The Best Fashion Documentaries of all time

Sitting at home doing nothing all day but scrolling through our phones can be bad for our mental health, because our creative mind needs some sort of input to keep healthy otherwise it will turn into a dull inspiration-less tool.

Documentaries are one such creative source that can really help in giving in-depth insight to you about the subject of your interest. It has the capability of taking you on a timeless journey and leaves you full of new inspirations, ideas and creativity. In this article we will be focusing on the fashion industry as it has always been a part of all of our lives in one way or another so for all the fashion enthusiasts out there, we have something interesting in store for you!

A list of top 10

Dior and I (2014)

Have you ever wondered what it’s like inside the Dior fashion house?

If you know fashion even on the surface, you must know the name Christian Dior. This documentary will take you on a journey to the behind the scenes of the Dior fashion house. Dior and I is a Frech documentary written and directed by Frédéric Tcheng. It’s about the designer Raf Simons’ creative work for Christian Dior S.A.

Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
IMDb: 7.3/10

Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story (2017)

Having the power in your hands to make beautiful people feel even more confident and beautiful about themselves is a special gift. Yes, a good makeup artist has that quality but there are some makeup artists that have made a name for themselves in history and among them was Kavyn Aucoin. Directed by Tiffany Bartok, this documentary explores the life of Kevyn Aucoin and the magic he performed using his “humongous” hands. He was one of the first makeup artist to become mainstream famous. This documentary is definitely a must watch for anyone who has a passion for makeup as this is one of the best documentaries based on the life of one of the bests makeup artists of all time.
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
IMDb: 7.9/10

Valentino: The Last Emperor (2008)

This documentary film, produced and directed by Matt Tyrnauer, is about the life of Valentino Garavani. He is one of the most famous men from Italy known as a successful fashion designer. This documentary will explore themes of Valentino’s life, career and themes related to fashion and fashion business. One of the main themes of this movie is the relationship between Valentino and his business partner of 50 years, Giancarlo Giammetti.
Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
IMDb: 7.2/10

Paris Is Burning (1990)

Paris is burning, directed by Jennie Livingston, is a film that explores the ball culture of New York City and the different communities involved in it, including Latino, gay, trans and African-American. This film revolves around the drag queens and their culture in a world where they are mostly shunned. This is a beautiful documentary that touches a lot of important topics such as racism and poverty while exploring the ball culture of the communities.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
IMDb: 8.2/10

Iris (2014)

Based on the life of Iris Apfel the legendary fashion icon and designer of 99 years, Iris is an amazing documentary film that explores the great life of Iris Apfel who has made a strong mark on the New York Fashion scene for decades with her career. Such legendary stories are the reason Fashion and style never go out of style and inspire you to the bones to leave a mark on this world. This amazing documentary has been directed by lt. Albert Maysles.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
IMDb: 7.2/10

McQueen (2018)

McQueen is a biographical documentary based on the life of Briitish Fashion designer, Alexander McQueen known for his unique ideas and stunning catwalks. Directed by, Ian Bonhôte, McQueen is a documentary exploring the brilliant career of Alexander McQeen which intimately shows how he was able to impact the world in such a short period of time. It has been created with utmost respect and seriousness about his life and gives out with well-sourced information.
Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
IMDb 7.8/10

The True Cost (2015)

The True Cost is a moving documentary that brings us closer to the reality of the Fashion world, beyond the glitter and glam. In this movie, Filmmaker Andrew Morgan travels around the world to meet the people who make clothes from the world fashion. This is a very insightful, knowledgably and important documentary, especially in today’s world where sustainable fashion scene is growing.
Rotten Tomatoes: 63%
IMDb: 7.7/10

Diana Vreeland- The Eye Has To Travel (2011)

In this documentary, directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, explores the life of one of the leading fashion figures for decades, Diana Vreeland. This film presents her life from the beginning of her career in Paris to her work life as a magazine editor and her role as a fashion museum curator. This documentary is a very interesting watch for anyone who has an attraction towards fashion.
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
IMDb: 7.5/10

Bill Cunningham New York (2010)

This documentary film, directed by Richard Press, is an interesting journey into the life of Bill Cunningham, a columnist for New York Times for over thirty years and a New York City Fashion photographer who captures the most creative sides of normal people walking across the city. He focuses mainly on the common people and how fashion revolves amongst them in the street.  This film is really an interesting combination of creativity and genius as we discover the world through the eyes, and lenses, of Bill Cunningham.
Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
IMDb: 7.9/10

The September Issue (2009)

This documentary, directed by R J Cutler, is a film in which we closely follow Anna Wintour, renowned editor of the ‘Vogue’ Magazine. It was one of the most important issues for the magazine and here we get a chance to closely watch the editor work and create The September Issue. This documentary is not only a great watch for entertainment but will allow you to learn a lot in the journey as well.

These were the best fashion documentaries according to us, which are great for entertainment as well as inspiration and learning. So what are you waiting for? Take your snacks (or diary) and prepare for a great journey into the world of fashion.

Did we miss something? Let us know !