Fashion thrives on TV: 10 movies and shows from the ‘80s to today

The recent boom of biographies dedicated to the fashion world is just the tip of the iceberg of a very long report, with some gems to be rediscovered. 

Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior, Lagerfeld – ­these are the couturiers and fashion designers featured in the latest TV series released in 2024. But such a large number of names in a short time span does not come as a surprise: cinema’s interest in fashion is nothing new; it’s a well-established trend. Fashion has often taken center stage or served as a backdrop or scenario in numerous film productions, allowing filmmakers to explore its many facets, from quirks and caricatures to common myths.

Throughout the last century, filmmakers showcased fashion by creating characters with customized wardrobes crafted by specific designers. These characters wrote history in both pop culture and fashion without explicitly addressing the fashion world itself. Notable examples include Jane Fonda in Barbarella (1968), wearing Paco Rabanne during the 1960s Space Age, and Richard Gere as Julian Kay in American Gigolo (1980), with costumes by Giorgio Armani. Yet, this approach changed with the turn of the millennium.
 



I was 2006 when Anne Hathaway was racing through New York as Andy Sachs to fulfill the whims of Miranda Priestley, played by Meryl Streep, clearly inspired by Vogue America’s formidable editor Anna Wintour, in The Devil Wears Prada. This cult classic, which marked a turning point and a model for future fashion-focused film productions, may be set to return to the screens as Disney is reportedly developing a sequel, exploring Miranda’s challenges amid the decline of print media and the rise of digitalization.

Fashion has often taken center stage or served as a backdrop or scenario in numerous film productions, allowing filmmakers to explore its many facets.

Moreover recently, social media has become a crucial and effective platform for fashion to weave its mythology, capturing the public’s fascination. This shift led cinema to move from using fashion as a tool to celebrating fashion through documentaries of renowned designers, chronological explorations of fashion houses, and stories offering glimpses into the coveted yet often elusive world of fashion that still intrigues us today. For this reason, the public’s interest in fashion now extends beyond the products fashion has to offer, reaching the compelling stories behind them.

Opening image: David Frankel, The devil wears Prada, 2006

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