Sharon Socol

Last week, the Transom took the elevator to one of the most fashionable floors in town--the ninth floor of Barneys New York--for a celebration of photographer Sharon Socol’s new book, Plus One: An Outsider's Photographic Journey into the World of Fashion. And it was nothing so much as an insider's affair.

There was a towering geek-chic Jenna Lyons with girlfriend Courtney Crangi, photographer Gilles Bensimon, and designers galore including Isabel and Ruben Toledo, Richard Chai, Tommy Hilfiger, Yigal Azrouel, and Rag & Bone’s David Neville and Marcus Wainwright, among others.

Pretty fancy line-up of insiders, considering Ms. Socol's theme. Then again, Ms. Socol was never a true outsider herself. She gained access to high-profile industry events and fashion shows as the "plus one" to her husband, Howard Socol, the former CEO of Barneys New York, using her camera to document and navigate the fashion world.

Hosts for the fete were friends of Ms. Socol--Diane von Furstenberg (a no-show), Narciso Rodriguez and Simon Doonan--all of whom are featured in the book of black-and-white photos and happen to be the holy trinity of wrap dresses, minimalist sportswear and window dressage.

After powwowing with Mr. Rodriguez and Paper Magazine’s Mickey Boardman, Mr. Doonan waxed philosophical with the Transom on the importance of being an outsider.

“It's good to be a bit of an outlier. It's not good to be always in, because then you get your objectivity, you keep your objectivity. It's good to be in and it's good to be out," he said.

And how might a young person infiltrate the wondrous world of fashion, we wondered?

“I think young people have become too driven and too demented too young,” said Mr. Doonan. “When I was in my twenties, I was having fun, travelling and being stupid, and being useless. Everyone's too uptight. So my big advice to young people is: chillax.”

Chill as hell, we sauntered over to a nearby tête-à-tête, where we asked Mr. Rodriguez if he ever felt like an outsider. The sweet and soft-spoken designer seemed shocked at our implicit suggestion that the fashion industry could ever resemble Heathers-esque competition. "I think it's very open for all people, who come here and study fashion,” said Mr. Rodriguez. "I was never locked out."

Just before leaving, we tracked down Thakoon Panichgul, a modern it-kid, as a companion tugged him toward the elevators. Mr. Panichgul said, “I always hung out with, like, people who are not inside. Even in college I was like, I always wanted to be on the fringe of things. I never wanted to be in the fix of everything."

So what did the Transom learn from fashion's cool kids? That out is in and the industry is one big happy family?

Hmm. Dubious. Although the Transom did deduce one truth: if you want to crack into the fashion world, the least you can do is dress like you belong--and if that fails, marry a luxury department store head.

DvF and Mitch: lovers once, buddies forever!

As we sloshed, caked with snow flurries, into the Mandarin Oriental for the 2012 Phoenix House Fashion award dinner last Wednesday evening, we couldn’t determine whether it was the way-too-early winter outside, the Sandy-forced relocation or the early start after an endless election season, but at first glance, things looked a bit quiet. (In retrospect, we appreciated the venue upgrade, considering it was originally slated to take place at Pier 60.)

“Well there’s Linda Fargo, at least ...” we uttered to a weary-eyed publicist as she sashayed passed us in a crisp black sheath dress, before we sauntered downstairs to cocktail hour.

Below, on the 35th floor, the considerably more lively and notable fashion crowd imbibed, heedless of the blizzard-like winds that howled without mercy on the commoners struggling to get around Columbus Circle.

With the exception of Glenda Bailey, this didn’t feel like a typical fashion event; nay, it was considerably more corporate—a bit cliquey, but not necessarily in a bad way. Dashing executives (well mostly dashing) in flamboyant tailored suits sipped scotch and red wine, while a more demure population of women squawked about recent highs and lows.

This reeked of powerful retail and media industry figures rather than overcompensated stylists and over-photographed fashion mavens.

The Observer wasn’t feeling particularly social, but we decided to meander aimlessly about the lobby, gorging ourselves with vegetable spring rolls every time they passed.

Eventually, someone had the brilliance to ring the dinner gong and get the show on the road.

“You’re stuck with me,” laughed Rose Marie Bravo, the fashion branding and commerce star, as she welcomed the Phoenix House patrons now enjoying their first plating around candlelit tables. She apologized for emcee Ali Wentworth, who was “lost somewhere in the city.”

“This past week has been a tragic one,” she continued. “Many of our friends have been left homeless or without power.” She went on to explain what Phoenix House does: it helps thousands of people struggling with substance abuse and addiction through its pioneering treatment program. For a second or two, The Observer stopped sipping. But only a second or two.

Seated before us was honoree Jim Gold, president of The Neiman Marcus Group; Tory Burch, evasive and on high alert with her pending lawsuit against ex-husband Chris Burch still ablaze; and Calvin Klein’s Francisco Costa. The weather was most likely to blame for the empty seats, and there was substantial mention of Hurricane Sandy and its affect on the Phoenix House community.

“Substance abuse is an epidemic that plagues the USA,” began Phoenix House CEO Howard Meitiner.

He was followed by a young client of Phoenix House, who spoke of his history with drug abuse, dealing and violence. It was simple, honest and very effective. He said he is now rightly on track, working toward a degree in social work.

“Drug abuse can happen to anyone’s child,” said Mr. Meithner, then diving into the politics and ethos of the drug culture in America.

“But recovery is achievable and sustainable,” he concluded, just as Ali Wentworth, our long-lost emcee, finally stampeded in.

“I’ve got a husband who said, ‘I’ve just done 36 hours of ABC election coverage! You’re gonna get into bed with me!’” she blurted to our disbelief, about her hubby, George Stephanopoulos.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, not only was the fabulous hostess late because she was having a roll in the hay, she announced it to us all! Our kind of gal. And poor George, election aside, he must have still been shell-shocked by his co-host’s odd drunken-like behavior on election night—Cheers, Diane!

“They messengered this to me,” Ms. Wentworth continued, exposing a shiny Olivier Theyskens for Theory blazer that kept her décolletage in check.

“I thought I was chic, but maybe I’m just a shoplifter!”

We decided right then and there that we all wanted to leave and go home with Ali Wentworth.

Our hostess extraordinaire thankfully kept the pace brisk as we cruised into the awards segment. Monsieur Theyskens gave a poignant and astute speech before plopping a Phoenix House award in the hands of Andrew Rosen. The CEO of Theory then delivered a heartfelt personal story of his own family’s struggle with addiction and praised the Phoenix House for its wonderful work.

Tina Brown, editor in chief of Newsweek/The Daily Beast, made an anticipated handoff to Diane von Furstenberg. We never got to pester her with our gossipy questions about her publication’s demise.

“Diane is a vision broker,” Ms. Brown professed.

Once DvF accept her award, she dove into a tale of how she first met Phoenix House Founder Mitchell S. Rosenthal. Apparently Ms. von Furstenberg had mistaken the addiction innovator for ’80s star Chris Sarandon, whom she mistakenly referred to as Chris Rock. “He was hot,” she said.

“Then I got to know more about Mitch Rosenthal. I’ll spare you the details ...”

The romantic jaunts of the fashion queen brought the crowd great delight.

“This young, smashing man who looked like Chris Sarandon—created this place where shame was not an issue,” Ms. von Furstenberg gushed.

“I really want to make sure that we all raise our glass to this special man!”

At that flawless declaration, we lifted our glass, emptied it, and dashed downtown, to partake in rowdier action at Le Baron—alas, without Ali Wentworth.

DvF wearing the Google glasses. (YouTube)

Opinion has been split over the new Google Glass glasses, which are surely some type of CIA/Jason Bourne/Total Recall prototype that someone accidentally leaked the schematics for over Gmail. Right? These things cannot be designed for regular citizens, especially since they make no sense.

But they're not quite as ugly as people are making them out to be, and when Diane von Furstenburg decided to do a quick mini-doc about her Fashion Week show, putting these recording glasses on all her models was actually a genius idea. (Maybe?!) (We don't know!) (You tell us.) (Video after the jump.)

http://youtu.be/30Pjl31cyDY

Thomas Claburn at Information Week says:

Von Furstenberg's use of Google Glass is fine as a personal narrative, but her story could have been captured just as well with a mobile phone, a GoPro helmet-mounted video camera, or some other video device in a small form factor. Granted a fashion show may demand something more subtle than a strap-on camera, but few future Glass customers will be runway models.

We might disagree. If developers wanted people to use this product, we need to be convinced that the Google Glass wouldn't interfere with our everyday life ... meaning that we would need something more subtle than a strap-on camera. This is one case where fashion might equal functionality.

Yohji Yamamoto

And they said it’d never work! Those two crazy brands—chic Japanese line Yohji Yamamoto and utilitarian workout brand Adidas—bound themselves in diffusion-line matrimony with the 2002 launch of Y-3 sports gear; tonight’s late-night party celebrates the 10th anniversary of the clothes that you’d wear to work out in if you weren’t worried about sweating on a $280 pair of gym shoes. They’re showing a new collection, too, after today’s other shows by Diane Von Furstenberg and the perpetually youthful Zac Posen!

Fashion show schedules can be found at mbfashionweek.com and are subject to delay; Adidas and Yohji Yamamoto party, invitation only.

The field house will occupy this site (The New York Times)

Brooklyn bikers received a treat to the tune of $40 million dollars!

Joshua Rechnitz, a cyclist and the grandson of New York philanthropists, pledged a $40 million dollar gift to the city to build a field house in the Brooklyn Bridge Park, The New York Times reported.

The field house is set to be massive project (15,000 square feet!) with an indoor, inclined cycling track with up to 2,500 seats and a 22,000-square-foot infield for sports like basketball, tennis, volleyball and gymnastics.

The project isn't entirely funded—it remains tens of millions of dollars away–but the donation stands as a huge strep in the right direction and the largest donation to any New York City park or recreational facility. The gift is double that of the previous $20 million donation, given last year to the High Line Park by Barry Diller and designer wife Diane von Furstenberg, The Times noted.

"I am thrilled at the magnitude and generosity of this gift, which would invigorate the park in the winter months and provide much-needed active recreation space for youth all over the borough on a year-round basis," Regina Myer, the president of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation, told The Times.

Alas, nothing in life is free, and the park will charge for use of the field house. But Mr. Rechnitz has agreed to cover any shortages in operating revenue for the first ten years.

Time to gear up, Brooklyn! We just hope that noted bicycle-hater Woody Allen doesn't catch wind of this scheme.

mewing@observer.com

Varvatos.

With many of New York’s techiest residents at the annual South by Southwest conference in Austin this week, the city seems to be finally stepping out of its dark apartment, blinking its eyes and seeing its own shadow for the first time in months. Sure, it may be a function of Daylight Saving Time, which seems as if has given us an extra hour to stare at the sun (always a fun pastime). But it’s more than that. It’s finally spring again.

So what does that mean for us? (Aside from the obvious fact that we’ll finally be able to see the fifth season of Mad Men?) Well, we can finally break out those new summer ensembles. Maybe this season it’ll be Diane von Furstenberg or John Varvatos. Both designers have spent the past week in the spotlight of charitable causes (and we’re not talking about Jessica Simpson’s Fashion Star). Last Friday, the third annual Diane von Furstenberg Awards were held at the United Nation during its 72-hours of International Women’s Day conferences. (Giving new, if egregiously inaccurate, meaning to the word “day.”) Ms. von Furstenberg and her husband, Barry Diller, have set up a foundation to give $50,000 a year to the charities of five recipients who have “demonstrated leadership, strength, and courage in their respective fields.” This year, the honorees included Chouchou Namegabe of Vital Voices, Rio street artist Panmela Castro, Jaycee Dugard, Tahirih Justice Center’s Layli Miller-Muro and Oprah. Oprah!!! On hand for the event was Tina Brown (whose Newsweek/Daily Beast entity cosponsored the awards), Diane Sawyer, Fran Lebowitz and Jessica Alba. Because if there’s one person out there who really, really understands “atrocities,” it’s Ms. Alba, whose performance in The Love Guru could easily be defined as such.

On the opposite coast, Mr. Varvatos took time away from his busy reality-show schedule to raise $700,000 for his ninth annual Stuart House charity benefit to support the UCLA Rape Treatment Center program for children who have been sexually abused. With the support of celebs like Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann, Steven Tyler, Dave Matthews and Rachel Zoe, the menswear designer was able to break last year’s record donations by $200K.

Everyone’s just feeling very charitable this week, it seems. We assume it’s the departure of our collective seasonal affective disorder and expect that we’ll be cranky and stingy again as soon as the weather turns cold and dark. But for now: hello, spring!

Fashion Week fixtures gathered in the space, jaws slackened as they watched the massive projections. Each screen showed a video installastion by  Solve Sundsbo, showing two models, one female, one male, with continuously changing body parts. To a haunting electronica sound track (if it wasn't the same hypnotic hymn played in the Standard Hotel's storied elevator, it was hardly distinguishable), well-toned legs morphed into writhing snakes, chests became blooming flowers and close-up ready faces were transformed into raven's heads, always assuming a vaguely anthropomorphic shape. It was a trippy fashion fantasy, supposedly inspired by "the changing idea of beauty." Ironically, both models at the center of the tableaux were conspicuously classic beauties.

Cate Blanchett, Martha Stewart, Olivia Palermo, Tory Burch, Anna Dello Russo, Coco Rocha, Yigal Azrouel, Lara Stone and  Shalom Harlow absorbed the hypnagogic installation whilst imbibing champagne, wine and vodka. There was no food, only a few trays of Maison du Chocolat truffles making the rounds in honor of St. Valentine's day.

After a flute (or tw0) we decided to broach a contentious subject with our fashionable comrades. Karl Lagerfeld recently called Adele "too fat," (a comment which he later retracted, but let's not get bogged in details, shall we?). We wanted to know what people thought about the fashion guru's comments. With whom would they side, Uncle Karl, patron saint of Couture, or Grammy sensation Adele?

"Um, I think she is a fantastic singer. I never, like, think about the body. I mean its like the beautiful voice, it's a beautiful face, it’s a beautiful woman," host Stefano Tonchi said. "I find any of these things kind of stupid," he said, finally.

We asked Diane von Furstenberg (who was staring, transfixed at the screens)  if she thought the idea of beauty was really changing in fashion. "Is it?" she asked whimsically, apparently still under the film's spell. Of Adele, she angrily brushed aside any naysayers, snapping back to reality. "I think that she’s hot, I see her picture, she looks great. Listen, beautify is what beauty does. John Keats said it before me." While we're not sure if that's a direct quote, we appreciated Ms. von Furstenberg's sentiment.

Desperate to ask Daphne Guinness the same question, we hovered around the heiress while she chatted with a friend. "Ms. Guinness," we began, only to have a "Please Desist!"  hand thrust in our face by her personal body guard who was, it turns out, a better hoverer than our self.

We approached the bar for a re-fill, only to find that we had stepped in somebody's overturned Bloody Mary. We looked up at the bar, and our neurons began to fire:  Aside from splashes of tonic, champagne, wine and vodka were the only drinks being served meaning..... "Is that...blood?!" we asked an onlooking girl who had not cared to warn us of the bodily fluids.

"Um, yes. Someone, like, fell on their champagne glass," she said.

Indeed the remnants of the ill-fated flute could be seen, shattered and bloody, in the hemoglobules. Feeling slightly faint, we walked away from the scene, tracking a trail of vital fluid with our (rather nice) boots. Between the film, the blood, the cavernous space and the giraffe-like models, the scene could not possibly have been more surreal. An attendant soon appeared with a bottle of Perrier to clean the mess, but not before we had time too Google clinics in the area where we might get tested for blood-borne infections.

Sunday afternoon at the Tents is always a scene. The climax is when legendary designer/aristocrat, Diane von Fürstenberg takes the stage. CFDA President-regnant; she is fashion royalty and attracts a fitting crowd:

Olivier Zahm from Purple magazine carried on with Terry Richardson…

"Could we get a word with you, Mr. Richardson?" we asked.

"No!" was the tart response.

All the same faces—no one fresh and inspiring. We're running out of options this Fashion Week. Clothes can't entertain and inform forever!

Ah-ha! Barbara Walters! She would be stupendous. The Observer stealthily began meandering past chic throngs of French editors and buyers. We weren't more than a few steps from our target when—"We're done!" snapped a KCD Gestapo.

Humph, back we dashed to our seat in A-6-1.

"A rendezvous is a meeting with suspense and expectation…" stated Ms. von Fürstenberg and creative-head Yvan Mispelaere. "Glamorous at a moment's notice, she is alive with anticipation," the program read.

The lights dimmed and Brigitte Bardot’s seductive voice purred sweetly. Out sashayed 48 ravishing looks: Parisian elegance worked in rich hues of scarlet, sea foam, lapis and glossy obsidian. Wrap dresses hugged the body with sophistication, but exuded a confident sexiness. There were DvF prints on crepe satin, including puzzle pieces, which had also decorated our invitations.

