Brand Audits Update x Christine Moody*
I spent yesterday afternoon watching the documentary about Karl Lagerfeld, Lagerfeld Confidential. The reason I love fashion movies is the fact that they teach you so much about brands and how these brands remain focussed on the future while seeking inspiration from the past. If you are interested in the business of brands—and how every single, little detail is discussed and considered—fashion houses are a great examplar. They also represent brands that have survived the departure of the founder and continue to grow new markets and new customers by ensuring the designs remain contemporary but at the same time respecting the past. Like all businesses they have their ups and downs but because the fashion brands have the hearts of so many customers, they are able to survive, adapt, and thrive in the toughest of all business environments. The garments are beautiful but the business of understanding the customer and having a unique voice in a crowded marketplace is just as relevant for couture as it is for professional services. Featured below are the trailers of my top three fashion documentaries.
“Famed Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani opened his first fashion house in 1959. In 2007, Valentino announced his retirement plans and began preparing for his final show. This documentary follows Valentino during the last two years of his time as a designer, accompanied by Giancarlo Giammetti, his patient partner in both business and life. As Valentino gets ready to conclude his fashion career, he worries about the the intentions of the corporation buying his clothing line.”
“Dior and I brings the viewer inside the storied world of the Christian Dior fashion house with a privileged, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Raf Simons’ first haute couture collection as its new artistic director-a true labor of love created by a dedicated group of collaborators. Melding the everyday, pressure-filled components of fashion with mysterious echoes from the iconic brand’s past, the film is also a colorful homage to the seamstresses who serve Simons’ vision.”
“Anna Wintour, the legendary editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine for twenty years, is the most powerful and polarizing figure in fashion. Hidden behind her trademark bob and sunglasses, she has never allowed anyone to scrutinize the inner workings of her magazine. Until now. With unprecedented access, filmmaker R.J. Cutlers new film The September Issue does for fashion what he did for politics in The War Room, taking the viewer inside a world they only think they know. Every August a record-breaking number of people cant wait to get their hands on the September issue of Vogue. The 2007 issue was and remains the biggest ever, weighing over four pounds, selling thirteen million copies, and impacting the $300-billion global fashion industry more than any other single publication. An intimate, funny and surprising look at Anna Wintour and her team of larger-than-life editors as they create this must-have Bible of fashion, Cutler explores the untouchable glamour of Wintours Vogue to reveal the extraordinarily passionate people at its heart. He takes us behind the scenes at Fashion Week, to Europe, on shoots and reshoots, and into closed-door staff meetings, bearing witness to an arduous, entertaining, and sometimes emotionally demanding process. At the eye of this annual fashion hurricane is the two-decade relationship between Wintour and Grace Coddington, incomparable Creative Director and fashion genius. They are perfectly matched for the age-old conflict between creator and curator. Through them, we see close-up the delicate creative chemistry it takes to remain at the top of the ever-changing fashion field.”
*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation.