Top 5 film that every fashion student must watch
The Devil Wears Prada may be the most popular title when we talk about movies about the fashion industry, but the truth is this Meryl Streep-starrer does not give a complete insight into the creative minds of designers.
To find a movie that really captures the struggles of designers dreaming to own an haute couture empire of their own one day, one needs to look beyond the obvious. If you are a student looking to make a career in fashion, here is a list of some titles that will inspire you.
Yves Saint Laurent
A non-french speaker may need subtitles to watch this 2014 drama that is often confused with ‘Saint Laurent’ — another biopic on the same designer released in the same year. Yves Saint tells the story of the legendary designer, his relationships and his career graph, especially in the 50s when he was heading designs at Dior. The filmmakers gained permission to borrow as many as 77 vintage outfits and shoot some scenes at the YSL headquarters on Avenue Marceau in Paris.
Dior and I
This 2014 documentary focusses on the tenure of Raf Simmons who used to be the creative director at Dior. The movie won positive reviews for offering behind-the-scenes look into efforts put in by the creative teams at fashion houses. The filming took place in Paris and its director Frédéric Tcheng gained exclusive access to the ateliers of the iconic fashion house.
Manholo — The boy who made shoes for lizards
This movie highlights the story of Manolo Blahnik, who is known as the king shoemaker of the modern times. This 2017 fashion documentary highlights the creative process that drives the celebrated designer. The movie title is such because the designer had revealed that he used to make shoes for lizards in his childhood home, from the foils wrapping Cadbury chocolate bars.
Coco Before Chanel
Did you know that long before she became famous, Coco Chanel sewed clothes in the day and worked as a cabaret dancer in the night? This 2009 movie revolves around the early life of an orphan named Gabrielle, who went on to become Coco Chanel.
Bill Cunningham New York
This 2010 documentary film tells the story of ‘ The New York Times’ photographer Bill Cunningham about whom Vogue Editor Anna Wintour had once famously remarked that “we all dress for Bill”. This photographer is best known for uniquely capturing fashion trends for the newspaper in his columns “On the Street” and “Evening Hours”.