Was that a scowl from Cathy Horyn? We can't tell when she's pleased or horrified. But we love her and The New York Time’s, Eric Wilson (juste à côté), all the same!

While a few outfits would have been cozy on the dance floor at Studio 54, the majority of looks suggested an elegant femme fatale, who is a tad more timeless.

As applause filled the Tent, von Fürstenberg (guided by Mispelaere) greeted her guests with much aplomb, waving to her subjects and giving double-cheek kisses to her VIP pals...

Oh quelle chance, Lorenzo Martone!

“What are you wearing?” The Observer prodded, “is it vintage?”

“No it’s Marni,” the man about town laughed.

“Very nice! So are you going to Diane’s dinner at Indochine tonight?” (More like: can we be your date?)

“Yes…. I think I am!” Martone dished.

“Do you have a date?” we wanted to know.

“Yes I’m bringing my friend, she’s an artist…”

“What happened to Studio 54? Where is the Studio 54 of today?” we pressed on.

“I actually went to an event last year that recreated studio 54—it was great!”

…and no, we didn’t attend DvF’s intimate feast.

Photos: Patrick McMullan

Valentino and Diane embrace.

On the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks, Diane von Furstenberg debuted a collection at Fashion Week that she dubbed, perhaps appropriately, Beginnings. "Dawn has broken," the program reads. "She is brand new."

The loaded title, and flowery text that accompanied it, made no direct reference to the tragedy, and for most of the show the audience members declined to bring it up. They were talking about Valentino, perhaps the show's marquee attendee, the designer who just the night before displayed his much-rumored karaoke chops at a party for Barney's and former French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld.

"People are talking more about that than they are about fashion!"  Giancarlo Giametti, Valentino's longtime partner, said of the Italian's performance of "My Way" at Westway, the former strip club that hosted the party. "Can we get back to reality?"

We obeyed, and returned to the reality unfolding beside us: Tina Brown carefully taking her seat next to Fran Leibowitz.

"In my life, it's my millionth show," Ms. Leibowitz said. "I can't remember what year it was, but Yves Saint Laurent in Paris, in the seventies when he was still alive, that was exciting. We're not going to get that here, because he's Yves Saint Laurant, and he's dead."

Fran, always optimistic! Everyone scurried to their seats, and after the lights dimmed, darkened and burst bright anew the first dresses came out in sparkling limeade, and saffron yellow, and pristine, creamy white. The sunny hues continued through the show's 40-plus looks.

And then Ms. von Furstenberg emerged after the finale carrying a handful of American flags. As she walked the runway to rapturous applause, the designer handed  flags to Valentino, to Tina Brown, to Carine Roitfeld -- Italy, England and France. The gesture was small, but, given the date, perhaps it was the closest thing to getting back to reality at Lincoln Center all day.

A scene from 'Tanner Hall' (Jessica Miglio, Anchor Bay Films)

Tatiana von Furstenberg met Francesca Gregorini, her co-director on the new film Tanner Hall, at Brown, but she knew about her long before that. “I was still in boarding school,” said the alumna of England’s Cranborne Chase School and daughter of designer Diane von Furstenberg, “and Interview magazine did a piece on interesting people who went to Brown University. At that moment, it was incredibly hard to get into … [Francesca] was on the cover of the piece and she looked so hot, and she looked so glamorous, and my friend brought it into my room, where I was—you know—braces, Afro, and she was like, ‘Good luck, loser. You’re going to have the hardest time at Brown.’”

What drew the pair to one another, once she arrived there? Ms. Gregorini couldn’t say. “The wavy hair?”

“She was unapproachable at Brown,” said Ms. von Furstenberg. “She had a vintage Porsche and a motorcycle and she was super cool.”

The Observer met the pair at an Upper East Side luncheonette to discuss Tanner Hall, which they shot together in Providence (“I was discovering Rhode Island for the first time!” said Ms. von Furstenberg).

“We’ve been the best of friends, the best, best,” said Ms. Gregorini.  Each of the pair, if not finishing one another’s sentences, tends to jump into conversation the very moment the other has finished speaking.

“I felt kind of maternal to her,” Ms. Furstenberg returned. “I knew she did wheelies in the snow. When I saw her motorcycle at a class, I was relieved she’d made it to class on time.”

