5 Movies You Can Enjoy with Your Fashionista BFF 

by Kathy D

Few creative mediums compliment each other as well as fashion and movies. Whether a director can capture the dramatic movement of a gown on screen, or fashion designers' contributions to the cinema world over the years, the symbiotic relationship has produced some of the most unforgettable on-screen moments with more hopefully to come in 2022.

So, whether you want to quench your curiosity about an industry that is sometimes shrouded in secrecy, learn the backdrop of some of the most pivotal moments in fashion history, or enjoy some sartorial escapism. Here are five of the most memorable fashion films you can watch.

1. Heathers (1988)

Getting the best products for wavy hair is a careful balancing act between definition and hydration. You want smooth waves that don't crunch or stick and increased moisture that doesn't transform your scalp into an oil slick. 

However, no object has been a more visible symbol of toxic adolescent femininity than Heather Chandler's wavy blond hair in the 1988 film Heathers, with a tiara symbolizing her alpha status. 

Heathers is a fantastic fashion film since the outfits and accessories are vital to the characters' personalities. With shoulder-padded suit jackets, short pleated skirts, and knee socks and tights, the Heathers dress as 1980s high school students may imagine a cutthroat businesswoman would.

However, Heather No. 2, previously dressed in green boxy suit jackets and short skirts, assumes the mantle, red scrunchie, and all, when Heather No. 1 falls from her pedestal (drinking a large glass of drain cleaner after eating Corn Nuts).

Additionally, the Heathers play croquet with their friend Veronica, knocking sparkly balls around while clothed in Crayola hues. The outfits are smart and childish, inviting and threatening—also the same as the characters.

2. Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)

Desperately Seeking Susan is the best Madonna film, possibly because it serves as an allegory for the numerous women who fashioned themselves after Madonna. The movie is clearly about clothes: a sparkly jacket, studded ankle boots, and a pair of ancient Egyptian earrings.

However, if you need a refresher, the story follows: Rosanna Arquette plays Roberta, a bored housewife in Fort Lee, New Jersey, who reads the personals for fun. She becomes captivated with a couple of strangers, Susan and Jim, who interact via classified advertisements, and begins spying on them. 

Roberta learns through spies that the woman (Susan, played by Madonna) is everything she isn't. Cool, carefree, and bohemian. Also, Roberta picks up Susan's telltale jacket after she trades it for the studded boots at a thrift store.

As the tale progresses, the purchase becomes regrettable. Criminals are hunting Susan for stealing a pair of antique Egyptian earrings from an Atlantic City hotel room. A character named Dez misidentifies Roberta as Susan, resulting in a fight.

This leads to Roberta having amnesia after hitting her head on a lamppost at Battery Park. However, the Madonna impersonator believes she is Madonna. It's silly and unique and a must-see '80s fashion film.

3. The September Issue (2009) 

When you think of fashion flicks, The September Issue is usually the first one that comes to mind. The documentary is a 90-minute look at the glamorous, fashion-filled life of Vogue's editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, as she prepares for the September edition, the biggest and most important issue.

The resulting pressure and hard effort put into creating the magazine are accurately depicted, and viewers will be immersed in the chaotic, glittery world of Vogue and magazine editing. Oscar de la Renta, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld, and Vera Wang make appearances, offering the film a genuinely stylish edge.

4. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Few films have effectively brought fashion media's rarefied, secretive world into the spotlight as The Devil Wears Prada. We trail the journey of Anne Hathaway's initially style-illiterate Andy Sachs as she enters this competitive world as Miranda's assistant.

The film is an endlessly quotable and uproariously amusing look at the obsessive mindset of those who work in fashion. It also features superb supporting performances from Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. Could Andy's boyfriend be the true villain of the film? A short glance over Twitter reveals that the dispute is still raging.

5. Mahogany (1975)

Diana Ross's portrayal of American design student Tracy Chambers, whose garments become incredibly popular in the salons of high society 1970s Rome, is one of the most abundant depictions of fashion designers on film. 

More so, the film is a celebration of fashion, directed by Motown Records' Berry Gordy, and also features a political message that remains relevant today. Tracy is divided between her feelings for a Black activist opposing gentrification in her hometown of Chicago and the dazzling but ultimately unfulfilling promises of a modeling career in Europe. Mahogany is a campy—but surprisingly conscientious—fashion fantasy with a soundtrack for the ages.

Bottomline 

A lot goes into crafting a decent film, and many individuals help bring them to life. Additionally, a proper costume design is one of the most crucial aspects of any film. A character's clothing in a film can reveal a lot about them and set them apart from other characters in the movie. Also, the moviegoers can make the picture more enjoyable to watch. This is especially true for those who enjoy fashion and enjoy seeing the colorful attire and intriguing costumes featured in films.