Fashion Documentaries

Nessies and I are pretty much obsessed with documentary films.  We go through phases where we will tackle a subject and watch everything we can that has been released on it.  For instance, we are on a North Korea kick right now (we are also geography nerds) and have been watching everything we can find on the country including a Godzilla-style monster movie that was supposedly made by Kim Jong-il! 

I wanted to share a few of the amazing fashion documentaries that we have seen in the past few months.  Much like watching Project Runway, it is really interesting to get a glimpse behind the scenes of the fashion industry and see these creative geniuses at work.

Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton

Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton is a French film that we actually picked up at a thrift store of all places.  It follows the celebrated American designer as he shifts between designing for the legendary French fashion house Louis Vuitton and his own line. 

Jacobs comes across as a laid back guy that would be cool to hang out with.  Just on a personal note, the way he banned uninvited celebrities from his shows makes him a total hero in my book.  Some of his celebrity admirers and friends like Wes Anderson, Sofia Coppola, Marilyn Manson, and Lil' Kim also make appearances.  

 Unzipped

Unzipped is a 1995 film that documents the creation of designer Isaac Mizrahi's fall 1994 collection.  Besides Mizrahi's personality, this movie is interesting in the way that is captures the essence of the 90s. 

Valentino: The Last Emperor

Valentino: The Last Emperor is a great film that chronicles the last working years of the world's last true couturier.  The life of this haute couture legend is a stark difference from the two previous designers since he exudes opulence with his mansions and grand parties.  It is interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes since every one of his garments is still painstakingly created by hand.  He also travels with a whole family of pugs, so that is pretty cute.

The September Issue

The September Issue is kind of an obvious choice, but it is one of the best films about fashion that we have seen.  If you haven't seen it yet, it shows the work that goes into creating the September issue of fashion bible Vogue Magazine.  I think Wintour comes as more likable than her icy reputation (she was the inspiration for The Devil Wears Prada).  The film also features Vogue creative director Grace Coddington who was a former model before a car accident led her to the creative side of fashion.

This is a good start for a weekend of fashion movies that are fun to watch even if you don't really keep up with that particular world (I didn't before watching them).  I'm sure there are many we have missed - what are your favorite fashion movies (fiction/nonfiction)?