The life history of fashion designers has always made for a good movie theater. So, get ready to take a look at the best movies on fashion designers.
Fashion is vital to the success of a lot of movies. It sets the mood we can expect and at the same time tells us a visual story about the characters on screen.
The truth is that both fashion and film have generally been dream pairings.
Frequently, actors have commented on how the costume is one of the most vital parts of their acting success.
There are some that even assign putting on their costume as the basically firing table for them to get in character.
So, all that being said, let’s now take a look at some of the best movies on fashion designers.
Chasing Beauty
A shocking 25 percent of young American women would prefer to win “America’s Next Top Model” instead of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Troubling statistics brought out in this award-winning documentary delve into the ugly side of being pretty through interviews with agents, models, photographers, psychologists, and most importantly, designers.
This film, directed by former Ford model Brent Huff, shows the dark and frequently distressing side of the modeling world.
This movie offers audiences a rare peek into the never-ending and frequently unobtainable demands placed upon the men who aim to front the shiny covers of fashion magazines.
Coco Before Chanel
As the title of the film implies, Coco Before Chanel portrays the story of the early and extremely inventive tiaras of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel.
This movie features Audrey Tautou as the legendary fashion designer.
It goes through her time in an orphanage through to her tie-up with textile baron Étienne Balsan.
The orphanage was where she was taught how to sew by the nuns.
And it was Étienne Balsan who gave her entry into French society and a chance to develop her talent for designing increasingly popular hats.
They were all leading up to her becoming the lasting symbol of strength, freedom, and style that she is today.
Eye candy galore comes in the form of Chanel dresses featured throughout, and the creation of accessories and costumes was supervised by Karl Lagerfeld himself.
McQueen (2018)
This is a personal look at the exceptional life, career, and artistry of British fashion designer Alexander McQueen.
McQueen, the designer, began producing in his teens, and this was right before he was getting recognized and worked as a designer for Givenchy.
Soon after, he launched his label, which continues to this day. McQueen is an original celebration and an interesting portrait of an inspired yet tormented fashion visionary who took his own life in 2020.
All these are thanks to the exclusive interviews with his closest friends and family, recovered archives, well-crafted visuals, and music. For all fashion fans, this is a must-see movie.
Yves Saint Laurent (2014)
This 1958 film, Yves Saint Laurent,” is about the life of Yves Saint Laurent. This is one of the best French biographical drama fashion movies of all time.
The movie starts with Saint Laurent as a nervous 21-year-old being tormented by a self-doubting boy.
He became the new head designer of France’s most well-known fashion house, Christian Dior, in 1957.
He suffers a mental breakdown after being bullied about his sexuality a couple of years later. He was also forced to fight in the Algerian War.
As Saint Laurent struggles with a coke addiction and depression, Pierre Bergé, a businessman, comes along and becomes Saint Laurent’s bodyguard, boyfriend, and business partner.
The 2010 ‘L’Amour Fou’ is another documentary I suggest you watch if you are interested in Yves Saint Laurent.
House of Gucci (2021)
Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci is a ravishing true-crime story of murder so malicious, it could only come from the extravagant world of fashion.
It starts with Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) as she marries the influential Gucci designer family and lives a life of luxury.
When her husband (Adam Driver) leaves her for a younger woman, she came to see it all come crashing down.
She decides to hit where she can do the most damage as she becomes desperate and infuriated.
She also plots the assassination of the heir to the family fortune.
There is no way you can dismiss the creative liberties that are in service to the plot to make it more thrilling, even as it swerves from the facts at times to better communicate the emotional center of the story.
Watching the family dynamics that bleed between the Gucci dynasty and the House of Gucci is to see an essential, but not always noted, side of the fashion industry. This is where reputations are everything.
Dior & I (2015)
This movie is a French documentary that sheds light on the talented staff of the Christian Dior fashion house.
Raf Simons, its newest creative director, gathers his premier high fashion collection in a length of two months.
This is a job, as the film explains, that basically takes five or six. Dior & I is gorgeously tailored, as it makes an extremely specific point from its fashion to its editing.
It takes so much work to make its beauty look effortless. A wild blend of industry professionals, veteran artisans, some of whom have been working for Dior for 40 years, and the celebrities that swear by the label, it has at its center an enigma.
A shy Bulgarian designer who loves to keep away from the spotlight even as his creations call for it. This is very similar to his legendary predecessor.
The Neon Demon
Elle Fanning plays Jesse in this 2016 horror movie. This is about a young model who moves to Los Angeles.
However, she came to find herself lost in a ruthless, often terrifying world of fashion, style, and beauty with a serious dark side.
Jesse learns to defend herself against the evils of the industry in more than one way, given the fact that people around her became obsessed with her youth.
However, I’m sure this isn’t exactly what the modeling industry is actually like, but the beautiful cinematography and costumes of Neon Demon make this snap worth watching.
Conclusion
It’s never a bad idea to take a break to watch a solid fashion film. You can do this for inspiration or simply for excellent entertainment.
So, above is a list of comedies, dramas, and documentaries talking about fashion and its oddly charming effect on people.
With that being said, this will be the end of this guide on the best movies on fashion designers.
