A Front-Row Seat to Fashion: The Films & Tv Shows That Tailored My Imagination
We are never the original creators of anything. Before we wore the trending leggings as everyday wear today our ancestors walked through the 70s in bright neon leggings, leg warmers and scrunches. There are fashion movies, and then there are fashion moments that happen to be captured on film. The moment we see Marilyn Monroe in the white dress from The Seven Year Itch we know when history is happening. The Chanel boots Andy wears to the office is a small unforgettable moment. A certain cut of dialogue, a hemline caught by the wind, a woman standing still while the world recalibrates around her clothes. These are the films I return to when I want to remember why fashion is never just about what we wear, but about who we become when we decide to be seen.
The Architects
Where fashion begins as an idea, then becomes a revolution.
• Coco Before Chanel — The birthplace of the little black dress and the woman who taught the world to wear simplicity like a secret.
• Mahogany — Diana Ross as Tracy Chambers, a designer rising from Chicago’s streets to Roman runways.
• The Gospel According to André — A heartfelt documentary on André Leon Talley’s life in fashion
• IRIS — A celebration of boundless personal style and enduring influence (IMDb link).
• Martin Margiela: In His Own Words — The documentary that turned mystery into mission (IMDb link).
• Dior and I — Couture urgency brought to life from atelier to catwalk.
• Dries — A gentle, poetic tribute to Antwerp’s sartorial sage (IMDb link).
• Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist — Vivienne Westwood’s incendiary blend of fashion and advocacy.
• Halston: King of Ultrasuede — Disco glamour, ego, and satin dreams (IMDb link).
• Donyale Luna: Supermodel — The life and legacy of the first Black model on Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar
The Runway Dramas
Where ambition wears heels sharp enough to draw blood.
• The Devil Wears Prada — A high-heel-height peek into fashion’s power structures.
• The September Issue — Vogue’s Bible in motion (IMDb link).
• INTERN — Grace and wisdom meet modern fashion corporate life.
The Women Who Wore Their Destiny
Clothes as armor, invitation, and declaration.
• Cruella — Punk-opera couture fantasy.
• Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day — A makeover, one perfect day, and London charm.
• The Dressmaker — Revenge with sequins down under (IMDb link).
• Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris — A couture pilgrimage filled with hope and tulle.
• B.A.P.S — Bold style, big personalities, and soul.
• Some Like It Hot — Cross-dressed glamour on the run.
• Gone With the Wind — Southern belles, velvet dreams, and curtain couture.
Romance, Culture, and Couture
Where fashion meets narrative spectacle.
• Crazy Rich Asians — Opulence as cultural language.
• Gatsby — Jazz Age grandeur lit from within.
