For this „influencers“ post, I have picked out someone who likes to stay in the background as a keen observer of the fashion world, movie director Loïc Prigent. His documentaries are a great source of inspiration and an authentic presentation of all parties involved in today’s fashion business. Even though he has worked with the industry for many years building lasting relationships with some of the greatest designers of our time, he manages to present the fashion world with all its beauties and sometimes questionable aspects as well.

This has earned him a reputation for producing some of the best fashion documentaries which give the viewer insights into the process of producing a fashion show and all the stress that comes along with it. I love how he is able to keep the focus on the eccentric designers and the crafty “petits-mains” in their ateliers at the same time. The play with this contrast creates some very amusing scenarios that are somewhat of a theme in all of his movies.

It’s quite interesting to see how his charming attitude and honest questions give him more and more access during the course of his filming process. While many of the employees and designers seem a little irritated by the camera at first, Prigent is able to make them feel more comfortable and at ease. Instead of being excluded, he becomes part of the fashion family. This has been the key to some amazing interviews with rather shy designers like Marc Jacobs, Nathalie Rykiel or Silvia Fendi and particularly with the petit-mains who work day and night to make it happen.

His oeuvre is a treasure to everyone with an interest for fashion that exceeds simple trends and what you can see in magazines. His documentaries give you the chance to take a look at an industry that only functions because of the hard work by people who are committed to the beauty of crafting and promoting timeless pieces. The flashy and glamorous façade of a Fashion show only works because there are people in the background that work extremely hard, a fact that many people forget when they dismiss the industry.

With his cheeky narrating and editing he is able to capture the atmosphere, the pressure and the teamwork that is necessary to execute these shows and collections at least 3 times a year! I love the fact that his delicate filmmaking is able to fascinate different audiences from fashionistas to people who have no idea of the fashion world! Because of this his movies have become a staple in my DVD collection and you should definitely start watching them as well.

As a roundup on his movies would be too long for this column, I will showcase some of best projects in another post very soon!