“I don’t know if it’s a past-life thing, but we were really drawn to each other,” Ms. Gregorini said. “It was only after Brown that our friendship sort of—”

Ms. von Furstenberg: “We’ve had similar lives. We had Italian dads, we have Italian as a language that we share. Similar childhoods, similar experiences.”

Ms. Gregorini: “Glamorous mothers.”

Ms. von Furstenberg: “Once we did approach one another, it was soul-mate material. It’s a done deal. Family.”

The pair wear their lineages lightly: Ms. von Furstenberg (full name Tatiana Desiree Prinzessin von Furstenberg) is the heiress of her legendary mother’s former husband, the European noble Egon von Furstenberg. Ms. Gregorini (full name Countess Francesca McKnight Donatella Romana Gregorini di Savignano di Romagna) is the daughter of Barbara Bach (Bond girl in The Spy Who Loved Me) and Augusto Gregorini and stepdaughter of Ringo Starr. Both have made headlines of a decidedly minor fashion in the past (Ms. von Furstenberg once spoke to this newspaper about outfitting her then-8-year-old daughter in a custom-made D.V.F. wrap dress; Ms. Gregorini, a sometime pop singer, was, at least per tabloids, Portia de Rossi’s fiancée before the TV star met Ellen DeGeneres), as well as art on a similar scale (they’ve collaborated on short films) but Tanner Hall represents an artistic coming-out party.

What made the pair decide that directing a feature-length film would be a manageable project? “Francesca and I are not first-time homeowners,” said Ms. von Furstenberg. “We bought in Silverlake a long time ago, so even, like, when you’re overseeing an enormous project or a construction project—it was super useful.” Ms. Gregorini said her favorite female filmmakers are Jane Campion and Lynne Ramsay. “It’s hard to get a break and get your foot in the door.”

Both will mention their glamorous mothers, in a shrugging-off fashion surely learned at boarding school and Brown, but Ms. von Furstenberg’s more interested in talking about her own daughter. “Trust me, I have an 11 year old, and it gets desperate at this point,” she told The Observer, of constructing summer-vacation activities. Ms. von Furstenberg dug into a mayonnaisey shrimp salad, while Ms. Gregorini tore her tuna melt into geometric shapes.

The two now reside in Los Angeles, where they conceived of Tanner Hall in marathon screenwriting sessions. Said Ms. Gregorini: “Our friends called us the writers on bed rest. Tatiana has a ridiculously huge bed, and I’d come over in the mornings and get into bed with her and the computer.”

Ms. von Furstenberg cut in: “And dogs everywhere.”

Ms. Gregorini: “—And friends would come over, and we’d do what we do anyway, just talk to each other endlessly, and tell tall tales—”

Ms. von Furstenberg: “Walk the dogs, bang out the beats! Come back to bed, write them out. On loop. Walk the dogs, bang out the beats!”

Ms. Gregorini: “The only difference is that we were writing it out.”

How long did it take, The Observer wondered? A year? No, just a few months, said Ms. Gregorini: “I don’t think we would have survived as writers on bed rest.”

Her co-writer cut in again. “We would have atrophied.”

Befitting the pair’s past jet-setting as well as certain earthy peculiarities of boarding-school life, the tall tales that make up Tanner Hall take place in a school untrammeled by space and time. The aesthetic—all tweeds, embroidered curtains, and white-enameled-brick bathrooms—follows suit. Said Ms. von Furstenberg: “You don’t know where it is. It’s in America, but we tried to make it anywhere.”

“It could be England,” said Ms. Gregorini. “It could be—anywhere in Europe.”

“And it could be at any time!” continued Ms. von Furstenberg. “We intentionally put furniture and wardrobe from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s—because that’s what boarding schools look like! They have a frugality, a resourcefulness.”

The film follows a character, played by Rooney Mara of The Social Network and the forthcoming The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, whose senior year at the boarding school Tanner Hall is derailed by the arrival of a seductive interloper, her childhood friend. There’s as much jealousy here as in Black Swan or All About Eve, and it’s compounded by the pressures of living together and the periodic interferences of a pair of house parents played by Chris Kattan and Amy Sedaris. The two directors both worked with the actors, who were, at the time of filming (excepting Mr. Kattan and Ms. Sedaris), young and untested women. The film was first shown in 2009, then shelved until this year’s studio release on the back of Ms. Mara’s burgeoning fame.

