New York City by film

Words: Daniël Geldenhuys | Images: Getty

New York City has an unmatched presence in Hollywood-fuelled style fiction. From The Devil Wears Prada to Sex and the City, Manhattan has set the stage for countless hours of spellbinding fashion narratives. Watching (and re-watching) enough of these leaves you wondering about the city’s real-life role in the fashion world. Indulge your curiosity with these four documentary films, each one an all-access pass into one of the city’s fashion facets.

STREET STYLE

Bill Cunningham New York (2010)

You’d be right to peg Bill Cunningham as the father of street style, but there’s so much more to the story. The man dedicated his life to documenting clothes: on the runway (he was one of the few who shot Yves Saint Laurent’s first ready-to-wear show), on the streets of New York and at high-society events. His iconic New York Times On The Street column became an archive of just about every fashion trend and subculture. What made Cunningham special was his dismissal of status and creed in his subjects: all it took to qualify for a moment in front of his lens was a strong outfit.

The film tells the story of a loveable eccentric who’s obsessed with his work, sacrificing any semblance of a personal life. The producers approach the subject of his familial and romantic history with caution and respect: his answer is both direct and vague, which is surprisingly satisfying. As a viewer, you feel certain that Cunningham would respect your privacy and so you don’t feel the need to invade his. The film’s point of interest, the thing that makes the title man so interesting, is his all-consuming passion. It’s a rare and truly fascinating thing to see.

Rating: 8/10

Wowness: Bill’s apartment is basically a storeroom filled (literally, filled) with filing cabinets.

Iconic: Shail Upadhya, a former United Nations diplomat from Nepal and Cunningham subject, talks the viewer through his vibrant printed suit collection in a dry, almost mournful tone. He models pieces from his collection – spots, stripes, checks and an alphabet print. Then he wears a beautiful dark floral-on-floral ensemble. “This used to be my old sofa,” he says dryly. “The jacket and the pants used to be my ottoman.”

Manhattan moment: Any one of the million shots of Cunningham riding his bike through the streets of New York perfectly captures the city’s mood.

ART

The First Monday in May (2016)

You’re in for a major behind-the-scenes treat. This is the making of the Metropolitan Museum’s 2015 Costume Institute China: Through The Looking Glass exhibition. And let’s not forget the accompanying Vogue-organised Met Gala, the one where Rihanna’s yellow Guo Pei couture gown (50 000 hours in the making) generated a million memes.

The film touches on the question of whether fashion qualifies as art. It also offers multiple entry points into a debate on cultural appropriation, showing the types of collaborations necessary to open an exhibition that fuses cultures from different ends of the globe. Protagonists Andrew Bolton (curator at the Costume Institute) and Anna Wintour are cleverly presented as underdogs, though there’s no denying they are two industry powerhouses at the top of their game. The film is proof that, when bringing these grand visions to life, teamwork is everything.

Rating: 7/10

Wowness: Watching four women unbox a larger-than-life John Galliano for Dior haute couture piece.

Iconic: An anecdotal montage of Anna Wintour setting up the new Vogue offices at One World Trade Centre, instructing her staff. “This is making me feel violently ill. Take the whole thing down. It’s just gonna give people a headache,” she says. “It has to look like an area that you walk into that is professional. Not like a second-hand vintage store.”

Manhattan moment: There’s a democratic charm to the museum facade shots, complete with a typical NY hotdog stand and uptown foot traffic.

RETAIL

Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s (2013)

Bergdorf Goodman, the iconic department store at the foot of Central Park on 5th Avenue, has a rich history and numerous facets to its business. At its worst (a good half of the movie), this documentary comes off as a bit of a PR stunt, with numerous important personalities talking about how important the store is to the fashion industry. Never missing an opportunity to taunt their competition, the film opens with Karl Lagerfeld saying, “I knew I wasn’t here for Saks.”

The story of the store’s highly produced windows makes this documentary a worthy watch. At the point where you crave a dynamic individual protagonist to give some life to the story, there’s personal shopper Betty Halbreich, a thoroughly entertaining character who rose to the top of the ranks with style and blatant honesty. When asked just how honest she is with her clients she replies, “Oh I can’t give you an example – I won’t have a job next week.”

Rating: 5/10

Wowness: Seeing the art studios in which the sculptures for the window displays are created, then the installation process.

Iconic: Joan Rivers on the personal shopper Betty Halbreich. “She hates everybody, I love her so much.” Cut to Betty. “No, I don’t hate. I don’t believe in hating. Dislike, yes. But not hate.” Cut to the documentary producers interviewing Betty. “What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing this?” Betty replies: “Drinking.”

Manhattan moment: New Yorkers and tourists gawking at and photographing the window displays.

INDIVIDUALISM

Advanced Style (2014)

Blogger Ari Seth Cohen was very close with his grandmother and began documenting people above the age of 50 (the older, the better) with exceptional style. His blog, Advanced Style, has produced numerous books and this documentary about the women in his pictures. The film puts these women front and centre. It's an eclectic, eccentric cast of women who approach the act of getting dressed as an art form, defying any societal preconceptions and expectations regarding their age.

The film spends its running time on a respectful character study. It touches on the friction between individual style and the constraints of the trend-driven fashion world, but doesn’t dive particularly deep. Not that it needed to, but with the contemporary fashion world’s increasing focus on inclusivity, a follow-up series that looks at the influence of these types of women on what is and isn't considered fashionable could make for excellent viewing.

Rating: 6/10

Wowness: Jacquie 'Tajah" Murdock and Tziporah Salamon were photographed by Steven Meisel for Lanvin's Fall 2012 campaign.

Iconic: When Ilona Royce Smithkin’s eyelash supplier died, she began making her own by cutting off pieces of her hair.

Manhattan moment: As Murdock walks down the street in Harlem, she passes a man in gym clothes wearing wireless headphones. He has resistance bands wrapped around a lamppost and is in the middle of a full-on gym session.