Mainstream cinema has a never-ending fascination with the fashion industry. Most people have seen either ‘Devil Wears Prada’ or ‘Coco before Chanel’ at some point. But it’s often the indie film makers that capture behind-the-scenes chaos, personal stories told through costume design, and just something stylish, visually rich, and maybe a little weird.
Luckily, UVOtv has a curated mix of indie movies about fashion that brings all of that to your screen.
Reverse Everything (2018)
#ShortFilm #Drama #Movies
Directed by: Daniel Deville
In the mood for something short, poetic, and a little dreamlike? Reverse Everything delivers in just 10 minutes, inviting you into the delicate, introspective world of a young girl named Cody. Filmed with a soft, almost hypnotic touch, the movie blends graceful slow-motion, smooth camera moves, and shadowy silence. It gently pulls you into her interior perspective, a world where every moment, sound, and expression is filtered through her private reality.
There’s barely any dialogue, yet Brinnen Thompson’s performance as Cody speaks volumes with just a glance or flutter of emotion. It’s a thoughtful, artistic journey similar to a meditation, the director wrote and filmed after a breakup.
A Sweater Girl Comedy Cold Read (2019)
#Music #Comedy #Romance #Experimental
Directed by: Steve Cosmic
Imagine diving into a musical comedy that’s part retro soap opera, part farce, and entirely its brand of fun. That’s what A Sweater Girl Comedy Cold Read is about: a 1950s-style actress reads a script, and suddenly her life is the soap opera she’s performing. She embodies every quirky character, including a shirtless, muscle-bound actor who breaks into song (and the special effects lean into the absurd lyrics).
What’s contagious about this film is its commitment to the bit: it’s just 51 minutes of unpolished comedy, playful fashion, and surprising musical moments. Leialoha Smith, in her first onscreen turn, brings warmth and self-awareness to her roles. Steve Cosmic had a blast making this low-budget indie, handling direction, cinematography, editing, and production himself. The film radiates that DIY creative spark.
Super Betsy (2025)
#Music #Experimental
Directed by: Steve Cosmic
Directed by the same eclectic and prolific Steve Cosmic, this film channels creative freedom and fashion flair in every frame. Cosmic is known for his disruptive indie style and festival-hopping short films and brings his signature offbeat. It’s a breezy, experimental short where a vibrant, self-made bikini-clad performer dances, sings, and playfully flaunts her creations. There’s no deep storyline or dramatic arc here, just a confident woman owning her style, experimenting with fashion (and fun), and bringing a retro-musical energy that feels spontaneous and delightful.
Think of it as a mini music video that doesn’t take itself too seriously—but looks great doing it.
Yellow is Forbidden (2018)
#Documentary #Biopic
Directed by: Pietra Brettkelly
This fashion movie follows Guo Pei, a remarkable Chinese designer born amid the Cultural Revolution, who dreamed in color, especially a shade she was once forbidden to wear. We see Guo Pei shortly after her meteoric rise, which started with Rihanna’s unforgettable yellow Met Gala gown in 2015.
Kiwi documentarian Pietra Brettkelly (best known for A Flickering Truth) shows Guo Pei as she threads together gold-laced pieces stitched by hundreds of hands, and watches her meticulously prepare for a Paris runway show set inside the very cells of La Conciergerie, where Marie Antoinette was once imprisoned. It’s fashion layered with history.
Every frame is a feast for the eyes: impossibly heavy gowns dripping in embroidery, models teetering on show-stopping heels, and textiles that practically glow. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018—the first Kiwi film in the main competition there. It was New Zealand’s official submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, though it didn’t get nominated.
Martin Margiela: In His Own Words (2019)
#Biopics #Documentary
Directed by: Reiner Holzemer
Directed by Reiner Holzemer, Martin Margiela: In His Own Words is a portrait of the reclusive designer often called the “Banksy of Fashion.” Instead of showing his face, the film lets us hear his voice and watch his hands quietly revealing artifacts, mementos, and sketches that shaped his career. You hear Margiela narrate his own story, his childhood, his inspirations, his rise in the fashion world—all while the camera captures his hands sketching, flipping through archives, or gently handling garments that changed fashion history.
The film includes testimonials from luminaries like Jean‑Paul Gaultier and fashion critics who call Margiela “the last revolution in fashion.” The film carefully pieces together his legacy from his conceptual deconstruction to his deliberate anonymity. Holzemer respects the designer’s boundary while inviting us into his creative world, perfectly capturing the tension between visionary artistry and the pressures of fame.
Since debuting at the Doc NYC festival, this fashion movie has had a steady buzz with glowing attention from outlets like Time, The Guardian, and Vogue, which hailed it for maintaining the mystery while being deeply revealing.
Step Inside the Fashion Industry with These Films on UVOtv
Whether you’re curious about the fashion world, costume design, fashion history, or just in the mood for something visually stunning, these titles are all streaming now. Explore the full collection of fashion movies on UVOtv for a fresh perspective on one of the most innovative industries.
