5 stories from the fashion world we'd like to watch on Netflix

Telling fashion on television is always very difficult. On the one hand, the fashion industry is often a closed world and difficult to tell to a generalist audience, but on the other hand it is so full of absolutely over-the-top stories and protagonists that it would be a total shame to let them fall into oblivion. Recently, the Netflix series Halston tried to tell the life of the famous designer through the mini-series format but, in fact, the narrative of the tormented genius and a certain sensationalism have overshadowed the designer's actual cultural contributions to the fashion world. The same goes for Emily in Paris, a very pleasant series but that have not left fashion insiders completely satisfied. 

So we decided to take this into our own hands and suggest five stories from the fashion world that we'd like to see turned into movies or series. With the hope that these lines will end up under the eyes of the right manufacturer.

The Battle of Versailles

The Battle of Versailles was a fashion show held on November 28, 1973 at Versailles, France, and featured a clash between the two sides: on the one hand, the French team consisting of Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro, Marc Bohan and Hubert de Givenchy; on the other, Oscar de la Renta, Stephen Burrows, Halston, Bill Blass and Anne Klein, with the additional presence of Donna Karan as the latter's assistant. The Battle was told a little slyly in one of Halston's episodes but, given that whole books were written on that fateful day, dare we say that the event deserves a film or mini-series in its own right - especially considering that Yves Saint Laurent and Andy Warhol were not even making an appearance. The plot would be absolutely epic, the historical reconstruction in the original environments of Versailles would be a unicum in the history of fashion cinema and, finally, the themes addressed (diversity, tradition against innovation, the evolution of fashion in the 70s) would make the narrative incredibly modern and instructive for the public.

The Coco Chanel vs. Elsa Schiapparelli feud

Imagine a film or series that traces the life and career of two brilliant designers such as Chanel and Schiapparelli against the backdrop of 1920s Paris. Assuming a solid and effective script is written, the leading actresses would have a lot of material to work on and the sense of drama could literally be touched upon. The climax of the story may be the famous dance in which Chanel threw Elsa Schiapparelli on a candlestick and set her on fire – but the cues behind the story of these two revolutionary designers, with the consequent exploration of their mentality and imagination, together with a contour of respectable historical characters, would make it a unique show. 

Dapper Dan's life

Why there is still no series about Dapper Dan's life remains a mystery. Dapper Dan's story (born Daniel Day) would have it all: the Harlem of the 70s, the stormy loves, the birth of the hip-hop scene, logomania and author knock-offs, legal struggles, the return to the stage. Over the course of the series there would be room for unique musical figures such as LL Cool J, the Fat Boys and Bobby Brown to appear, to name but a few, and one could discuss themes and historical moments that would have enormous resonance today. 

Miuccia Prada's debut in fashion

If we were to imagine a Miuccia Prada biopic we would perhaps not find huge melodramias, but through the lens of the designer's youth we could witness the life of the High-ranking Milan in the 1960s, the youthful clashes of '68, the thousand stories of the '80s Milan, her years at the theater and iconic moments such as her debut show in 1984. But also the invention of the Prada triangle and the concept of ugly chic, the history of the Red Moon, the collaborations with artists, the costumes designed for the New York Opera and many other anecdotes – although probably the deuteragonist of history would be Milan itself, portrayed period after era through a thousand changes. 

Twiggy, the Mods & Swinging London

If we were to imagine a miuccia prada biopic we would perhaps not find huge melodramias, but through the lens of the designer's youth we could witness the life of the High-ranking Milan in the 1960s, the youthful clashes of '68, the thousand stories of the "Milan to drink", her years at the theater and iconic moments such as her debut show in 1984. But also the invention of the Prada triangle and the concept of ugly chic, the history of the Red Moon, the collaborations with artists, the costumes designed for the New York Opera and many other anecdotes – although probably the deuteragonist of history would be Milan itself, portrayed period after era through a thousand changes.