Le Mill Recommends ·Oct 05, 2023

#LeMillRecommends: Documentaries get a Fashionable Facelift

True crime has its place in the world of documentaries, but often it can feel that the genre overshadows some of the more fashionable and less murder-focused programmes. Sometimes you just want to curl up in front of the television and learn about something you’ve always loved, without the threat of seeing a dead body and the fear of a sleepless night.

As you know, our love for fashion and music is ever evolving and these five documentaries have only made our admiration even deeper. From the music industry to the modeling world, here’s a quick look at what we’re obsessing over.

The Super Models

Dominating the pop-culture phenomenon of the 1980s were four genetically blessed superbeings. Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington were the original supermodels – and they captivated the world. This four-part docuseries follows the supers’ meteoric rise – and the long-lasting impact they had on every facet of the fashion industry. Featuring interviews and updates from the icons themselves, it reflects on the past, the present and the future…

Watch ‘The Super Models’ on AppleTV+

Little Richard: I Am Everything

Many people consider Elvis Presley to be the King of Rock. But there would be no Elvis without Little Richard, the queer musician whose music impacted rock and roll for generations. Little Richard: I Am Everything follows the superstar's life and legacy with a mix of archival footage and celebrity interviews. It's 98 minutes of pure magic.

Watch ‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’ on AppleTV+

Invisible Beauty

Bethann Hardison’s documentary about her trailblazing life as a Black model who championed racial diversity in the fashion industry was one of the highly anticipated documentaries in fashion this year, and with good reason. Directed by Hardison herself, the film follows her role as a fashion maverick over five decades, using a cache of personal photos, archival images and video clips, as well as Hardison’s own recollections and insights, to tell the story of her extraordinary career. Along with interviews and commentary from the many models and stars she inspired, including Naomi Campbell, Tyson Beckford, Tracee Ellis Ross and Zendaya.

Watch ‘Invisible Beauty’ only in cinemas

Sometimes When We Touch

This music documentary chronicles the mostly-untold story of soft rock, the genre whose artists dominated pop music worldwide in the 1970s—think The Carpenters, Barry Manilow, "The Pina Colada Song"—only to crash and burn in the 1980s. The series promises interviews and concert footage along with contemporary commentary that embraces the impact of soft rock while acknowledging the excesses that sometimes led it astray. The pioneers of the rock/pop sound chronicle the rise and fall, as well as one of the most unlikely comebacks in music history.

Watch Sometime When We Touch on AppleTV+

Donyale Luna: Supermodel

Donyale Luna was the first Black model to appear on the cover of British Vogue—any Vogue for that matter. In the 1960s and 1970s she was undoubtedly an It girl, appearing in everything that was culturally impactful at the time: She was at Andy Warhol’s Factory and appeared in several of his movies; she was in London for the Youthquake, showcasing Mary Quant’s minidresses with her legs for days. And yet for all her accomplishments, she remains largely unknown by most. This documentary aims to change that. Donyale Luna: Supermodel tells the story of how Peggy Ann Freeman, born in Detroit in 1945, became Donyale Luna, one of fashion’s brightest stars.