It has taken decades for fashion to become a new, alert and dynamic field that can be exploited in a film. Nowadays, fashion and film go hand in hand perfectly. Since only an aside category of films does not benefit from the fashion point of view, it is clear that fashion has always been in a close relation with the film industry. More than that, there have been movies that accurately defined the style of an époque, so that they have been adopted as emblematic movies; the worn clothes have become iconic, as well as the wearers.
Most essential items in a stylish women’s wardrobe originate from a movie. Top fashion films have promoted the little black dress (worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s). A great article remembering Audrey Hepburn can be found here or the scarf and beret (worn by Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde). Other examples of fashion in film include Catherine Deneuve’s image in Belle de Jour, where her entire wardrobe was conceived by Yves Saint Laurent, or the androgynous jackets worn by Diane Keaton in Annie Hall.
We can always talk about inspirational movies from the clothing point of view. Best fashion films include: Funny Face, Pulp Fiction, Casablanca, A Single Man, To Catch a Thief, them having outfits signed by Armani or Orry Kelly.
Designers and fashion editors started appearing in movies themselves, or being heroes in films dedicated to them. A Single Man is the debut film of Tom Ford, who proved to be a good director as well. The fashion film network is not experimental any more; it has become an intelligent branding technique and a reason of creative competition among the large fashion houses. Still, the most important reason is the financial one. Production costs of best fashion movies are not low, but are not as high compared to those implied by TV fashion video promotion.
We can’t talk about fashion in film without mentioning the TV show and the 2 movies Sex and the City. Due to them, the designer Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo have earned international reputation, the Cosmopolitan cocktail has become one of the most ordered drinks, and Vogue magazine has become a compulsory monthly read. The entire phenomenon has turned Sarrah Jessica Parker (Carrie) into one of the most notable fashion icons of our times.
To find out more about such films, you should read a well known fashion film blog, or watch short fashion clips on the Internet. A great start would be the Film Annex Fashion Film Channel which can be found here. Don't forget about The Devil Wears Prada, which is a famous fashion film about the fashion editor, Anna Wintour.
Many blogs and TV networks promote fashion videos, because people from all over the world are passionate about trends and can’t wait for the new collections to be released, or to see what their favorite fashion figures are wearing. Ordinary people get inspired from celebrities, before anything, which is why all fashion houses use very big names to represent their collections, their fragrances and to star in their ad campaigns. To conclude, fashion and film are almost never inseparable.
