The most iconic fashion films of all time

There are few creative mediums that complement each other as perfectly as fashion and film.

Whether it’s a director’s talent for capturing the dramatic movement of a dress on screen or the lasting influence of designers who have shaped cinematic style over the decades, this symbiotic relationship has produced some of the most striking moments ever seen on film. Whether you want to satisfy your curiosity about an industry so often shrouded in mystery, learn the stories behind some of fashion’s most important milestones, or simply escape reality through a touch of couture fantasy, here you’ll find the most legendary fashion films currently available to watch.

– Funny Face (1957.)

When it comes to fashion films, few are as joyful as Funny Face. Audrey Hepburn stars as Jo Stockton, a shy New York bookshop clerk who dreams of studying philosophy in Paris. Her wishes come true in the most unexpected way when she becomes the muse of celebrated fashion photographer Dick Avery, played by Fred Astaire. Filled with gorgeous Parisian backdrops, delightful songs by George and Ira Gershwin, and stunning costumes created by the legendary designer Edith Head and Hepburn’s longtime collaborator Hubert de Givenchy, this film is a perfect homage to haute couture.

Funny Face. Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection

Blow-Up (1966)

One of the more sinister titles on the list, this darkly glamorous thriller by Italian auteur Michelangelo Antonioni is set in the midst of London’s swinging sixties. It unfolds an extraordinary story of intrigue centered on Thomas, a lustful fashion photographer played by David Hemmings, who believes he has accidentally photographed a murder. Looking back, the protagonist’s complicated relationship with his subjects largely reflects the attitudes of his era, yet the film’s menacing tone is softened by a series of fantastic cameos, from Veruschka to Jane Birkin. Blow-Up remains a fascinating document of a pivotal moment in fashion history.

Blow-Up. Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection

Who are you, Polly Maggoo? (1966)

Who Are You, Polly Maggoo? may have been released the same year as Blow-Up, but its vision of the swinging sixties is far more surreal and deliberately satirical. Directed by American photographer and filmmaker William Klein, the film mocks the excess and frivolity of the fashion industry in a way that manages to be both glamorous and grotesque. Watch it for the costumes—an exquisite time capsule of 1960s style that inspired Jean Paul Gaultier and Marc Jacobs—but stay for the unforgettable performance by Grayson Hall as Miss Maxwell, a powerful fashion editor in the mold of Diana Vreeland, whose comments can make or break a career.

Models in Who Are You, Polly Maggoo? Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection

Mahogany (1975.)

When it comes to portraying fashion designers on screen, there’s no depiction more decadent than Diana Ross as Tracy Chambers, an American design student whose creations become an unexpected sensation in Rome’s high-society salons of the 1970s. Directed by Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, the film celebrates fashion in all its lavish, over-the-top glory, yet carries a political message that remains strikingly relevant today. Tracy is torn between her love for a Black activist fighting against gentrification in her native Chicago and the glamorous but ultimately hollow promise of her modeling career in Europe. With one of the most iconic soundtracks ever recorded, Mahogany is a dazzling—and surprisingly conscientious—fashion fantasy.

Mahogany. Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection

Prêt-à-Porter (1994.)

In Robert Altman’s sprawling, star-studded, and sharply satirical ode to the fashion industry, nothing is quite as it seems. Altman employs his signature mockumentary style, featuring a glittering ensemble cast that includes Julia Roberts, Sophia Loren, and Lauren Bacall, all playing characters swept into Paris Fashion Week following the death of Olivier de la Fontaine, the head of the fashion council. Although the film was both a critical and commercial failure upon release, the fashion world’s initially puzzled reaction has evolved into genuine affection over time. As a document of the thrilling heights of 1990s runway spectacle, there’s no better film to revisit.

Prêt-à-Porter. Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection

The Devil Wears Prada (2006.)

When it comes to bringing the secretive world of fashion media into the spotlight, few films have done it as successfully as The Devil Wears Prada. Starring Meryl Streep in her deliciously icy, Oscar-nominated role as Miranda Priestly, the formidable editor-in-chief of Runway magazine, the film follows Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs, a fashion-clueless young assistant entering this cutthroat world. Endlessly quotable and wickedly funny, it offers a sharp glimpse into the obsessive nature of those who live and breathe fashion, featuring standout performances by Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. But one question remains, was the real villain actually Andy Sachs’s boyfriend? A quick scroll through Twitter shows that the debate is still very much alive.

The Devil Wears Prada. Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection

Coco Before Chanel (2009.)

