I finally caved and got Netflix this winter and wow – what a life changer! I’m a huge documentary film fan and recently finished a slew with an inside look at the fashion industry. Here’s a few you must check out (all of which are available on Netflix.)
Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel
I knew very little about DV before seeing this film, beyond the fact that she was the editor of Vogue at one point. She lead a fascinating life and really embraced what is was to be a working woman of style. The film doesn’t delve into her personal life much at all (which I would have liked to know more about) but it does an excellent job at looking at how much she influenced the fashion industry overall. When she was famously axed from Vogue, she took over running the Met’s Costume Institute and reenergized it to what it’s now like today. The film has a lot of her narrative in it as well from recordings with her biographer – which just adds to Vreeland’s appeal.
Again, this was a very informative one for me to watch since the only thing I knew about Valentino was that I loved Julia Roberts in this. I found him, his pugs and his retrospective to be completely enjoyable.
I’ve watched this a million times. I am absolutely in awe of the ice queenishness of Anna Wintour but most welcoming in this documentary is how Grace Coddington really stands out as the visionary behind Vogue. The best parts are when an upcoming issues layout is up and Coddington notices pages from her spreads missing. She is probably the only person in fashion unafraid to stand up to Wintour. It’s a great behind-the-scenes look into the fashion magazine industry.
Now that Fashion Week is upon us yet AGAIN, this look inside the making of it is thoroughly engaging. The interviews are the best part – lots of good zingers from some of my favorite fashion personalities. But it also made me glad that I can sit back and just enjoy fashion and not have to be in the thick of it. Parts of the film made me stressed out for everyone under the tents! I’ve eaten a lot of lunches in Bryant Park from my days in NYC and there really is something magical that happens when those big white tents go up.
Any I’m missing? I’m always up for good documentary recommendations – fashion or otherwise!