Fashion on Films: Our top 10 must-watch movies on fashion

Fashionable Films: Our top 10 must-watch movies on fashion

Tarandip Kaur

29 Aug 2014

updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:51

1/10
Beau Brummell: This Charming Man (2006)
Known to many as the first dandy, Beau Brummell was an arbiter of men's fashion. He took it upon himself to remove the ornate style of men's attire, wigs and face powder by creating a more understated and sophisticated look.

The film explores how Brummell became close friends with Prince George in the 1800s and eventually became the prince's personal sartorial advisor.
2/10
Yves Saint Laurent (2014)
The film is basically a telling history of the prodigal young designer, Yves Saint Laurent. Played by Pierre Niney, the biopic covers YSL's rise to fame when he became Christian Dior's head designer.

By showcasing some of the pivotal moments in YSL's life - meeting his partner, Pierre Berge, creating the Modrian collection and his dark turn downwards - fans of the brand's sleek and elegant designs need to put this film on their must-watch list.
3/10
Belle Du Jour (1967)
While the plot of the film has little to do with the fashion industry, what makes this is a good watch is the faultless and polished styling depicted.
Dressed in one exquisite little Yves Saint Laurent dress to another, Catherine Deneuve effectively displays an outwardly stylish appearance while incidentally masking a damaged and dark persona.
4/10
Blow Up (1966)
Enter mod, swinging sixties, space age trend, Jane Birkin and Verushka and you'll get one of the most enticing fashion shoots ever shot, amongst others.
Blow Up, a drama-thriller, revolves around a fashion photographer who finds something suspicious in the photographs that he has taken of a mysterious beauty in the park. The pieces of the puzzle are eventually put together only after blowing up the negatives.
5/10
Coco before Chanel (2009)
Before the multi-billion dollar brand, Chanel, became a reality, Coco Chanel was actually a poor bar performer and milliner.

With this movie, take a peek into the life of Chanel and how her spirit and driving force brought her into the limelight. This French film is a classic that should be watched by any self-professed fashion fanatic.
6/10
Funny Face (1957)
Starring Audry Hepburn, this film shows how she lands herself a modelling opportunity despite her vehement thoughts against fashion and the industry.

Eventually, all is accepted and a fashion shoot is conducted on the streets of Paris with a touch of Givenchy fashion thrown in. The entire movie is a brilliant confection of enchanting beauty and charming aloofness brought to life, through immaculate styling.
7/10
In Vogue The Editor’s Eye (2012)
Vogue, by far, is one of the most sought after and powerful glossies the fashion industry has to offer. For a look into the men and women who run the myriad of titles, In Vogue, gives you quite the delectable and insightful scoop, courtesy of some brilliant fashion editors and photographers.
8/10
Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel (2011)
Whether it was her years at Harper's Bazaar as columnist and then Fashion Editor or her rise to Vogue's Editor-in-Chief position, Diana Vreeland was truly a talent to be reckoned with.

The documentary offers glimpses of her childhood during the Belle Epoche times right up to her becoming a consultant for the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. All while featuring various filmed and recorded audio with colleagues, friends and family.
9/10
Marie Antoinette (2006)
A historical drama film of one of the most riveting Queen, Marie Antoinette. Antoinette led a rather decadent life right from her teenage rebellion days and all of it was stylized beautifully in 18th century France, as imagined through Sofia Coppola (the director)'s eyes.

Imagine huge ball gowns or mantuas, over the top hair dos, tiny hats and fingerless gloves - this is one visually stimulating film indeed!
10/10
Bill Cunningham New York (2010)
Street style photography is by no means a new fad. For the first time, get a real personal look into Bill Cunningham's life as a photographer.

The 85 year-old sprightly man has been relentlessly capturing what people are wearing on the streets of New York for The New York Times since the 70s. That's not all, Cunningham has been doing it by cycling around town with a trusty film camera - now that's absolute dedication to fashion.

Whether you’re looking to understand the workings of the fashion industry or simply want to relish in historical fashion, these are our must-watch films

We’re not only fashion-obsessed but unreservedly huge movie buffs as well. Put the two together and we go into an uncontrollable spate of happiness.

Fashion has been a pivotal aspect of films ever since cinema has been around – after all it’s typically the clothes on the actors that add depth and substance to the time frame that surrounds the plot’s setting. Then we have the ivory tower of the fashion industry itself. It may appear as though editors, designers and fashion photographers are a hard nut to crack but thanks to the slew of biopics and documentaries, the truth appears to be far from it.

So, from documentaries to historical drama films to movies that take possess a meticulous flair for depicting fashion, here are our picks of top 10 films to indulge in for the weekend or if you’re simply craving for a sartorially visual feast.

Tarandip Kaur

Staff Picks: Marie France Asia's absolute favourite...

Get lippie: Our top 10 lipsticks for Fall

Fashionable Films: Our top 10 must-watch movies on fashion

React to this post Cancel reply