The 32 Best Fashion Documentaries

McQueen explores the boundary-breaking designer Lee McQueen’s incendiary ascent to the top of the industry, acknowledging both his highs and lows. You can see his earliest collections through to his work at Givenchy and the launch of his own brand, including some of those incredible runway shows he put on in the early 2000s.

Available to stream on Tubi

Oh, to be in the audience of a Dries Van Noten runway show. Now that Van Noten himself has stepped down from his namesake brand, the Dries documentary outlines the legacy he left behind—every playful print and luxe brocade he clashed. One of my favorite parts is the glimpse inside his insane home and gardens, both a resplendence of color.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime

Learn the idiosyncrasies of the man behind the lens—the man being Bill Cunningham, the extraordinary New York Times photographer whose work paved the way for the documentation of street style as we know it. Go inside his residence at Carnegie Hall—he was one of the last artists to live there—where he slept amongst his film. Then ride along as he bikes to work, which he was still doing at 80, in his iconic blue chore coat.

Available to stream on Apple TV+

In a rare conversation between two outstanding creatives, director Wim Wenders speaks with Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto about the creative process, deconstructing the relationship between cities, the way we dress, and cinema.

Available to stream on the Criterion Collection

A delightful watch, Unzipped, directed by Isaac Mizrahi’s then-boyfriend, Douglas Keeve, takes you behind the scenes of Mizrahi’s preparation for his 1994 fall runway collection. It’s a bit of glamour and a lot of mayhem.

Available to stream on Apple TV+

This ’90s documentary follows supermodel Christy Turlington as she is fitted for and walks the shows of Chanel, Versace, Dior, and more, from New York to Paris, during the 1994 spring/summer season. The runway collections are larger than life, but my favorite part is the off-duty model style—very minimal ’90s.

Available to stream on YouTube

The Super Models is a miniseries that examines the prolific careers of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington—the original supers—as they changed the game of modeling, changing their role of mannequin to that of personality.

Available to stream on Apple TV+

Valentino, the artist of couture and purveyor of glamour, founded his eponymous house in 1959 and announced his plans for retirement in 2007. This film follows the legendary designer through the last two years of his prolific career.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime

Dubbed the “Banksy of fashion,” Martin Margiela is as elusive as he is beloved. Even though he uses his own voice to tell his story of operating his eponymous label from 1989 to 2009 in this documentary, only his hands are filmed. And yet, we’re still bewitched.

Available to stream on Apple TV+

If you’re going to absorb yourself in the fashion world, you have to cut the glamour with a bit of hard truth. That’s what The True Cost attempts to do by exposing the ugly side of the industry, shedding light on its impact on both people and the planet.

Available to stream on Tubi

Roughly translated, the French phrase “l’amour fou” means crazy love. This film depicts legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent’s storied career and unbridled passion for dressing women, as told by his partner in life and business, Pierre Bergé.

Available to stream on Apple TV+

Olivier Rousteing was appointed to French fashion house Balmain as creative director in 2011, when he was just 25. Aptly titled, Wonder Boy documents both his professional and personal life as he searches for his biological parents.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime