In recent times we have witnessed a veritable flood of ‘biopics’ focused on fashion creators, whether in the form of series, films or documentaries. The season opened with Cristobal Balenciagathe series starring Alberto San Juan and now it has been released Becoming Karl Lagerfeld (both in Disney Plus+), which follows the career of the German couturier in the world of Parisian fashion and haute couture.
Furthermore, in Filmin you can already see Rise and fall of John Gallianoa documentary that analyzes the controversial figure of the man who was creative director of the House of Dior for several decades until he fell from grace due to some anti-Semitic comments.
The three projects have something unusual in common. They have been created by directors who, in principle, did not have much to do with the world of fashion and who have very consolidated careers behind them.
There would still be a fourth more biography, the series The New Look (Apple TV), focused on Christian Diorbut in this case, it has gone largely unnoticed and has received poor evaluations from specialized critics.
In the case of Cristobal Balenciagais behind the ‘Moriarti collective’, formed by Jon Garaño, Jose Mari Goenaga and Aitor Arregiresponsible for films like Loreak, Handia either The infinite trench. Becoming Karl Lagerfeld It is a French production that has been directed Jerome Salle, which was already in charge of the ‘biopic’ of Jacques Cousteau. To end, Rise and fall of John Galliano has been orchestrated by the British Kevin McDonaldwhich until now was more specialized in musical documentaries of figures such as Mike Jagger, Bob Marley or Whitney Houston.
Why have three works on fashion designers coincided in time? It’s not the first time it happens. In 2014, they made two movies around Yves Saint Laurent. The one that remained in the imagination was the one directed by the actor as well. Jalil Lespert and performed by Pierre Niney but, nevertheless, the bet of Bertrand Bonellowhich also featured a great and risky interpretation of the deceased Gaspard Ulliel.
For the moment, only the great classical masters who founded their own works have been addressed. maisons, as Coco Chanel or his heirs, as occurs in The Gucci house. Or, what is the same, there have been no approaches to more contemporary figures who will surely be the subject of some type of fiction in the future, whether Alessandro Michele, Stella McCartney or, in our country, Alejandro Gomez Palomo.
What has happened is a reverse phenomenonthat fashion designers have moved to the audiovisual sector, as is the case of Tom Ford who, in addition to taking the reins of his brand, has directed two films, A single man and Nocturnal animalswith which he won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.
Furthermore, in recent times, the current creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello He has become a film producer, sponsoring the projects of great directors such as Pedro Almodovar in strange way of life.
This year, he has been present behind three films that have competed in the Cannes Film Festival: Parthenopeof Paolo Sorrentino, The Shroudsof David Cronenberg and the award-winning Emilia Perezof Jacques Audiardfor which the Spanish Karla Sofia Gascónwon, along with her co-stars, the Palme d’Or for best actress.
