Cinema has long been a mirror for fashion and design. The most stylish films don’t just tell stories—they set moods, inspire wardrobes, and capture eras in a single frame. In this fifth installment, we spotlight five more films where style defines the atmosphere as much as plot or dialogue.
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) – Elia Kazan
Marlon Brando’s white T-shirt became one of the most famous garments in cinema history, turning working-class casual wear into an emblem of masculinity. Vivien Leigh’s faded Southern gowns, against the humid backdrop of New Orleans apartments, made fragility and desire visible through fabric and setting.
Belle de Jour (1967) – Luis Buñuel
Catherine Deneuve, in Yves Saint Laurent’s costumes, embodied an icy, impeccable elegance. Simple trench coats, black dresses, and perfect tailoring gave the surreal narrative its grounding, transforming a bourgeois housewife into a fashion icon. The collaboration between Deneuve and Saint Laurent remains legendary.
Mahogany (1975) – Berry Gordy
Diana Ross stars as a fashion designer whose wardrobe is as spectacular as her storyline. The film is a parade of 1970s glamour—sequined gowns, bold colours, extravagant accessories—shot like a moving fashion editorial. Ross herself designed many of the costumes, cementing the film’s status as a cult style object.
Dangerous Liaisons (1988) – Stephen Frears
Costume designer James Acheson won an Oscar for this sumptuous recreation of 18th-century France. Glenn Close and John Malkovich are dressed in embroidered silks and lace so intricate they convey seduction before a word is spoken. The film’s mix of opulence and cruelty made aristocratic fashion feel both dazzling and dangerous.
The Great Beauty (2013) – Paolo Sorrentino
A tour de force of Roman style. Toni Servillo’s impeccable white suits, paired with the film’s languid parties, rooftop terraces, and baroque interiors, create a world where decadence becomes sublime. Every scene is composed like a fashion spread—Rome itself as the ultimate accessory.
Style That Endures on Screen
From Brando’s T-shirt to Deneuve’s Saint Laurent, from Ross’s gowns to Sorrentino’s Roman elegance, these films prove that style in cinema is more than surface. It is identity, memory, and atmosphere—a language of its own that makes certain films unforgettable.
My World of Interiors 