“I think it was a real benefit to be female filmmakers,” said Ms. Gregorini. “There was a level of trust there that the actresses were willing to go there with us. We’ve been where they are. It’s not like some guy saying, ‘Why don’t you lift that skirt a little higher?’”

Aside from the shared writing and talent nurturing, they divided their responsibilities.

“I’m a closet, wanna-be cinematographer,” said Ms. Gregorini, “so I spent a lot of time in the cinematography department.”

“And I don’t know a damn thing about shots,” said Ms. von Furstenberg. “She was envisioning the shots, and I was—”

“Decorating the rooms!,” said Ms. Gregorini.

“—decorating the rooms, and tackling the truths of the characters based on what they would be wearing. You know what I mean?”

“It’s a huge undertaking, directing a film,” said Ms. Gregorini. “To have a friend by your side before falling into that rabbit hole is huge.”

Even working as a duo, the two were unable to accomplish everything that needed doing. Ms. von Furstenberg’s mother helped out with costuming. Said the fashion scion: “We had three weeks of preproduction. Literally. And we have production values that look like we spent a lot of money. She didn’t do the costumes, but she delivered the uniforms, and they look amazing. The blazers are so well-cut. But it’s not like we had every resource available to us. She did it as a favor. We were pulling goodwill from everyone.”

It wasn’t just the costumes that were sourced unconventionally. “Our clothes, my curtains, my bedspread,” said Ms. Von Furstenberg, “literally is on-screen.”

Their resourcefulness, said Ms. Gregorini, made the pair more creative. They had, as Ms. Von Furstenberg put it, “a unified point of view” and created something on-screen that “was just externalizing a world that’s already inside of us.”

But what does that world look like? “Italy. Old World,” said Ms. Gregorini. “Tatiana and I share an emotional truth. Our understanding of the human condition is very shared, and we bring that to Tanner Hall, the challenges of being human, and the flawedness. And we’re quite open-minded. It’s not like a morality piece.”

“It’s really a family drama,” said Ms. von Furstenberg. “The parents are the teachers, and the girls are basically sisters. That’s their home. And I just had a midlife crisis recently. I’m out of it.”

“I’m not,” said Ms. Gregorini.

By shoot’s end, the pair were exhausted. Ms. Gregorini bought a motorcycle in Rhode Island to use for exploring; she ended up never using it. Ms. von Furstenberg brought her daughter. “I thought it was important—a lot of directors leave their kids at home for the 10 weeks they’re on location. I really respect her life and the engagements of her life, and she respects the engagements of my life.”

“She discovered Montessori schools there,” Ms. Gregorini observed.

“Well,” Ms. von Furstenberg admitted, “she’d already been.”

All told, it was an unusually stressful experience, said Ms. von Furstenberg, both in its time demands—“By the end, my hands were purple! I was thinking ahead to when I’m taking the knots out of my hair!”—and its interpersonal responsibilities. “You’re communicating to four girls who are looking to you for a grounded sense of—you know what I mean?”

Work is a pleasure for both, though. Ms. von Furstenberg was fulfilled by her exhaustion, knotty hair and all: “My mother—and everybody that I’ve ever been around, they create their own opportunity. They wake up knowing that they have to create things. The pleasure of life is being able to make clear decisions. I always was a hard worker at school. Work is fulfilling. The harder it is, the more fulfilling it is.”

The reviews, at least upon 2009 festival screenings, were less than kind: Variety called the film “derivative” and said it veered “from sitcom slapstick to wanna-be black comedy to soap opera.” Ms. von Furstenberg was troubled at the thought of viewers reacting negatively, but said she stood by her work: “I rose to my highest self and made decisions in the best way I was able to. The movie was not informed by other people … We did the best job, and there were challenges, many, and I do hope that the poetry resonates, and the humanity resonates.”

Ms. Gregorini is less worried about possible reactions; she’s already planning a second film. Ms. von Furstenberg will be there in a fairy-godmother role. “I’m not going to be directing with her, but I’m going to have her back.” The next film is to be what Ms. Gregorini calls “psychological suspense,” and her third script is to be sci-fi.

Ms. von Furstenberg spoke before her friend could describe her diffuse creative process. “I’m always surprised. Francesca remains a mystery to me—and that’s why I’m so intrigued.”

ddaddario@observer.com :: @DPD_