From Gucci to Chanel: 5 biopics about great designers that everyone should watch

The connection between fashion and cinema has always been close. In fact, some of the world's top couturiers have created individual looks or even entire wardrobes for the most successful Hollywood blockbusters. For example, French designer Hubert de Givenchy created spectacular outfits for Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), French designer Coco Chanel for the characters in Tonight or Never (1931), Italian designer Giorgio Armani for The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and Inglourious Basterds (2009), and Italian couturier Miuccia Prada for The Great Gatsby (2013). If you've seen these movie masterpieces, you've definitely paid attention to the costumes, because they are unforgettable.

Now let's find out more about the fashion creators themselves. It is through biographical films and a TV series. Read more in the OBOZ.UA article.

1. "Saint Laurent (2014)

Directed by: Bertrand Bonello

Countries: France, Belgium

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

Storyline. This is an atmospheric, aesthetically refined, and ruthlessly honest story about the French designer Yves Saint Laurent during the crucial years (1967 to 1976). Back then, his collections were changing the fashion industry, and his life was in full swing between runway shows and bohemian parties. The director not only skillfully recreated Yves's creative search, but also immersed the viewer in the contradictory inner world of the hero.

2. Coco before Chanel (2009)

Directed by: Anne Fontaine

Country: France

Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes

Storyline. Before she became a symbol of elegance, French couturier Coco Chanel was a rebel... This biopic follows her life from an orphanage and cabaret performances to her first fashion victories. You will see how she changed the idea of what a woman's style should be (without tight corsets, excessive luxury, etc.). In the performance of French actress Audrey Tautou, Coco appears strong, independent, and daring – the way the world remembers her.

3. House of Versace (2013)

Directed by: Sarah Sugarman

Country: Canada

Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes

Storyline. After Gianni Versace's assassination in July 1997, his fashion house is threatened. As a result, Donatella Versace, the sister of the deceased, is forced to take over the brand. The plot focuses on how she learns to manage a huge business, her struggle with unscrupulous media representatives, and her attempts to find her own (necessarily recognizable) style in the shadow of her famous brother.

4. House of Gucci (2021)

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Country: USA

Running time: 2 hours 37 minutes

Storyline. Patricia Reggiani (played by Lady Gaga), a girl from a poor family, marries Maurizio Gucci (played by Adam Driver), the heir to the Gucci fashion empire. Their passionate love turns into mania, a tangled story where adultery, power, and the desire to control the future of the brand lead to tragedy.

5. The New Look (2024)

Directed by: Todd Kessler

Country: USA

Number of seasons: 1

Number of episodes: 10

The plot. This biographical drama series brings together Dior, Chanel, Cristobal Balenciaga, and Pierre Balmain in one frame. It tells the story of how the fashion giants survived the Second World War and launched the modern fashion industry. But the main focus is on the professional rivalry between French couturiers Christian Dior and Coco Chanel: the former created a revolutionary clothing line known as New Look, which negatively affected the latter's business.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote about biopics that every moviegoer should see. Learn more about historical figures (about their inner transformations, dreams, etc.) and the epochs in which they lived.

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