8 topical fashion documentaries
Often when films about the fashion industry are mentioned, top 3 lists include The Devil Wears Prada, September Room and Valentino: The Last Emperor. If you've already seen these, we offer you a list of other equally interesting movies and documentaries that are worth watching today, so you can keep up with new trends and learn about the heroes of our time. Here’s our top 10 must-see movies.

1. Absolutely Fashion: Inside British Vogue (series), 2016

The two-part BBC documentary, released to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Vogue UK, tells the story of how the British magazine's editorial staff lives. For a long time TV channels were not allowed to let in the "holy of holies", but the BBC made an exception. It was directed by Richard Maser, who, along with a film crew, spent nine months in the newsroom.

2. "The Real Price of Fashion," 2015.

Conscious consumption and the eco-catastrophes that clothing production provokes is a hot topic in the fashion industry today that is poaching designers to the bright side. For example, Burberry, L'Oreal, Stella McCartney, H&M, Inditex (owns Zara), Unilever (owns Dove) have already given up on plastic not too long ago. The film shows why other brands should join their ranks. Horrifying footage and facts about the detrimental impact that factories located in third-world countries have on the environment make us forget about the glossy self-image that the fashion industry delicately lets out, and pushes us to think about conscious consumption.

3. "Bergdorf Goodman: More than a Century at the Top of Fashion Olympus," 2013 

This 2013 documentary is about one of the world's most prestigious and high-status department stores, Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue. In the film you will learn why every designer wants to present themselves in this store, how the company managed to establish a solid reputation and how it all began.

4. "McQueen," 2018.
A new documentary about British designer Alexander McQueen was directed by Ian Bonot. The director tried to showcase the designer's life and work, beginning with the designer's years as student at St. Martin's College and ending with his suicide in 2010. The director enlisted the help of McQueen's close friends as well as using archival footage of the brand's shows. This is not the first documentary about the designer as the film "McQueen and Me" was released in 2011.

5. "Helmut Newton: High Photography," 1989.

The biography of the reformer of the perception of sexuality in the fashion world is full of crazy events. It all started when he had to flee Berlin because of the persecution of Jews in 1938. He went to China, but jumped ship in Singapore, where he worked for a long time as a portrait painter. Helmut worked in Australia for a long time, and then settled in the United States to be able to work with Vogue and Hollywood celebrities. The documentary explores not only the flamboyant life of the photographer, but also draws parallels to his work, explaining his fascination specifically with sexuality and animal passion.

6. "Sex Disco Fashion," 2017.

A 2017 film that tells the story of Antonio Lopez, a 1970s illustrator who worked for various fashion magazines and collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld, Grace Coddington, Jerry Hall and others. The film inspires you to do crazy things and encourages you not to be afraid to change your life and take risks! The hour and a half documentary is literally bursting with eccentricity, epatage and passion. A must-see.

7. "We Margiela," 2018.

An intelligent film about the great designer Martin Margiela, whose every collection is filled with profound meaning, and his fashion shows can be equated with new-format art. The genius does not appear in the film, but Margiela's story is told by former and current employees of the atelier who managed to work with him, as well as by close friends. Thanks to them, the viewer is given the opportunity to understand and learn more about the designer. We assure you that at the end of the picture you will be as moved as we were.

8. “The First Monday In May" 2016.

If you like "September Room," "The First Monday In May" will please you just as much. The film takes you through the preparations for one of the most important events in the fashion world after Fashion Weeks, the Costume Institute Ball, better known as the Met Gala, which is held every year on the first Monday of May. See how Anna Wintour chooses the designers, the theme of the ball and how difficult it is to organize an event of this level.


May 10, 2022