12 films to watch before fashion week.
The 2022 fashion season is gearing up to begin with menswear, closely followed by couture - happening across Paris and Milan (increasingly digitally). With the fashion crowd growing more and more curious about what the AW23 season will bring and whether fashion week will ever be the same again after Covid-19, it’s time to look back at the most iconic fashion cinema, from dark comedies to classically romantic masterpieces filled with cult fashion films such as Ready to Wear (1994) and impeccably shot and styled cult classics that have inspired many collections and couturiers across the decades such as In the Mood for Love (2000) and La Dolce Vita (1960).
Ready to Wear (1994)
A star-studded hilarious murder mystery comedy directed by Robert Altman and starring Julia Roberts, Sophia Loren and Kim Basinger. The film takes place during fashion week and the murder investigation of a fashion council official’s mysterious death.
La Dolce Vita (1960)
Paving the way for comedy dramas, this is a story about tabloid culture and the paparazzi’s obsession with fame. Directed by Federico Fellini, it also explores the life of a gossip journalist and his search for love and happiness as he exposes the lives of the Italian elite.
The Gospel According to André (2018)
A unique biography film behind one of the most influential and trailblazing fashion figures, André Leon Talley. The film follows the Vogue editor’s life and his stories about creating his own path in fashion, as well as hardships throughout his career.
B.A.P.S. (1997)
Starring Halle Berry, this hilarious American comedy is all about the power of female friendship and breaking through barriers, as the 'Black American Princesses' Berry and Desselle are flown to Los Angeles to try their luck and make it in the city of dreams and make their Hollywood dreams come true.
Funny Face (1957)
Starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Austaire, this cult classic is all about romance as an NYC based photographer Dick Avery (Austaire) meets a shy bookshop clerk Jo Stockton (Hepburn) by accident and photographs her by accident, leading to the beginning of her modelling career, and a passionate love story.
In The Mood for Love (2000)
Directed by Wong Kar-wai, this romantic drama explores the beauty behind the pain and resentment in love, fueled by a couple’s love affair. Voted the second-best film of the 21st century, it has achieved legendary status thanks to the immersive and sublime cinematography and acting.
Who are You, Polly Maggoo? (1966)
A satirical comedy directed by William Klein, this French mockumentary follows an American supermodel being followed by the French press and experiencing the deep obsession of fame.
But I’m a Cheerleader (2000)
Directed by Jamie Babbit, this dramatic comedy with a message deals with cheerleader Megan Bloomfield (Natasha Lyonne), being sent by her parents to a conversion camp in hopes of being “cured from her lesbianism”.
Cruel Intentions (1999)
A dark teen cult classic starring Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Michelle Gellar, it follows the plot of the 1782 French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses about manipulation and socially controlled friendships.
24 Hour Party People (2002)
A British staple about about Manchester’s popular music scene in the 70s and 80s, it is filled with dry humour and explores the punk scene based on dramatisations and actual real life stories.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
A romantic musical, first of its kind, starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russel, this cult selection features some of the most iconic scenes and outfits in film history such as Monroe’s pink dress, as well as songs such as Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend.
Marie Antoinette (2006)
A cult classic historical drama, written and directed by Sophia Coppola, this movie follows the turn of events leading up to the French Revolution with Kirsten Dunst’s dramatic portrayal of the french Queen during the most tumultuous time.
