The best films about fashion to (re)watch during the Fashion Week

Cruella (2021), starring Emma Stone

Directed by Craig Gillespie, Cruella (2021) stars Emma Stone in a wacky adaptation of the famous Disney cartoon alongside Emma Thompson. The American actress, who won the second Oscar of her career for her performance in Poor Things (2023), plays the role of Estella, who turns out to be Cruella, a stylish con artist determined to leave her mark in the fashion industry of 1970s London.

Cruella (2021) directed by Craig Gillespie, starring Emma Stone and Emma Thompson, available on Disney+.

House of Gucci (2021), starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver

To create a biopic worthy of the Guccis’ extravagant life, British filmmaker Ridley Scott (Napoleon, Blade Runner) bet on a star-studded cast: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and French actress Camille Cottin share the screen in House of Gucci (2021). Highly lyrical, the film features looks each more luxurious than the last and composed almost entirely of vintage pieces from the Italian fashion house.

House of Gucci (2021) directed by Ridley Scott, starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver, available on Canal VOD.

Haute Couture (2021), starring Lyna Khoudri

Featuring Lyna Khoudri, recently seen in The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan (2023), and the iconic Nathalie Baye – who also starred in Haute Couture (2021) by French director Sylvie Ohayon – is an ode to the know-how of haute couture ateliers. This feature film dives into the daily lives of the little hands at the House of Dior, and questions the notions of heritage and transmission pervading the world of fashion.

Haute Couture (2021) by Sylvie Ohayon, with Lyna Khoudri, available on Canal VOD.

Phantom Thread (2018) by Paul Thomas Anderson

Who better than British-Irish actor Daniel Day-Lewis (The Last of the Mohicans, Lincoln) to embody a nervous, manic fashion designer plagued by pathological perfectionism? Accustomed to dark, glossy atmospheres, director Paul Thomas Anderson offers his audience a glamorous romance that takes us back to the heart of London fashion in the 1950s with Phantom Thread (2017). The great actor Vicky Krieps is the icing on the cake.

Phantom Thread (2018) directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Vicky Krieps, available on Canal VOD.

The Dressmaker (2018), starring Kate Winslet

Adapted from Australian writer Rosalie Ham’s critically acclaimed novel of the same name, The Dressmaker (2018) is a moving tale led by the splendid Kate Winslet. The film tells the story of a dressmaker who returns to her native village after a ten-year absence, where she tries to convince the inhabitants of the power that clothes can have.

The Dressmaker (2018) by Jocelyn Moorhouse, starring Kate Winslet, available on Canal VOD.

The Neon Demon (2016), starring Elle Fanning

This chilling, acidic thriller by Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Only God Forgives) is surely the most disturbing film ever made about modeling. The Neon Demon (2016) follows the journey of a young woman with angelic features, played by American actress Elle Fanning, who has just arrived in Los Angeles to become a model. The film highlights the shortcomings of a world where beauty reigns supreme.

The Neon Demon (2016) directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, starring Elle Fanning, available on Apple TV.

Personal Shopper (2016), starring Kristen Stewart

American actress Kristen Stewart, whose rock’n’roll looks have recently amazed us, appeared in the 2016 psychological thriller by French director Olivier Assayas (Irma Vep, Clouds of Sils Maria) in which she embodies a celebrity’s personal shopper. A chance for us to discover a splendid wardrobe featuring pieces from the most famous fashion houses.

Personal Shopper (2016) directed by Olivier Assayas, starring Kristen Stewart, available on Canal VOD.

Saint Laurent (2014), starring Gaspard Ulliel

In 2014, French director Bertrand Bonello (The Beast, 2024), brings to life the decade between 1967 and 1976, through one of the greatest fashion designers of all time, Yves Saint Laurent. Alongside Léa Seydoux and Louis Garrel, the late Gaspard Ulliel delivered a brilliant interpretation of the couturier, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the mind of the genius of fashion for just a moment. Critically acclaimed, Saint Laurent (2014) was presented in competition at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.

Saint Laurent (2014) directed by Bertrand Bonello, starring Gaspard Ulliel, available on Canal VOD.

Yves Saint Laurent (2014), starring Pierre Niney

Like Bertrand Bonello, Jalil Lespert draws on the archives of Yves Saint Laurent’s fashion house to make his film. Less interested in the private life of the couturier, the French actor-director focuses on the creative process behind the collections, portraying a hard-working man. Actor Pierre Niney, currently starring in The Count of Monte Cristo, was awarded the César for Best Actor in 2015 thanks to that role.

Yves Saint Laurent (2014) directed by Jalil Lespert, starring Pierre Niney, available on Canal VOD.

