July 25, 2019 |
There are few designers who have an international impact akin to that of Ralph Lauren. Whatever far-flung corner of the globe you might find yourself in, you’re likely to be confronted with the iconic polo-playing logo, worn by a mix of generations and genders. Ralph Lauren himself is an archetypal embodiment of the American Dream as well as the outfitter of it, and a true fashion industry icon too. As announced today, HBO will air the first ever documentary tracing the life and career trajectory of the designer titled Very Ralph this November.
The documentary will give an insight into Lauren’s world, from his Bronx beginnings to becoming one of the world’s most renowned designers as he enters into his 60th decade in business. Directed and produced by Susan Lacy and executive produced by ex-Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter, we’re sure to be in for a treat. Alongside over 50 years of archive footage, the film boasts a series of incredibly personal interviews with his family and friends as well as an impressive list of industry insiders including Tina Brown, Anna Wintour, Vanessa Friedman and Robin Givhan, designers Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, Dian von Furstenberg and Jason Wu, as well as Naomi Campbell, Martha Stewart, Jessica Chastain and Hillary Clinton. Wow.
Can’t wait until November to get your fashion fix? Ralph Lauren designed the lauded and continually referenced costumes for both Woody Allen’s Annie Hall (1977) and Manhattan (1979), as well as dressing Robert Redford, Mia Farrow and the wider cast of The Great Gatsby (1976). We’ve also pulled together some of our favourite fashion documentaries for you to watch. Fancy knowing more about your favourite designer perhaps? Delve into the life of the legendary Yves Saint Laurent in L’Amour Fou (2010), get to know Moschino’s creative director in Jeremy Scott: The People’s Designer (2015), see inside the doors of Dior as Raf Simons works on his debut couture collection for the house in Dior and I (2015). On Netflix watch the Alexander McQueen biography McQueen (2018) and 7 Days Out (2018), with an episode dedicated to the production of Chanel’s SS18 Haute Couture show. Also, keep your eyes peeled as the Martin Margiela documentary, Without Compromise, is set to be released in 2020.
There are, of course, the classic Vogue–centric documentaries The September Issue (2009) and The First Monday in May (2016), as well as films on some of the industry’s most memorable characters like ex-Vogue editor-in-chief: Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (2011) and the late and great Franca Sozzani: Franca: Chaos and Creation (2016). For the photography contingent: don’t miss Bill Cunningham New York (2011) centring on the enigmatic New York Times’ fashion street photographer and get a snapshot into the world of shooting the world’s biggest celebrities in Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens (2007). Or follow around Helmut Newton the prolifically provocative German photographer in Helmut Newton: Frames from the Edge (1989) and check out Smash His Camera (2010) for an insight into the life and career of the infamous paparazzi photographer Ron Galella. Work your way through that list and it’ll be November before you know it.
