It’s that time of year again! In honour of Fashion Month, I decided to make a list of the best fashion documentaries for all of you fashionistas. With London Fashion Week finishing up this week and Milan Fashion Week picking up on Wednesday, I thought that this article could help the rest of us unfortunate, non-Fashion-Week-attending people experience a little bit of the fashion world. Please note that I could’ve made this list 100 documentaries long, but I could only pick a few of my favourites – one for each day of Fashion Week. That being said, let’s get started.
1. Valentino – The Last Emperor (2008)
This remarkable film follows Valentino Garavani and his business and life partner Giancarlo Giammetti as they work their way through the fashion world. His timeless pieces will truly make you fall in love with Valentino as a person and as an artist. Let me end by saying this is my favourite documentary I have ever seen (and I may have cried by the end of it).
2. Doir and I (2014)
Raf Simons becomes the new Creative Director for Dior and really starts to feel the heat when his first collection has an eight-week deadline. With such a short amount of time to get the Fall 2012 collection completed, you can really appreciate the complexity of the art, whether it’s on the models or on the walls.
Watch it on Netflix!
3. McQueen and I (2011)
This documentary gives an inside peek into Alexander McQueen’s life, before and after fame. McQueen’s loved ones give us an inside look on how he created and presented his bold, controversial, and outstanding pieces. The footage in the documentary demonstrates how he began his career with many people not taking him seriously and his journey to being one of the most respected designers in the world.
Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNK2mKT8n9o
4. Signé Chanel (2005)
This BBC five-part miniseries documents Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel Fall/Winter 2004-2005 collection. Get to know the work behind the scenes from the antique hand-stitches, the tight deadlines and the last minute changes (which don’t always mix well). Watch Lagerfeld’s sketches take shape at the incredible final show.
Watch it here: https://m2m.tv/signe-chanel
5. Paris is Burning (1990)
This award-winning documentary takes place in Harlem during the 1980s. It documents Drag Queens coming together in the name of fashion. It presents their struggles, which mostly regard discrimination, poverty, sexual identity, and social exclusion, but it also displays the unity of an outstanding community.
Watch it on Netflix!
6. Iris (2014)
This 96-year-old, sassy New Yorker, known as Iris Apfel, will make you regret every outfit you didn’t accessorize. She has been a part of the fashion industry for over 70 years and has done everything from interior design to display her personal collection of clothing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her personality is so addictive that you just can’t get enough of her.
Watch it on Netflix!
7. The First Monday in May (2016)
This documentary follows Ana Wintour, queen of the Met Gala, who designs, start to finish, an extraordinary event every May. It specifically takes a look at the 2015 China-themed Gala, where politics and art become controversial. It appropriately demonstrates fashion as art, which is not a perspective many outside the industry can see.
Watch it on Netflix!
So there you have it! I hope you enjoy these documentaries as much as I did. Let me know which ones were your favourite!