Coco Before Chanel (2009), starring Audrey Tautou

In Coco Before Chanel (2009), Anne Fontaine (Boléro, Police) recalls the eventful and extraordinary life journey of Gabrielle Chanel, who became one of the most emblematic figures in French fashion. The young woman is gracefully played by actress Audrey Tautou, perfect in the role of the rebellious tomboy who revolutionized the codes of fashion over the years. In 2010, the film won the César Award for Best Costume Design.

Coco Before Chanel (2009) directed by Anne Fontaine, starring Audrey Tautou, available on Canal VOD.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006), starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep

When it comes to cinematic representations of fashion, The Devil Wears Prada (2006) is probably the first film that comes to mind… and for good reason! This cult fiction, starring actresses Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, invites us behind the scenes of one of New York’s biggest fashion magazines in a “hardly exaggerated” way. Brands such as Chanel, Marc Jacobs and Valentino even took part in the making of the film, lending fabulous outfits to the delight of fashion fans.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006) directed by David Frankel, available on Netflix and Disney+.

Zoolander (2001) directed by and starring Ben Stiller

Directed by American actor Ben Stiller, who also stars in the film, Zoolander (2001) is a critique of the fashion industry and its protagonists. As the future of a naive and egocentric model seems set in stone, her life will be turned upside down by the arrival of a young man with overweening ambition. If one pays attention, the iconic Paris Hilton and Claudia Schiffer also appear in some of the scenes… It couldn’t be more cult.

Zoolander (2001) directed by Ben Stiller, starring Ben Stiller, available on Canal VOD.

Ready-To-Wear (1994), starring Julia Roberts and Sophia Loren

At the crossroads between documentary film and fiction, Ready-To-Wear (1994) focuses on one of fashion’s biggest events: the Paris Fashion Week. The cast includes legendary Italian actress Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, the iconic Julia Roberts and American actress and model Lauren Bacall. A charming comedy, enhanced by ultra-elegant looks, that remains a bittersweet satire nonetheless.

Ready-To-Wear (1994) directed by Robert Altman, starring Julia Roberts and Sophia Loren, available on Canal VOD.

Roma (1972) directed by Federico Fellini

Roma (1972) by Federico Fellini is probably one of the Italian director’s greatest masterpieces and one of the finest tributes ever paid to the city of Rome. The film captures Fellini’s adopted city in all its precious and mundane aspects, from its architecture to its population, traffic jams and an extravagant liturgical fashion show.

Roma (1972) directed by Federico Fellini, starring Peter Gonzales, available on DVD.

Who Are You, Polly Maggoo ? (1967) directed by William Klein

In his first film, William Klein draws a magnificent portrait of model Dorothy McGowan, nicknamed Polly Maggoo. Alongside French actors Philippe Noiret, Sami Frey and Jean Rochefort, the French-American photographer and artist recreates the life of the young woman and focuses on her relationship with her own beauty. For the opening scene, William Klein stages a splendid avant-garde fashion show, with dresses made of sculpted metal and aluminum.

Who Are You, Polly Maggoo? (1967) directed by William Klein, starring Sami Frey, Jean Rochefort, Dorothy McGowan, available on Apple TV.

Funny Face (1957), starring Audrey Hepburn

When Audrey Hepburn agreed to play the role of a young model making her debut in the industry in the musical comedy Funny Face (1957), it was obvious that her friend, the fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy, would be in charge of some of the looks, along with costume designer Edith Head. From the short trench coat to the satin wedding dress and the floral bustier gown, paired with a wide range of hats and long gloves, the costumes add a certain je ne sais quoi to this beautiful feature.

Funny Face (1957) directed by Stanley Donen, starring Audrey Hepburn, available on Canal VOD.

The Bride Is Much Too Beautiful (1956), starring Brigitte Bardot

In The Bride Is Much Too Beautiful (1956) directed by Pierre Gaspard-Huit, the sublime Brigitte Bardot – dressed by Pierre Balmain – embodies a model who becomes the rival of the editor-in-chief of a women’s magazine, who is having an affair with a young man. A good recommendation is to watch the series Bardot, available on Netflix, in which many of the star’s looks have been remade.

The Bride Is Much Too Beautiful (1956) directed by Pierre Gaspard-Huit, starring Brigitte Bardot, available on Canal VOD.

Paris Frills (1945) directed by Jacques Becker

According to journalist Isabelle Vignon, Paris Frills is “the first major French film to study the world of Parisian haute couture with a laudable concern for authenticity”. Imagined by French director Jacques Becker, the story follows a fashion designer obsessed with his craft, whose life is turned upside down after an encounter with a woman. The dresses that were designed by perfumer and couturier Marcel Rochas have contributed to the fame of this cult film.

Paris Frills (1945) directed by Jacques Becker, starring Micheline Presle, available on Canal VOD.