Lady Gaga Stylist Nicola Formichetti Recruited as Mentor by Saudi Arabia’s AlUla Creates (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Fashion designer and creative director Nicola Formichetti, who has worked with Lady Gaga for over a decade, has been recruited by Saudi Arabia’s Film AlUla as mentor for its AlUla Creates initiative that is at the intersection of film and fashion.

In his new role, the prolific Formichetti – who besides masterminding Lady Gaga’s instantly iconic meat dress has collaborated with Nicole Kidman, Bad Bunny and Olivia Rodrigo and created visual campaigns for global fashion houses such as Mugler, Diesel and Uniqlo – will “support the first wave of emerging Saudi design talent, as both the film and fashion pathways converge,” according to a statement. “Nicola has consistently redefined the boundaries of style and culture, and his participation will not only enhance the quality of the program but will also spark the imagination of our designers and filmmakers, pushing them to new heights,” said Film AlUla executive director Charlene Deleon-Jones.

Located in a swathe of northwest Saudi Arabia roughly the size of Belgium that comprises giant boulders, ancient artifacts, a lush oasis and sandstone canyons, AlUla is becoming a local film production hub and starting to attract international productions and talents.

Hollywood productions shot in AlUla include Gerard Butler action-thriller “Kandahar” directed by Ric Roman Waugh. AlUla Creates aims to build a film-friendly ecosystem that can help drive both film and fashion with a new studio and digital creative hub and the possibility of tapping into development funds for projects by female directors.