The Auteur Capsule

Rashida Jones

Marfa Stance

What were your first impressions?

Rashida Jones

My first thought, if nothing else, it means your crew will always be able to find you!
(laughs) On set, people are constantly asking questions and looking to you to make decisions, so being easily identifiable is actually incredibly useful.

Marfa Stance

What do you like most about the design?

Rashida Jones

I really like that the orange is just a stripe down the centre. It feels intentional rather than overtly high-vis. It is a clever balance — you stand out enough for people to spot you quickly, but you still blend into the set, which is important as a director.

Marfa Stance

How important is versatility when you're travelling for work?

Rashida Jones

It's essential. When you're on location, you don't want to pack lots of different jackets. Ideally, this is something you can wear on set during the day and then keep on for dinner or your day off. That kind of on-and-off-set versatility is invaluable.

Rebecca Hall

I like to be myself on set – accessible, warm, welcoming and kind. In order to be that person, I need to feel completely comfortable. I don't want to be thinking about my clothing; I want it to support me. That means having everything I need close at hand, so I can focus on the people around me and the work itself. Function becomes incredibly important. I need pockets in the right places, somewhere intuitive for pens, somewhere to keep the small things I reach for constantly. The jacket should almost disappear into the rhythm of the day while quietly giving me everything I need.

Marfa Stance

Comfort seems to be just as important as function.

Rebecca Hall

Absolutely. Warmth is essential, particularly on set where you're often outside for long periods and the conditions can change so quickly. A coat that's long enough, pocket warmers, even the idea of a shearling lining inside the pockets – those are the kinds of details that genuinely make a difference. Comfort around the neck is important too. I'm constantly wearing headphones, lanyards or radios, so anything bulky or restrictive becomes distracting. When those practical considerations are solved thoughtfully, you stop thinking about them altogether, and that's incredibly freeing.

Marfa Stance

You've spoken about clothing as a system rather than a single garment. Can you tell us more about that?

Rebecca Hall

That's exactly how I think about it. I don't really want one jacket – I want a system that gives me everything I need so I can step into whichever role I'm inhabiting that day. I'm a director, a writer, an actor and an artist. Those creative identities overlap, but they also ask different things of me. I love the idea of a modular system because it allows the clothing to shift alongside me. It can evolve depending on the day, the season or the work, without losing its identity. There's something quite liberating about that. It feels honest to the way creative lives actually work.

Poppy de Villeneuve

Marfa Stance

Marfa Stance is known for modularity. How does that resonate with the way you work?

Poppy de Villeneuve

Very much so. When shooting docs I'm quite scrappy, I like to be right inside whatever is happening, not at a distance, so I'm constantly moving between indoor and outdoor environments, often several times a day, so a detachable inner vest would be brilliant.

I love the idea of adapting the jacket depending on the conditions and the day's schedule. Having options, including different colours, feels very aligned with how I approach dressing for work. I want to be focusing on work on those days (re-writes, line of questioning, putting out fires in production), not fashion decisions. Marfa can sort those for me ahead of time.

Marfa Stance

What role does weather protection play?

Poppy de Villeneuve

A significant one. I often work in the UK, and more often than not I'm damp. Weatherproof materials are essential. Whatever the design, it needs to be able to withstand long days outside in unpredictable and changeable conditions.

Marfa Stance

How visible do you like to be on set?

Poppy de Villeneuve

Interestingly, not very. I tend to prefer being discreet, a cog in the wheel. I genuinely believe every person on a film set is equally important, and I don't like drawing unnecessary attention to myself. That said, some subtle form of identification could be useful — perhaps a coloured or reflective detail that helps people locate me quickly when needed. I've always thought of the director as the captain of the ship, so perhaps there's a way to reference that idea in a thoughtful, understated way.

Sam Taylor-Johnson

Marfa Stance

You've now directed four feature films and you're working on your fifth. Has your experience changed the way you approach directing?

Sam Taylor-Johnson

I think once you've made several feature films, you become much more confident in your own process. Over time you stop trying to fit into an idea of what a director should be. You trust your instincts and develop your own way of working.

Marfa Stance

Directing has traditionally been a male-dominated profession. How has that influenced the way you present yourself on set?

Sam Taylor-Johnson

I realised quite early on that I had to create my own authority on set. It's a role that's traditionally been viewed as masculine, but I didn't want to simply wear what a man would wear. It was important to create an identity that felt authentic to me while still projecting confidence and authority.