Once fashion documentaries were few and far between. There were Hollywood confections like "Designing Woman" and "Funny Face" (What? Do you mean "Funny Face" wasn't a documentary?) If you ever get the chance, catch at least the last twenty minutes of "The Women" for a 1930s fashion show in color, gowns by Adrian.
"Unzipped" from 1995 documented the charming Isaac Mizrahi's highs and self-doubts, but it wasn't until 2009's 'The September Issue" that fashion documentaries got into gear. Two of my favorites are "Bill Cunningham New York" (2010) and "Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel" (2011). There have been films on Bergdorf Goodman ("Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's") and eccentric fashionistas ("Iris" and "Advanced Style") and documentaries on Valentino and Raf Simmons at Dior.
Here are three new ones to look forward to, coming soon:
Andre Leon Talley's "The Gospel According to Andre Leon Talley". This just opened at the Toronto Film Festival. ALT is larger than life, a force of fashion. If you know who he is, you will be as excited as am I. If you don't, get excited anyways. He's amazing.
Manolo Blahnik's "The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards". This is the man behind "the Manolos" of "Sex in the City" fame. MB creates those exquisite, desirable shoes women dream about (and some can even buy). To think he started by fashioning tin foil slippers for creatures in the garden.
Lady Gaga's "Gaga: Five Foot Two". Is she really only 5' 2"? Another force of fashion and a few other things. I feel there's a lovely person beneath the crazy get-ups. Listening to her album "Joanne" was a revelation.
