Films designed by the world’s greatest fashion designers

Some films are simply much better to watch because they are visually beautiful. Audiences usually start by noticing the camera work and set design, but fashion and costume design can shape a character and the overall impression of a film. By now, almost everyone familiar with discussions about costume design knows the legendary looks from The Fifth Element by Jean Paul Gaultier. But aside from that iconic example, I’d like to highlight a few collaborations between fashion designers and directors that have become just as legendary. There are many reasons to watch a film, but the following ones, besides being brilliant in their own right, should also be seen for their fashion and costume design. So many stunning pieces, so much beautiful design in one place — it’s enough reason to revisit and rediscover these gems of cinematic fashion.

Baz Luhrmann and Miuccia Prada

Although the costume department in Baz Luhrmann’s films is led by the acclaimed designer and producer Catherine Martin, in most of his movies the costumes for the main characters are designed by Miuccia Prada. We’ve seen her touch in Elvis, the angelic vision of Juliet with wings in Romeo + Juliet, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman’s transformations through costume in Australia, and the dazzling ensemble cast of The Great Gatsby.

Elvis

The film explores the life and music of the one and only Elvis Presley, through the lens of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). The story delves deep into the complex dynamics of their partnership that spanned over twenty years, from Presley’s rise to the peak of his unprecedented fame. At the center of this journey is his relationship with one of the most significant and influential people in his life, Priscilla Presley.

Photo: Elvis

Romeo and Juliet

Almost 400 years after William Shakespeare wrote what is likely his most famous love tragedy, and following countless theatrical, literary, and cinematic variations of the timeless story about the tragic fate of the ill-fated lovers, Australian director Baz Luhrmann managed to create one of the most original and best adaptations in the mid-1990s. Although he set the story in a modern American city, Luhrmann built the entire film around Shakespeare’s original dialogue, which, combined with the film’s striking and inventive visual identity, still offers viewers an incomparable, ecstatic cinematic experience.

Romeo and Juliet

Australia

Australia tells the story of Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman), an English aristocrat who leaves Britain to follow her husband to Australia. He claims to be there to sell a vast cattle ranch, but Lady Ashley suspects he is being unfaithful and decides to confront him. The property lies in the far north of Australia, forcing her to undertake a grueling journey across the continent in the company of a rough, unrefined cattle drover (Hugh Jackman), with whom a love story gradually unfolds.

Photo: Australia

The Great Gatsby

The innovative Baz Luhrmann brings a new film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby to the big screen. His distinctive visual interpretation of this classic revives the roaring twenties like never before, and the costume design is nothing short of mesmerizing.

Photo: The Great Gatsby

Raf Simons and Tilda Swinton

Raf Simons and Tilda Swinton share a very special relationship. The way he dresses her and shapes her through clothing is one of the perfectly orchestrated stages in the creation of characters in Luca Guadagnino’s films, such as I Am Love and A Bigger Splash.

I am Love

The film I’m Love (Io sono l’amore in the original) was directed by Luca Guadagnino, and it was a project he and actress Tilda Swinton had planned for an entire decade before it finally came to life. Set in Milan, the film required Tilda to learn both Russian and Italian, as she plays a Russian woman who has lived in Italy for many years. Like all of Guadagnino’s films, I’m Love is a breathtaking aesthetic experience.

Photo: I am Love

A Bigger Splash

The film intertwines the lives of a socially prominent couple, a famous rock star and a film producer (Tilda Swinton and Matthias Schoenaerts), who are vacationing on the sun-drenched volcanic island of Pantelleria. Their idyllic escape is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of her old friend and his daughter (Ralph Fiennes and Dakota Johnson), unleashing a wave of jealousy, passion, and ultimately, danger for them all.

Photo: A Bigger Splash

James Bond and Tom Ford

Although fashion designer Tom Ford has made a major mark in the film world as both a director and screenwriter with Nocturnal Animals and A Single Man, and while the costume design in those films is exquisite, he is not their costume designer. However, he is responsible for Daniel Craig’s look as James Bond in Quantum of Solace and Spectre. The suits created for Craig played a significant role in defining the character’s presence — and while he may be the most famous secret agent in the world, or at least on screen, in these two films he was undoubtedly the most stylish one as well.

Quantum of Solace

James Bond returns to action in the twenty-second installment of this timeless series. Just an hour after the events of the previous film, secret agent 007 once again finds himself in the heart of danger. His target is Dominic Greene, a powerful member of a secret organization attempting to gain control over the world’s most vital resource. Betrayed by Vesper, 007 is determined to uncover the truth. The interrogation of Mr. White reveals a far more complex and dangerous organization than anyone could have imagined.

Photo: Quantum of Solace

Spectre

A mysterious message from his past sends secret agent James Bond on a mission to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond navigates through multiple layers of deception to reveal the terrifying truth behind the name Spectre.

Photo: Spectre

Giorgio Armani and the most beautiful men’s suits in film

Among the classics of twentieth-century cinema, The Wolf of Wall Street and the now-iconic American Gigolo are essential viewing. In both films, Giorgio Armani created some of the most elegant and memorable men’s pieces, especially the suits.

Watching films whose costumes are designed by great fashion creators offers a truly unique experience — one that blends aesthetics, art, and fashion all at once. Through their creations, we gain insight into the vision and imagination of world-renowned designers, adding a special brilliance and depth to the characters and their stories. You’ll quite literally see them in a new light.

The Wolf Of Wall Street

This time, the brilliant Martin Scorsese delivers an adaptation of the biography of an intriguing stockbroker. Based on a true story, the film follows the life of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), from his rise on Wall Street and his extravagant wealth and high life to his downfall tied to crime and corruption.

Photo: The Wolf Of Wall Street

American Gigolo

A drama with elements of a thriller, written by director Paul Schrader, who is also known as the screenwriter of Taxi Driver. The role of the American gigolo catapulted the young Richard Gere — and Armani’s suits — to stardom. The film became an instant success, thanks to Gere’s irresistible looks and charisma.

Photo: American Gigolo