The 5 best movies about fashion designers every enthusiast should see

Sol Rivero
April 03, 2014

Later this year, two different biopics based on the life of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent will be released in the United Stated. But, which designers have made it to the big screen? Here’s our list of the 5 best movies about fashion designers every enthusiast should see to learn about the lives and work of some of the top creators in the world, either in fiction or through intimate documentaries.

**Best movie about fashion designers #5: Coco avant Chanel (2009)**

One of the most recent and successful biopics made about a fashion designer, Coco avant Chanel tells the story of Gabrielle Chanel’s struggle to rise in the world of fashion as she strived to change the concept of womenswear that pervaded during her time. Audrey Tautou plays the famous French designer wonderfully, and watching her in the film makes up for its few flaws.

Chanel has also been the protagonist of two other films which premiered around the same time: Coco Chanel (2008) and Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (2009).

**Best movie about fashion designers #4: Notebook on cities and clothes (1989)**

A little less known than some of the other designers and films on this list, this documentary filmed by renowned German director Wim Wenders, takes a close look at the philosophy and work of Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto. Simultaneously, this unique film also reflects on the task of the documentary in a digital age.

If you love philosophy and art, this is the perfect film for you!

Best movie about fashion designers #3 Unzipped (1995)

A lighthearted documentary, Unzipped gives the audience an inside look at the fashion industry as lived by designer Isaac Mizrahi, who works in his Fall/Winter collection for 1994. The quirky designer is accompanied by an array of well-known characters, such as Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, etc.; while he finds inspiration in odd places of the New York life.

If you’re looking for a fun and unpretentious film about fashion to watch, then definitely give Unzipped a look. You won’t regret it!

**Best movie about fashion designers #2: Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton (2007)**

Don’t let the title intimidate you! Although it contains two of the biggest names in the fashion industry, Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton is a very personal documentary which showcases the work of fashion designer Marc Jacobs as he worked for his own brand and the more established Louis Vuitton.

The movie contains interviews with fashion icons such as Catherine Deneuve, as well as multiple stars from movies, music and television.

**Best movie about fashion designers #1: Valentino: The Last Emperor (2008)**

One of the most popular films about the industry, Valentino: The Last Emperor is a documentary which shows a year of Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani’s work: from organizing his Spring/Summer collection at the Paris Fashion Week of 2006, to a retrospective of his career which took place in July, 2007.

The movie gives viewers a close look at Valentino’s workplace, his friends and colleagues, and his passion for fashion design; and it became one of the highest grossing documentaries during its release in 2009.