The Best Documentaries About Fashion

Ranker Film
Updated September 15, 2023 605 votes 77 voters
Over 70 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Documentaries About Fashion
Voting Rules
Documentary films about fashion and the fashion industry.

This list is of the best documentaries about fashion has been ranked by the community and includes popular and recognizable titles, along with some independent films. What is the best documentary about fashion? Vote up your favorites below or add a fashion forward documentary that isn't already on the list.

As you vote, the order of the list will be changed to see which documentary about the fashion industry comes is the best. The list currently includes titles such as, Notebook on Cities and Clothes, Girl Model, and Bill Cunningham New York.

Documentaries are nonfiction and made with the intention of displaying reality for historical purposes and to educate viewers. Most documentaries are driven by independent filmmakers and those passionate about the topics they are portraying.
Most divisive: The Legend of Leigh Bowery
Ranked by
  • The Gospel According to Andre
    1
    • Actors: André Leon Talley, Bethann Hardison, Marc Jacobs
    • Released: 2017
    The Gospel According to Andre is a 2017 American documentary film directed by Kate Novack. This intimate portrait for André Leon Tally, a fixture in the world of fashion, takes viewers on a journey from André’s roots growing up to becoming one of the most influential tastemakers and fashion curators of our times.
  • The True Cost
    2

    The True Cost

    Andrew Morgan
    6 votes
    • Actors: Vandana Shiva, Stella McCartney, Safia Minney, Richard Wolff
    • Released: 2015
    The True Cost is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Andrew Morgan. Filmmaker Andrew Morgan travels around the globe to see the people who make clothes for the worlds fashion.
  • Very Ralph
    3

    Very Ralph

    Susan Lacy
    6 votes
    • Actors: Woody Allen, Tyson Beckford, Naomi Campbell
    • Released: 2019
    Very Ralph is a 2019 American documentary film directed by Susan Lacy. A portrait of fashion icon Ralph Lauren, reveals the man behind the icon and the creation of one of the most successful brands in fashion history.
  • Made in Milan
    4

    Made in Milan

    Martin Scorsese
    5 votes
    • Actors: Giorgio Armani
    • Released: 1990
    Made in Milan is a 1990 short documentary film about fashion designer Giorgio Armani; it shows him preparing for a show and discusses his ideas about fashion, his family history and the city of Milan. It was directed by Martin Scorsese. It was Scorsese's first short film since the 1967 The Big Shave, his first documentary since the 1978 The Last Waltz, and his first documentary short.
  • Iris
    5

    Iris

    Albert Maysle
    5 votes
    • Actors: Iris Apfel, Harold Koda, Dries Van Noten, Inez Bailey.
    • Released: 2014
    Iris is a 2014 American documentary film directed by Albert Maysles. A tribute to nonagenarian Iris Apfel, the quick-witted, longtime interior designer and outspoken champion of eclectic fashion.
  • Halston
    6

    Halston

    Frédéric Tcheng
    5 votes
    • Actors: Liza Minnelli, Marisa Berenson, Joel Schumacher
    • Released: 2019
    Halston is a 2019 American documentary film directed by Frédéric Tcheng. Prodigiously talented, Halston reigned over fashion in the 1970s and became a household name. But everything changed in the Wall Street era. With his empire under threat, Halston took the biggest gamble of his life.