This month Miami hosts two major Film Festivals.  OUTshine is one of the largest LGBTQ+ cultural festivals in the world, which started back in 1998, whereas the Miami Film Festival started 4 years earlier and has grown into a premier international cultural event specializing in Ibero-American and independent cinema. This year, both Fests are screening new documentaries about major international fashion houses.

OUTshine has the US Premiere of ARMANI AND THE BIRTH OF ITALIAN FASHION from American filmmaker John Maggio. It includes Giorgio Armani’s first—and final—on-screen interview in which he reflects on a life that reshaped global fashion. Armani and the Birth of Italian Fashion traces the rise of Italy’s style empires through the legendary families who defined an era, from Armani and Versace to Gucci, Valentino, Prada, and beyond. Set within Milan’s most exclusive fashion sanctuaries, the film explores creative rivalries, personal stories, and the enduring romance between Hollywood and Italian design. Featuring rare insights from fashion icons, actors, and cultural tastemakers, this star-studded documentary is an intimate portrait of ambition, elegance, and the making of modern luxury.

https://outshinefilm.com/films/info/

Meanwhile, Miami Film Festival is screening AKRIS – FASHION WITH A HERITAGE, the story of the legendary AKRIS Swiss Fashion House, which is celebrating its 100th Anniversary, but is still relatively unknown to non-fashion insiders.  It’s the first time that Akris has granted exclusive access to a documentary film, and it tells the story of three generations of the Swiss Kriemler family, who, as owners and designers of Akris, run one of the last independent fashion houses in the industry. 

Director Reiner Holzemer accompanies Albert Kriemler and his brother Peter Kriemler, CEO and President of Akris. Albert sustains an ongoing dialogue with the worlds of art and architecture, the film explores his creative collaborations with artists and architects such as Imi Knoebel, Anton Corbijn, Thomas Ruff, Sou Fujimoto, as well as his long-standing partnership with renowned ballet director John Neumeier.

The film captures the intensity of show preparations in Paris, journeys to New York and Washington, as well as a museum exhibition in Zurich. Rare behind-the-scenes moments include fabric sourcing, a fitting with H.S.H. Princess Charlène of Monaco, and an exchange with architect Sir David Chipperfield about his work for Akris.

https://miamifilmfestival.com/program/event/akris-fashion-with-a-heritage/