Trend Beacons

The September Issue

2009

A documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue.

The Costume Designer

1950

This short focuses on the job of the costume designer in the production of motion pictures. The costume designer must design clothing that is correct for the film historically and geographically, and must be appropriate for the mood of the individual scene. We see famed costume designer Edith Head at work on a production. The Costume Designer was part of The Industry Film Project, a twelve-part series produced by the film studios and the Academy. Each series episode was produced to inform the public on a specific facet of the motion picture industry. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.

The Evolution of the Supermodel

2022

Replay

1970

Older adults cannot believe the things younger people do, but they probably have forgotten they were the same way when they were younger.

The Gospel According to André

2018

From the segregated American South to the fashion capitals of the world, operatic fashion editor André Leon Talley's life and career are on full display, in a poignant portrait that includes appearances by Anna Wintour, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Bethann Hardison, Valentino, and Manolo Blahnik.

L'Amour Fou

2010

This documentary examines the life and work of the late fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent, recounting how a frail prodigy prone to bouts of depression became an icon of the fashion world. Initially appointed head of the House of Dior in 1957 before growing into a globally recognized designer in his own right, Saint-Laurent overcomes his struggles with substance abuse, accumulating a large art collection alongside his lifelong personal and professional partner, Pierre Bergé.

Pop Models

2014

Directed by Olivier Nicklaus.

How the West Was One

2024

In a contemporary reimagining of the American West, three young women - a snake hunter, a New York artist, and a rodeo queen - challenge the idea of who is permitted to be a cowgirl.

The Mysterious Mr. Lagerfeld

2023

A look at the fashion icon that was Karl Lagerfeld, one of the most flamboyant and recognisable figures in fashion - and one of the most mysterious. His influence was immeasurable, from the Chanel catwalk to the high street - but how many people ever really knew the real Karl Lagerfeld? Weaving investigations in the present with Lagerfeld’s biography – illustrated by illuminating and much unseen archive footage – this film shows his profound and lasting effect on those around him, including his beloved cat Choupette.

Welcome to My Home

1987

In Brenda Dickson's self-produced video infomercial, the soap star strikes various poses in various baroque evening gowns whilst standing in various corners of her opulent mansion. Then, “through the magic of Hollywood,” Dickson invites the viewer to “teleport into my closets” for lessons on “style, which is as important in your life as your look.”

Fresh Dressed

2015

The history of Hip-Hop / Urban fashion and its rise from southern cotton plantations to the gangs of 1970s in the South Bronx, to corporate America, and everywhere in-between. Supported by rich archival materials and in-depth interviews with individuals crucial to the evolution of a way of life--and the outsiders who studied and admired them – Fresh Dressed goes to the core of where style was born on the black and brown side of town.

Azzedine Alaïa

2017

Joe McKenna is one of the most influential stylists in the world. From the beginning of the 1980s, he struck up a great friendship with Azzedine Alaïa, and they continued to work together for many years. Thanks to their mutual understanding and trust, Joe McKenna was able to obtain the rare privilege of entering the studio and the couturier’s workshops with his camera. He paints an intimate and endearing portrait of Alaïa, punctuated by interviews with Nicolas Ghesquiere, Carlyne Cerf, Naomi Campbell and Grace Coddington, among others

Made in Milan

1990

As he prepares for a show, fashion designer Giorgio Armani discusses his principles of fashion, his family history and the city of Milan.

Erte

1980

A biography of Erte, the early 20th century Russian artist and designer known for his glamorous opera sets, jewelry, costumes, and graphic arts. Narrated by Diana Vreeland.

Helmut Newton: Frames from the Edge

1989

A camera crew follows Helmut Newton, the fashion and ad photographer whose images of tall, blond, big-breasted women are part of the iconography of twentieth-century erotic fantasy. He's on the go from L.A., to Paris, to Monte-Carlo, to Berlin, where he was a youth until he escaped from the Nazis in 1936. We see him on shoots, interviewing models, and discussing his work.