1 | Clueless
Suggested by triangleroad, AdvancedDriver
In 1995, out of a haze of Nirvana-era grunge, emerged the Jane Austen-inspired, fashion-fixated Clueless. Cher Horowitz ruled the high-school hallways adorned in head-to-toe plaid, knee socks, choker necklaces, and furry backpacks. We once declared this love letter to ‘90s style “the best fashion film ever made”, but neglected to include it in last week’s list. As Cher would say: way harsh.
2 | Iris
The 2015 film celebrating self-described “geriatric starlet” Iris Apfel, by Grey Gardens documentary-maker Albert Maysles, garnered rave reviews from critics, editors, and fashionistas around the globe. The 94-year-old icon has been a mainstay of New York’s fashion industry for decades, and her wit, talent, and flamboyant style have not faded one bit.
3 | The Wedding Singer
Suggested by Brendanjb
Who would have predicted that an Adam Sandler comedy would appear in a fashion top-ten list? As commenter Brendanjb reminded us, however, The Wedding Singer was the perfect parody of “cringeworthy” 80s fashion, with characters sporting the all-pleather Madonna look, perms teased to the sky, workout gear-cum-daywear, and puffy, synthetic-lace wedding gowns. Released in 1998, the film was a caricature of 80s couture. Nevertheless, the film did inspire a line of Urban Decay lipsticks – 80s-themed, of course.
4 | Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?
Suggested by dorisyeltsin, alexito
This 1966 film offered an incisive look into the world of Paris haute couture, featuring a magazine editor modelled after the Empress of Fashion herself: Harper’s Bazaar’s Diana Vreeland. At once derisive and glamorous, the satire dramatises the pretensions and self-importance of France’s fashion industry.
5 | Unzipped
Suggested by swanstep, AbleSugar
1995 fashion documentary Unzipped gave the pre-Wi-Fi world a candid glimpse into what goes into designing and putting on a New York Fashion Week show. After critics panned his last collection, the pressure is on eclectic designer Isaac Mizrahi (pictured above) to stage a comeback for autumn ’94. The documentary, directed by his then-boyfriend Douglas Keeve (they broke up post-filming due to creative differences), follows Mizrahi as he stages fittings for Eartha Kitt, contemplates a dominatrix-meets-Hitchcock themed line, and navigates model meltdowns.
6 | Mahogany
Suggested by Makidadi
Diana Ross, “about the most beautiful woman in the world at the time” according to user Makidadi, stars as struggling fashion student Tracy. After a chance encounter with a big-name photographer she suddenly finds herself living the dream as a lucrative high-fashion designer in Rome. Although the 1975 film had a tragically soapy storyline, the glamorous costumes and Oscar-nominated score make it worth a watch.
7 | Valentino: The Last Emperor
Suggested by Mark Thomas
This 2008 documentary offers an up-close-and-personal portrait of one of the most revered men in fashion, Valentino Garavani, in the twilight of his career. The film follows the Italian couturier during his final two years in fashion, up to the moment of his final runway show, giving viewers a glimpse into a long-gone era of industry glamour.
8 | Kinky Boots
Suggested by mikmeehan
This 2005 comedy is built on a premise all in fashion are familiar with: a good shoe can solve all your problems. Charlie is a struggling shoe factory owner who faces losing his business if profits don’t improve. When he meets Lola, an unapologetically outlandish drag queen, an opportunity arises for him to save his business by manufacturing custom stilettos for Lola and her drag queen friends.
9 | Bronco Bullfrog
Suggested by valleyman
It’s appropriate that the Guardian once called Bronco Bullfrog “the film the UK forgot”, as we failed to include the late-60s nod to suedehead culture on our list. The choppy black-and-white film, which employed non-professional local teens as actors, was a story of London’s disaffected East End youth. The film’s subtle sartorial choices defined the suedeheads as a subculture delineated from mods and skinheads.
10 | The Colour of Pomegranates
Suggested by dorisyeltsin
This surrealist masterpiece of world cinema is often described as a “visual poem”: the non-narrative storyline is framed through the imagination of Armenian director Sergei Parajanov, and pays homage to the rich cultural heritage of non-Russian Soviet states. The 1969 film is an amalgamation of dreamlike sequences, chock-full of extravagant colour, costumes, and folklore.
