The best fashion films to watch from the comfort of your own home
With documentaries about designers hitting the big screen, why not get to grips with some of the best of the genre?
So far, 2018 has been a big year for fashion documentaries on the big screen. We’ve seen a riveting portrait of the fashion world’s biggest renegade in Vivienne Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist, a compelling insight into the life and work of the late McQueen in an epoynymous feature-length, and The Gospel According To André, the inspirational tale of André Talley who, despite the odds stacked against him, became editor-at-large at American Vogue.
These add to a whole host of fascinating films released in recent years that breakdown the barriers between the notoriously insular fashion industry and the rest of the world who, privy only to its luxurious veneer, know little about how it actually operates. From how the biggest magazine in the world prepares for its biggest issue of the year, to stepping into the universe of an unlikely style icon, these are the fashion documentaries you should stream at home now…
Iris
If you didn’t already know, Iris Apfel is the 96-year-old Queens-born fashionista whose flamboyant, original and downright immaculate dress sense has earned her the well-deserved mantle of style icon. In the 2014 documentary named after the self-proclaimed “geriatric starlet”, director Albert Maysles follows Iris on shopping expeditions and explores her (unsurprisingly) eccentric Manhattan home. In an industry regularly accused of representation issues, to see Iris on screen is a breath of fresh air.
Watch on Netflix
Dior And I
Raf Simons is one of those designers who ignites passion in critics and consumers alike.
Dior and I provides a fly-on-the-wall look at the Belgian designer’s Dior debut – a couture collection created over eight weeks rather than the usual half a year. In it, the characteristically unassuming Simons offers a human dimension to a spectacle so often seen only for its hyper-glamorous façade, shedding light on the work that goes on behind each collection.
Watch on Amazon Instant Video
Dries
Following the much-revered Belgian designer over the course of a year, director Reiner Holzemer paints a portrait of Dries Van Noten both at home and in the studio, over the course of four collections. Given that Holzemer’s previous subjects include Juergen Teller and David Lynch – and that Noten rarely talks to the press – it’s certainly a documentary that fashion obsessives should put on their watch list.
Watch on Netflix
The September Issue
There’s a reason why The September Issue is one of the most popular fashion films out there. With a cameo list that reads like a who’s who of industry royalty and a glimpse into Anna Wintour’s formidable reign at American Vogue, RJ Cutler’s behind-the-scenes foray into the Manhattan HQ follows the build-up to the magazine’s record-breaking September issue – blood, sweat and tears included.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel
Few figures in fashion history have had the same lasting impact as Diana Vreeland, whose roles at Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue cemented her influential status. Alongside her distinctive style, it is Vreeland’s ever-quotable one liners – peppered throughout the film – that show just what makes her unique. Featuring rare archive footage and appearances from Richard Avedon and Pierre Bergé, Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel is a joyous ride through a life lived to the very fullest.
Watch on Google Play
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