Trapped inside? I mean, there’s no wind chill in the living room so who could blame you? Switch things up from your usual comedy binger or action flick by checking out a designer documentary. Below are the best films that provide an insight to the fashion industry and how our most beloved brands were created. From inspiring stories to drool-worthy product creations, a fashion documentary is anything but boring!
If you want…a Shoegasm: Oh my, Manolo! Anyone who’s ever watched Sex and the City or merely worn a pair of heels needs to stake territory on the couch, turn on Netflix, and watch Manolo: The Boy Who Designed Shoes for Lizard (2017.) Manolo Blahnik is perhaps the most fawned over shoe label in the world and to see him create a shoe from conception to sketches to production to finishing touches is something a museum ticket cannot live up to. Very few designers, especially designers who have been in business for 50 years, still hand sketch everything on their line. That is what makes a Manolo Blahnik special. The precision and care taken into crafting each unique shoe justifies the hype (and the high ticket.)
Manolo Blahniks are also well-known for their comfort level – but, this was not always the case. Blahnik’s first runway show was naturally in the 1970s: the height of eccentric heels and mules. Blahnik forgot to put lead in the heel causing models to wobble down the runway. Next time you are watching a runway show, focus on the feet because odds are they are Manolo Blahniks. Blahnik has been asked by everyone from Calvin Klein to Jason Wu to provide the shoes for their shows.
Since the Film: Today Blahnik has been working on a custom French project (among others.) He’s updating his iconic mule with a lace-up body and a garden print fit for tea time.
If you crave…Cinematic Authenticity: A well-dressed man who likes clothing but not fashion, creating but not sketching, now that’s Very Ralph. Very Ralph (2019) is the latest and most talked about documentary in streaming. I created an HBO login to learn about American genius, Ralph Lauren. It was worth every dime. P.S. Ralph Lauren? Not his given name.
The tale goes like this: Lauren experienced a lot of early success in the tie business. So much so that he went backwards and matched outfits to his accessory creations (women’s clothing, home decor, perfume, etc. came later.) Lauren’s label grew in immense popularity because, despite never making his own sketches, he had mastered the three F’s: fit, fabric, and feel. In the 1960s when Polo was first started, designers were for women and tailors were for men. Lauren broke this mold and gave men retro designs such as 30s double breasted jackets and Casablanca trench coats.
Since the Film: Ralph Lauren continues to deliver fresh takes like acid-washed safari jackets, flannel blazers,and cravats. The famous cashmere Polo teddy even has new outfits! What’s old is new again; something Lauren learned a long time ago.
If you’re a lover of…Photography and Milan Accents: Born in 1892 in America, Vogue has over 23 editions worldwide. Vogue Italia is the only edition that has really stood a lasting global presence, that is just as much political as it is artful. Vogue Italia received this worldwide reputation and was coined the #1 magazine in the world by Valentino, Donatella Versace, and the like, largely, due its risk-seeking Editor in Chief Franca Sozzani. Franca: Chaos and Creation (2016) on Netflix is a collection of interviews between Franca and her son shot simply in the back of a car.
This film is perhaps the most understated project Sozzani has ever done. Unlike most EIC’s Sozzani focused on staging bewildering photoshoots rather than, honing in on the magazine’s content and revenue making ads. Sozzani ran Vogue Italia more like a gallery than a business entity; a foreign concept to most Americans. Sozzani tackled unspoken upon issues through spreads and cover themes such as domestic abuse and the BP oil spill. “With each issue I publish I was ready to get fired because I knew my work was in preparation for the future,” Franca Sozzani tells the camera. If that’s not the attitude of an inspiring visionary, I don’t know what is.
Since the Film: Sozzani passed shortly after the film’s release leaving a legacy of course, but also a major hole in the grand fashion world. Sozzani’s successor as Editor in Chief of Vogue Italia is thought of as a bourgeoisie and spends more time detailing and editing articles; a direct juxtaposition of Sozzani. Any issue from 1988-2016 has the Franca touch. Grab an issue from modern times and see Emanuele Farneti’s new direction of Vogue Italia for yourself. The January 2020 issue merely had an illustration on the cover - no photoshoot!
Whether you’re a textile fiend or not, everyone can learn something from these three creative radicals. Who says TV can’t be educational?
Love the models. I need to get Netflix!