The story of John Galliano’s life would be an epic costume drama like no other—an extended flashback sequence of his couture collections for Givenchy (1995-96) and Dior (1996-present) would be enough to sustain the dramatic arc of his biopic, with themes ranging from his obsession with the French Revolution to the controversial “homeless chic” collection, when he was inspired while jogging by the look of homeless people living along the Seine. The Gibraltar-born designer, who graduated with distinction from St. Martin’s School of Art in London, could be played by Johnny Depp, no stranger to the portrayal of eccentrics in the kind of romantic period dress Galliano himself favors, from 17th century poet John Wilmot in The Libertine to Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean.
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Maya Rudolph’s hilarious impression of Donatella Versace as designer diva on Saturday Night Live may be an exaggeration, but it’s a good fit nonetheless for Versace’s over-the-top designs. But Rudolph’s more serious role in Sam Mendes’ Away We Go suggests that she’d be equally adept at depicting Versace’s often tragic personal life, from the murder of her brother Gianni, to her battle with drug addiction, to daughter Allegra’s struggle with anorexia.
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Marc Jacobs rose through the ranks of the American fashion system by knowing exactly what smart, creative women want to wear before they even know they want to wear it. The Marc Jacobs story, Hollywood-version, might be the tale of grunge geek-turned-bankable Adonis. Good-bye glasses, hello tanned skin the color of a glazed ham. Who better to channel this transformation than Keanu Reeves doing Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure meets The Matrix?
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What Chanel did for the mobility of women by eliminating the corset and replacing it with a loose-fitting, boxier silhouette, Diane von Furstenberg likewise did for the jet-setter, another woman on the move, with her famous wrap dress. Catherine Zeta Jones is the kind of actress whose wild tresses can shake a film frame with the force of a tornado, which is like the weather equivalent of a wrap dress.
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Curly hair, dark, brooding brow and infectious smile—check, check, and check. If being cast in the starring role of a biopic is based on resemblance alone, then Adrian Grenier would be the perfect choice to play designer Zac Posen. Plus, a native of New York City, like Posen, he’s well-versed in what it’s like to grow up as a creative kid in the city.
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Donna Karan simplified the wardrobes of working women by breaking it down into “seven easy pieces.” These days, her collections take that same practicality and merge it with sensuality. Her ideal customer, then, is the evolved careerist who takes time out for her mental and physical well-being. In other words, herself—or, someone like Jennifer Aniston, who could play that character with ease.
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How many actors can claim family ties to the fashion industry? French actor Gaspard Ulliel ( A Very Long Engagement; Paris, je t’aime) can—his mother was a runway show producer and his father, a stylist. He has the sensitive look of the shy Yves Saint Laurent when he was first starting out—just add YSL’s signature black frame glasses and voila!
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The late Stephen Sprouse made punk pretty with Day-Glo graffiti, safety pin couture and Warhol-inspired prints, shaking up the wardrobes of those uptown fashionistas who dared to dip into the downtown sensibility. Jared Leto offers the same kind of dualism, like the rebel boyfriend pretty enough to bring home to your parents, but bad boy enough to make the affair thrilling.
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Watching Isaac Mizrahi on-screen, whether in the documentary Unzipped, on his short-lived talk show Isaac or as the sharp-tongued critic on Bravo’s The Fashion Show, and you see a character who is up and down with the whiplash-inducing ferocity of a questionably safe rollercoaster. One minute he’ll charm you, the next minute he seems capable of biting your head off. If Joaquin Phoenix could do Johnny Cash, then he should have first dibs on Isaac Mizrahi: The Movie.
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