The release of the new fashion documentary Kingdom of Dreams, portraying the way key players have shaped the industry as we know it today, brings to light two powerful driving forces in fashion: creativity and commerce.
Many years ago, I had a job interview with Browns Fashion, a renowned boutique in London with a highly curated selection of brands, and when I walked out the door, tears started rolling down my face. There were no insults involved, just a simple sentence: “fashion is a business.”
I really don’t see it as such, but as Ian Bonhôte, one of the producers of Kingdom of Dreams, said to fashion journalist Tim Blanks on the latest BOF podcast, “some of the Galliano’s shows for Dior, without the backing from Mr Arnault, would have never been as good as that.”
Creativity does need business acumen to manifest, but it also needs freedom to venture into unchartered territories and take risks, which oppose the ‘play by the book’ mentality and the unceasing quest to top previous profit margins of the capitalist world.
In my application for Innovate UK, I had to present a budget, and became aware of how much money was required to take my business idea off the ground. Fashion and commerce do need each other, but it’s important to find a balance, and as we stand, commerce has certainly taken the upper hand.
The system is flawed but things are likely to change as sustainability becomes more and more urgent. Many trends forecasting agencies characterise the new generation of consumers as far more conscientious and savvy about it, so linear fashion production will eventually become obsolete.
If you’re also passionate about fashion, you can learn a lot from other documentaries. This is a list of my favourite top 10 fashion documentaries to watch now.
1 - Diana Vreeland, the Eye has to travel
2012. She is renowned for her lavish fashion editorials in exotic locations, her charisma and sense of style. I love her work and the way she pushed boundaries, no expenses were spared to produce images that became iconic and continue being a source of inspiration to this day.
2 - The September Issue
2016. Anna Wintour is the most influential editor of all time and this documentary gives a glimpse of why she became so powerful. She has a sharp mind and laser eye for fashion, embodying a sound balance of creativity and commerce. Without wanting to take away any of his own credit, the current British Vogue editor pictured above, Edward Enninful, did have her as a mentor at some point in his career.
3 - The First Monday in May
2016. This documentary is very much linked with the previous two, as Diana Vreeland was the first to bring fashion to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Anna Wintour took it to the next level, by transforming it into a global fashion phenomenon. It’s a great behind-the-scenes documentary about the incredible work that goes into the Met Gala and its legendary exhibitions. The magic happens with meticulous precision, led by Andrew Bolton, the talented curator of the Costume Institute, and strategic collaborations with leading artists.
4 - Kingdom of Dreams
2022. Inspired by Dana Thomas’ book “Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Lustre”, originally published in 2007, this documentary looks into the relationship between fashion and the corporate world. This is the second fashion documentary by producers Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, who have previously published the BAFTA-nominated “McQueen.” It chronicles fashion from the early 1990s to the 2010s with dramatic splendour.
5 - Halston
2019. He’s one of my favourite designers and a fashion visionary, who anticipated the way fashion would evolve in quite a tragic way. This was actually the first encounter of fashion with the corporate world with disastrous consequences, as he ends up loosing the rights to his own name. He was a larger than life figure who knew how to build a brand and had an incredible sense of style.
6 - McQueen
2018. It’s really hard to write about Alexander McQueen, as he’s such a fascinating and complex character. He was either blessed or cursed with a rare creative genius, combining a punk attitude with technical mastery. This documentary looks into the man behind the brand, the impact of such a meteoric career rise and the unsustainable pressure he had to endure before putting an end to his life.
7 - L'Amour Fou
2010. “Fame is a resounding farewell to happiness. That sums up Yves perfectly,” says Pierre Biergé, the lifelong partner of Yves Saint Laurent. This documentary celebrates their relationship, focusing on the vulnerability and troublesome lifestyle of one of the most revered men in fashion, responsible for putting women on a tailored trouser suit.
8 - Valentino: the Last Emperor
2009. I’ll never forget the overwhelming sense of beauty I felt while watching 90s supermodels walking down the Spanish Steps in Rome, wearing Valentino dresses. This documentary is also a celebration of love, between Valentino and his dedicated partner Giancarlo Giametti. His business acumen provided the required financial support to build up the brand. It’s also worth noticing how the corporate world ended up taking over, and how this process unfolded, causing much sadness and distress to the man who has created it.
9 - Karl Lagerfeld - German fashion designer and icon
2015. This documentary looks into the life of Karl Lagerfeld, a man completely immersed in his work and quite an intriguing figure. Much like a king, he had a life contract with Chanel, an unequalled accomplishment during a time of rotating star designers. He’s renowned for his encyclopaedic cultural knowledge and his signature style. He expressed his boundless creativity through multiple media, from fashion illustration to photography and video.
10 - Tom Ford
2011. Much like Halston, Tom Ford has an impeccable sense of style, sexy and sophisticated. He’s renowned for bringing Gucci to the world stage, building his own fashion empire and venturing into the film industry with much elegance. This documentary was aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network. Kering (previously Gucci group) is now in talks to acquire Tom Ford, so it will be yet another takeover by the corporate world.
“I know one day I’ll be irrelevant, because no matter how hard you try, there is a cultural window where it is your moment and you’re in that space, and you can cling to it, and cling to it, and cling to it, but eventually your window’s gone, your time on earth is finished, you might as well leave.” Tom Ford
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