designers in romantic, elegant cuts, referencing editorial archives of Richard Avedon and Irving Penn. In curating the looks, her stylist MJ Benitez tells Vogue Philippines, “it was more about landing on designs that we can look back on forty, fifty years down the line.”
The first look by Inno Sotto is in an inky noir, falling on the frame in an elegant column silhouette. It’s finished with irregular stones at the waistband for a subtle glint beneath sheer fabric. To end the evening’s festivities, Janine went for a custom powder blue gown by Vania Romoff, featuring a dramatic tulip skirt and affixed with the designer’s signature bow at the back.
Below, the actress and her stylist MJ Benitez talk to Vogue Philippines about finding inspiration behind the two looks she would celebrate this milestone in, from referencing timeless red-carpet looks from international film festivals past to her grandmother Pilita Corrales’s 1960s vinyl album cover for “I’ll Take Romance.”
Vogue Philippines: What idea did you start with for this look? What details did you want to have, especially for this screening on a world stage?
Janine Gutierrez: I was very, very excited to be part of a Filipino film at the Venice Film Festival, so of course, we really wanted to go with Filipino designers. We envisioned classic, elegant silhouettes. My stylist, MJ Benitez, created a deck with style inspiration from stars of film festivals of the ‘60s and ‘70s and even some references from my grandmother, Pilita, that remain timeless.
MJ Benitez: I didn’t actually limit myself to any specific era when searching for ideas; it was more about landing on designs that we can look back on forty, fifty years down the line and still have them feel as chic and relevant as they are now. It’s my first time styling someone for an international film festival, so besides studying a wide range of red carpet looks, I also took cues from editorial photographs by Richard Avedon and Irving Penn taken sometime in the ‘50s to the ‘70s. Closer to home, I couldn’t leave out Janine’s grandmother Pilita Corrales as a source of inspiration. When it comes to style and legacy, Pilita is someone who’s proven her worth time and time again.
What designers did you opt for tonight, and why did they feel right for this occasion?
Janine Gutierrez: We wanted to prepare two looks and are so happy our dream designers said yes! We reached out and feel very lucky to have a custom Inno Sotto design. It’s my first time to work with Inno and we really just took a chance and hoped he would say yes. We were ecstatic he agreed to dress me. It’s always been a dream of mine to work with him. He’s such an iconic Filipino designer and I love his unique elegance and taste, and what a way to mark this new milestone by working with someone with his level of expertise.
I also knew from the start that we had to work with a longtime friend and favorite, Vania Romoff, for this milestone because I have always loved all her designs and have really learned so much about fashion and personal style from working with her through the years. We love Vania’s sophisticated, effortless, feminine aesthetic, and we’re so happy to celebrate this moment with her.
MJ Benitez: Both designers excel in their craft, but I’m particularly drawn to how their designs evoke a restrained elegance and timeless appeal. Personally, I think minimal looks are deceptively simple but usually the most difficult to execute because they require technical precision and mastery of the fabric. I knew I could trust them both to deliver.
I’ve been closely working with Vania Romoff for almost a decade now as a stylist for her brand, while Janine has been her muse for around just as long. It only felt natural to approach Vania and share this important career highlight with us since we all grew up in this industry together. I sent Vania some visual cues (among them the 1960s vinyl album cover of Pilita’s entitled “I’ll Take Romance”) and asked her to play around with shape and structure while still keeping the look clean and minimal. She drew up several sketches, but we all fell in love with this look: a powder blue gown with a tulip skirt silhouette, slim straps, and an ultra-low back. My favorite details are the exaggerated hips (talk about making a moment!) and the tiny bow at the back—can’t leave out the VR signature! To complete the look, I found this beautiful vintage choker from JMA Jewelry. The blue sapphires really complemented the powder blue hue of the gown; I knew she had to wear this the moment I saw it.
While we’ve known Vania for years, this was our first time working with Inno Sotto. Being able to work with him was such a pinch-me moment, to be honest. It really felt like the stars aligned for us; having him onboard made an already special moment feel extra special. For Inno, I requested a more streamlined silhouette, and this ensemble is his relaxed take on red-carpet dressing. I love the subtle details that went into making this: From Inno choosing fabric that’s wrinkle-resistant so it’ll survive the long travel and the irregular noir stone embellishments on the skirt’s waistband—only visible through the sheer knit top—to the beautiful draping at the back, these nuances really lend an effortless grace to the look. To add some color and sparkle, I styled the outfit with a pair of geometric radiant-cut yellow diamond drop earrings from JMA Jewelry.
Janine, which part of the process of putting your look together gets you the most excited?
Janine Gutierrez: I find the beginning so exciting, just when we find out that there’s a big event coming up and we all brainstorm about our possible inspirations. MJ and I always ask our make-up artist, Anthea Bueno, and friend and collaborator BJ Pascual and Owa Sylvia designer Martin Yambao for their input as well. It’s thrilling to hear the team’s initial ideas to finding what really excites us and narrowing down the options, to seeing the sketches and vision of the designers. And then, again, when we achieve the full look and take the photos!
We’d love to know how you’re personally feeling ahead of the festival, representing the work and creativity that comes out of the Philippines. It’s your first time attending the Venice Film Festival as well. What does this moment mean to you?
This has been a long-time goal of mine, to be part of Filipino projects that make it to the world’s best film festivals and really show the heart of Philippine cinema. It’s the kind of goal that has really guided my career decisions, and I’m so happy it actually happened. I’m feeling very proud and excited and just so inspired. I’m so grateful to Direk Lav Diaz and his amazing team for taking a chance on me and making this dream possible.
I’m here with a Filipino film, something we shot in a small town in Quezon, and we get to share it with the world. I’m so hopeful for the Filipino film industry. There is so much talent there, and I really want to contribute to pushing it forward globally.
Regarding Phantosmia, what aspect of this story are you most excited to tell to a global audience?
Phantosmia, for me, is about redemption and freedom. Life can get very deep and low, but to hope is the greatest rebellion against oppression, and sometimes that is enough.
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