Have you ever wanted to know what happens backstage at a runway show? And what’s really happening once the lights go down? Are you curious about what it takes to put together a collection? Thankfully, Netflix is here to help.
The fashion world is (quite rightly) often seen as overwhelmingly exclusive. Although a lot of young, diverse people dream of finding their feet in fashion, the industry is mostly dominated by cis upper middle class white people. It might be 2019, but for most people around the globe, fashion is still a very tough industry to break in to.
So if you want the inside scoop, a fashion documentary is the easiest way to begin your research. Here are the five best fashion documentaries on Netflix.
7 Days Out
The late legendary fashion titan Karl Lagerfeld died earlier this year at 85. Probably the most prolific designer of his era, Lagerfeld was famed for the six Chanel collections he designed a year, which took place in spectacular sets at Paris’s breathtaking Grand Palais. The documentary offers a rare glimpse inside the last week of creating Chanel’s SS18 Haute Couture collection and show, from the studio to the ateliers.
Dries
Famed for his colourful, flowery prints with instantly-wearable cuts, Belgian designer Dries Van Noten has been a Paris Fashion Week favourite ever since he founded his label in 1986. An independent design house with zero outside investment (and intensely secretive about his life and practice) the documentary, which is aptly titled ‘Dries’, captures him and his team working from his Antwerp studio right up to backstage in Paris at his show.
The True Cost
Using eye-opening facts and figures, ‘The True Cost’ unravels everything you need to know about the second most polluting industry in the world, looking at fashion’s environmental impact, but also at how the industry violates human rights.
Franca: Chaos and Creation
Magazines have the power to influence how people think, and in essence have the ability to change the world. As Vogue Italia’s editor in chief for 28 years, the late Franca Sozzani is an editor that has had the most profound impact on the industry, precisely because of how she fearlessly opened up much-needed conversations. Directed by her son Francesco Carrozzini, the documentary is an intimate portrait of his mother – the industry’s most forward-thinking editor.
The First Monday in May
If you’re into fashion, you’ll know that the first Monday in May is the biggest night in fashion: the Met Gala. Run by Anna Wintour, and attended by the who’s who of celebrities, rappers and fashion icons, this Andrew Rossi-directed documentary reveals what goes into making this iconic night come together.