If you’re looking for a dose of fashion history, you can’t go wrong with Audrey Tautou’s stunning performance as a young Coco Chanel, before founding the eponymous fashion house that would redefine modern women’s wardrobes. With elegant cinematography and artful direction—and perhaps the most mesmerizing style moments brought to life by French costume designer Catherine Leterrier, whose work earned a César Award—the film stands out as a rare fashion biopic that goes beyond surface glamour, offering a moving glimpse into the inner world of the designer it portrays.

Coco Before Chanel. Photo: Sony Pictures Courtesy of Everett Collection

The Neon Demon (2016.)

You may need a strong stomach to endure some of the more disturbing moments in Nicolas Winding Refn’s psychological horror The Neon Demon, but the payoff comes in the form of striking, hyper-stylized fashion imagery. Elle Fanning plays an aspiring model who is soon drawn into the dark underbelly of the industry, leading to encounters with demons, murderous photographers, and a particularly horrifying final sequence. While its depiction of fashion’s dark side may be wildly unrealistic, The Neon Demon delivers a visually intoxicating and gloriously gory guilty pleasure. —LH

Phantom Thread (2017.)

Phantom Thread. Photo: Focus Features Courtesy of Everett Collection

Few films capture the obsessive, exacting nature of haute couture as masterfully as Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread, a claustrophobic and hauntingly elegant study of creation, control, and desire. The story follows Reynolds Woodcock—a high-society designer loosely inspired by Charles James—and the young woman he meets in a seaside café who becomes his muse. Daniel Day-Lewis’s Oscar-nominated performance is matched with stunning precision by Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville. Phantom Thread is a remarkable portrayal of postwar fashion, a beautifully woven fairy tale that ultimately feels far closer to a nightmare.

Cruella (2021.)

Cruella. Photo: Disney+ / Courtesy of Everett Collection

While Disney’s fantastical take on the fashion world may be somewhat exaggerated, it’s more accurate than it seems. The film tells the origin story of the infamously elegant villain Cruella DeVil from 101 Dalmatians, portrayed here by Emma Stone. Her beginnings as a rebellious designer—challenging the floral, frivolous London styles of the 1960s and introducing something darker and more dangerous—draw clear parallels to real-life figures like Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano. The costumes may not be historically accurate (intentionally so), but the story of ego and excess in fashion feels timeless.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961.)

Audrey Hepburn plays the eccentric and naive Holly Golightly, a young woman with an increasingly clear idea of marrying rich while living in New York City. Amid Holly’s whirlwind daily escapades, Paul Varjak (George Peppard) moves into her apartment building, struggling to publish his novels after years of setbacks. There are heartbreaks, messy moments tinged with melancholy, and even a night in jail as Holly and Paul try to figure out what love looks like in their chaotic yet romantic world. While some may instantly recognize the film’s signature song “Moon River,” nearly everyone will recall Holly’s iconic black dress, jewels, and cigarette holder. —Gia

Breakfast at Tiffanys Photo: CBS Photo Archive Getty Images

The Dressmaker (2015.)

Myrtle Dunnage (Kate Winslet) returns to her small rural hometown in Australia decades after being blamed for the death of a childhood classmate. Now calling herself Tilly, she has reinvented her life as a couture dressmaker whose arrival immediately captures everyone’s attention. This comedy-drama follows Tilly as she teaches the townspeople that a dress can be much more than just a piece of clothing. Yet while she adorns the women of the town in glamorous creations, Tilly is also quietly seeking revenge on those who wronged her years ago.

The Dressmaker. Photo: Courtesy Everett Collectiont

Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)

The most dangerous place in the world for a shopaholic might just be New York City, and Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) constantly pushes her limits—and her credit cards—to the edge. As Rebecca tries to steer her journalism career toward the world of fashion, her constant impulse to buy another scarf, coat, or even twenty hot dogs keeps getting in the way. Her bright outfits and statement accessories seem perfectly suited to the glossy fashion magazine she dreams of working for, but things take a messy turn when her debts catch up with her and she’s forced to attend Shopaholics Anonymous. While her style leans delightfully camp, Rebecca’s excessive fashion consumption might feel all too real. —GY

Isla Fisher on the set of Confessions of a Shopaholic. Photo: James Devaney / WireImage

House of Gucci (2021.)

Based on a true story, House of Gucci follows Patrizia Reggiani as she marries into the Gucci family, where her ambition sets off a chain reaction of betrayal, revenge, and murder. The film is packed with dazzling outfits and high family drama—not to mention the now-iconic line, “Father, Son, House of Gucci.” This dramatic retelling of the rise and fall of Italy’s legendary fashion dynasty features a star-studded cast including Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, and Al Pacino.

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