Fashion month is officially over. Our feeds have been cleansed, the TikTok greenscreen runway reviews have already traded places for Oscar fashion roasts, and somehow we’re all already consumed by our spring wardrobe refresh. Alas. I couldn’t help the temptation to hop over to Paris to witness the manège of madness firsthand.
As the train pulled me away from Paris and back towards Amsterdam, I let the countryside blur past while mentally replaying what we were handed this season: from Jonathan Anderson’s pond dreamland at Dior to Chanel’s iridescent runway. I started to feel a bit wistful, the way it always does when something good ends.
So I did what any reasonable person does when faced with a void — I made a list. Because fashion week is one long string of references, and films are where you go to put two and two together.
By the time I pulled into Amsterdam, I had spent the entire journey excavating the depths of my notes app and emerged, triumphant, with what I think is the only fashion film guide you’ll (probably) ever need. Most of these are personal comfort watches of mine — perfectly prescribed for when you’re ready to watch something with an actual runtime. And the best part? There are no prerequisites. Whether your fashion expertise begins and ends with ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ or you’re already knee-deep in the John Galliano lore, it doesn’t matter where you fall on the spectrum. Watch to be educated, or simply to feel vindicated in your fixation.
McQueen(2018) by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui
Description: The film follows Lee Alexander McQueen from Savile Row prodigy to fashion’s enfant terrible. Archival footage and intimate testimonies reveal a man who poured everything into his work: his obsessions, his pain, his genius. Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui paint a deeply personal portrait of McQueen, someone who gave fashion its soul back and burned through his own in the process.
When to watch: For a Saturday night in, when you still want the drama and chaos minus the hangxiety.
McQueen and I (2011) by Louise Osmond
Description: Louise Osmond’s 2011 documentary traces McQueen’s life through his intense, complicated bond with mentor and muse Isabella Blow. Even more personal in scope, it works beautifully as a continuation after watching McQueen (2018).
When to watch: When you’re feeling performative enough to watch a niche fashion documentary on YouTube in 360p.
High & Low: John Galliano (2023) by Kevin Macdonald
Description: A film telling the story of one of fashion’s most infamous, iconic designers. Kevin Macdonald follows John Galliano from his meteoric rise to his very public downfall. Intimate interviews and behind-the-scenes moments reveal the intoxicating heights, the catastrophic depths, and the man behind the theatrical façade.
When to watch: Watch when your own life feels slightly monotonous and you need a front-row seat to someone else’s spectacular chaos.
Unzipped (1995) by Douglas Keeve
Description: It follows fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, Douglas Keeve’s then-boyfriend, through the process of creating his Fall 1994 collection. The film takes you behind-the-scenes and reveals the reality of preparing for a major show. (Btw, they broke up over this movie.)
When to watch: Definitely watch this with the girls and make a flirtini (vodka, pineapple juice, champagne, add a cherry to decorate).
Catwalk (1995) by Robert Leacock
Description: The ultimate backstage pass to Spring/Summer 1994 Fashion Month. Follow iconic Christy Turlington and her friends Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Carla Bruni as they take over the catwalks in Milan, Paris, and New York. Director Robert Leacock captures the glamour but equally doesn’t shy away to point the camera at the drama and chaos.
When to watch: Always! Because it’s just this iconic.
Valentino: The Last Emperor (2008) by Matt Tyrnauer
Description: After nearly five decades of running his label Valentino Garavani prepares for his final show in 2007. Director Matt Tyrnauer takes you along Garavani’s last two years at Valentino as he navigates the monumental task of concluding his legacy and finding a worthy successor.
When to watch: On a night when you feel lonely, and the only energy that can lift your spirits is that of a sassy Italian man.
Dior and I (2014) by Frédéric Tcheng
Description: Follow Dior’s newly appointed Creative Director Raf Simons as he prepares his first haute couture collection for the maison in 2012 – with only eight weeks to do it! Frédéric Tcheng takes you inside the atelier, where seamstresses, assistants, and Simons himself work around the clock to meet the weight of Dior’s legacy. Will Simons be able to meet the high expectations?
When to watch: When you need a reminder that what seems impossible might be possible.
Dries (2017) by Reiner Holzemer
Description: Once a member of the legendary Antwerp Six, Dries Van Noten has since forged a remarkable career of his own. Reiner Holzemer’s film offers an intimate glimpse into his life, mind, and creative process, following him for a year and capturing the making of four collections.
When to watch: Before going to the Antwerp Six exhibition at Momu, Antwerp.
The First Monday in May (2016) by Andrew Rossi
Description: Andrew Rossi lets you peek behind the curtain of one of fashion’s biggest annual events: the Met Gala. The documentary follows Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and curator Andrew Bolton as they prepare the museum’s 2015 exhibition ‘China: Through the Looking Glass’, which would become the most visited fashion exhibition to this day.
When to watch: Anytime really, just make sure you do so before the first Monday in May.
The September Issue (2009) by R. J. Cutler
Description: R. J. Cutler offers an intimate look at Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, inviting you behind-the-scenes of Vogue’s biggest edition of the year: the infamous September issue.
When to watch: If you’re torn between watching ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and an episode of ‘The Real Housewives’.
Bill Cunningham New York (2010) by Richard Press
Description: This film follows legendary 80-year-old New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham as he cycles through New York City. His mission? To capture anyone who catches his eye. From fabulously dressed strangers to fashion icons such as Iris Apfel herself – everyone loved being in his spotlight. Anna Wintour famously put it, ‘We all get dressed for Bill.’
When to watch: On a gloomy Sunday afternoon with a big bowl of popcorn.
The True Cost (2015) by Andrew Morgan
Description: Andrew Morgan confronts the truth many would rather avoid: the real cost of fashion. His documentary traces the global trail from glamourized runways to the factories that actually make our clothes, shedding light on the lives, lands, and communities quietly paying for our never-ending consumerist hunger. It’s eye-opening, uncomfortable, and absolutely essential viewing.
When to watch: Immediately, it’s a must watch.
