17 Fashion And Beauty Documentaries To Binge-Watch Online

    From designer profiles to industry exposés and beyond.

    1. Dior and I

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    What it's about: In 2012, after nearly seven years as creative director at Jil Sander, Raf Simons took the same coveted position at Dior. Dior and I follows Simons, a celebrated minimalist, as he prepares for his debut haute couture collection at the famously opulent fashion house.

    Where to watch: Netflix (free with subscription), iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, YouTube, or Vudu

    2. Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's

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    What it's about: Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's tells the story of New York City department store and institution Bergdorf Goodman. Its origins, its whimsically decorated windows, its fabled customer service, its meaning to designers and shoppers alike — this film has it all.

    Where to watch: Netflix (free with subscription), iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, or Vudu

    3. Bill Cunningham New York

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    What it's about: Bill Cunningham New York profiles the revolutionary photographer of the same name, whose street style pictures helped democratize fashion long before Instagram and blogs came along. With Cunningham's recent passing, now seems like a particularly important time to learn about his legacy.

    Where to watch: Hulu (free with subscription), Amazon, or iTunes

    4. Vidal Sassoon: The Movie

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    What it's about: Vidal Sassoon: The Movie tells the story of a boy who went from growing up in a Jewish orphanage in England during WWII, to becoming one of the most famous names in hair. His cuts weren't just pretty — they were a symbol of women's liberation in the 1960s, and a foreshadowing of hair trends for decades to come.

    Where to watch: iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, or Google Play

    5. The Director: An Evolution in Three Acts

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    What it's about: The Director: An Evolution in Three Acts documents the life of Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini.

    Where to watch: Netflix (free with subscription), Amazon, or iTunes

    6. Chasing Beauty

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    What it's about: Chasing Beauty takes the advertising and cosmetic industries to task on their methods and motivations, as well as the real-life consequences of promoting such rigorous aesthetic standards. If you want to better understand the forces behind your feelings on beauty, this is the film that will help you get woke.

    Where to watch: Hulu (free with subscription), Amazon, or iTunes

    7. Girl Model

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    What it's about: Similarly to Chasing Beauty, Girl Model explores the dark side of the modeling world by following a conflicted talent recruiter and a 13-year-old model just starting out in the industry.

    Where to watch: Netflix (free with subscription) or iTunes

    8. About Face: The Supermodels Then and Now

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    What it's about: About Face shows models on the other end of the industry: those who have, at least in large part, aged out of it. What happens when the thing you've become known for — your youthful, conventionally "good" looks — start to fade?

    Where to watch: HBO GO (free with subscription)

    9. Advanced Style

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    What it's about: As the interviewees in About Face testify, older people are often left out of fashion and beauty conversations. Luckily, the seven spiffy seniors featured in Advanced Style are happy to start conversations of their own.

    Where to watch: Netflix (free with subscription), Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube, or Vudu

    10. Iris

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    What it's about: Perhaps the best known of senior style icons, Iris Apfel has built her brand on an enormous (and eccentric) collection of costume jewelry, equally enormous (and eccentric) glasses, and a whole lot of charm. Iris's eponymous heroine is a light at the end of the often cold, cutthroat tunnel of the fashion world.

    Where to watch: Netflix (free with subscription), iTunes, or Amazon

    11. Fresh Dressed

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    What it's about: Fresh Dressed tracks hip hop fashion from its early origins, to its heyday in the later 90s/early 2000s (remember when every rapper had their own clothing line?), to its role in popular culture today.

    Where to watch: Netflix (free with subscription), YouTube, Google Play, iTunes, or Amazon

    12. Just for Kicks

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    What it's about: If you can't get enough of the street style in Fresh Dressed, sneakerhead love song Just for Kicks is the perfect way to make it a double feature.

    Where to watch: Crackle (free), Amazon

    13. Valentino: The Last Emperor

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    What it's about: Valentino: The Last Emperor turns its lens on the talented yet challenging designer of the same name, whose gowns have influenced red carpet fashion perhaps more than anybody else's.

    Where to watch: iTunes

    14. Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel

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    What it's about: Fashion editor Diana Vreeland gained a reputation not only for creating beautiful images, but for doing so by playing up models' so-called "imperfections." The Eye Has to Travel shows Vreeland at her stylish, delightful, and groundbreakingly inclusive best.

    Where to watch: Amazon, iTunes, YouTube, Google Play, or Vudu

    15. Jeremy Scott: The People's Designer

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    What it's about: Jeremy Scott: The People's Designer tells the rags-to-riches story of Moschino's ostentatious and controversial creative director, Jeremy Scott.

    Where to watch: Netflix (free with subscription) or Amazon

    16. Mademoiselle C

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    What it's about: Mademoiselle C follows French fashion icon Carine Roitfeld in the months following her departure as Vogue Paris's editor-in-chief, as she works to start her own publication.

    Where to watch: Netflix (free with subscription), iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, or Vudu

    17. The True Cost

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    What it's about: Ever wondered why your H&M dress was so cheap? The True Cost exposes the inhumane labor conditions and other fast fashion manufacturing methods that make such appealing price tags possible. Before you hit up the sale section, watch this and consider what kind of consumer you really want to be.

    Where to watch: Netflix (free with subscription), iTunes, or Amazon