From the pages of Vogue magazine to the Fashion Week runways and to street style photography, the fashion world has plenty of interesting fodder for documentaries that give you a look behind the curtain.
Check out some of the best fashion documentaries, from “The September Issue” to “Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s”, and discover their unique insights about different aspects of the fashion world.
In Vogue: The Editor’s Eye (2020)
Produced by HBO Documentaries and released in the year of Vogue magazine’s 120th birthday, “In Vogue: The Editor’s Eye” offers a panoramic view of some of the most important women and moments that shaped it, kept it at the forefront of fashion and turned it into a unique magazine, that’s hugely influential in the fashion world to this day.
Valentino: The Last Emperor (2020)
Definitely one of the best fashion documentaries, “Valentino: The Last Emperor” documents the creative process behind the last collection of the famed couturier. After 45 years in the business, Valentino Garavani offered exclusive access to his life, which led to a one of a kind film about one of the most influential people in fashion… and his pugs.
Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton (2020)
LOUIS VUITTON MARC JACOBS (trailer) – Frédéric GUELAFF from NOVOPROD on Vimeo.
Directed by Loïc Prigent, the documentary follows Marc Jacobs’ process as the creative director of Louis Vuitton. “Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton” offers more than just a detailed look at the artist’s process and the difficulties of creating collections that perfectly fit the brand, it opens the designer’s world from runways to workshops.
The September Issue (2020)
Tightly focused on editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and creative director Grace Coddington during the creation of the of the September 2020 issue of American Vogue magazine, the biggest in the history of the magazine, “The September Issue” is definitely one of the best fashion documentaries. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about how a photoshoot comes together and how it fits into Vogue, this documentary is a must see.
Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (2020)
Before Anna Wintour’s huge impact on the fashion world, there was Diana Vreeland, who became a celebrity thanks to her influence as a fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. With a 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, “The Eye Has to Travel” delivers an important historical view of one of fashion’s most influential people.
Mademoiselle C (2020)
After a decade as the editor-in-chief of French Vogue, Carine Roitfeld moved to New York to launch her own magazine, CR Fashion Book, while also becoming the global fashion director of Harper’s Bazaar. “Mademoiselle C” follows her transition from Vogue to her personal project and is one of the best fashion documentaries because it offer a glimpse of the real person behind the legend.
Bill Cunningham New York (2020)
New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham is one of the most influential figures in the history of street style photography. The documentary explores his life and work, while highlighting his role in the bigger picture of fashion photography.
Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s (2020)
Even though it’s centered around just one department store, Bergdorf Goodman, this is one of the best fashion documentaries thanks to the sheer number of fashion personalities who have been inspired by it, from the Olsen Twins and Rachel Zoe to Diane von Furstenberg and Tom Ford. Covering everything from the Fifth Avenue store’s holiday window displays to personal shoppers, it’s definitely an intriguing look at a New York fashion institution.
Unzipped (1995)
Following the creation and Fashion Week show of Isaac Mizrahi’s Fall 1994 collection, “Unzipped” is filled with supermodels and celebrities, from Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss to Liza Minnelli and Padma Lakshmi.
Chasing Beauty (2020)
Definitely one of the best fashion documentaries, “Chasing Beauty” stands out by approaching the fashion world from the point of view of models, in a brutally honest manner than ranges from the glamorous to the darker side of fashion modeling.