Battle of the Fashion Documentaries
A Walk-Off
Two beguiling new documentaries focus on fashion designers Valentino and Jay McCarroll—one a legend in the twilight of his career, the other just beginning his.
Valentino Garavani in Valentino: The Last Emperor, and Jay McCarroll in Eleven Minutes.
Claim to Fame
Valentino: The last of the great couturiers.
Jay McCarroll: The first of the Project Runway winners.
Persona in a Nutshell
Valentino: Catty, camera-shy.
Jay McCarroll: Catty, camera-hogging.
Muses
Valentino: Leading ladies Lana Turner, Hedy Lamarr, and Judy Garland.
Jay McCarroll: Archigram, a futurist architectural movement in 1960s London.
Raison d'Être
Valentino: "I know what women want. They want to be beautiful."
Jay McCarroll: To design for "Everygirl" but also for "No-girl, because who would want to wear some of this stuff?"
Signature Style
Valentino: The epitome of red carpet glamour.
Jay McCarroll: The Jetsons go to Urban Outfitters.
Armchair Fashionistas Will Enjoy...
Valentino: A funny, poignant tribute to a one-of-a-kind icon taking his final runway bow.
Jay McCarroll: The voyeuristic thrill of watching a brash novice scrape together his debut collection (and burn some bridges while he's at it).
Money Quote
Valentino: "An evening gown that reveals a woman's ankles while she's walking is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen."
Jay McCarroll: "I don't need to be treated like I don't know what I'm doing, even though I don't know what I'm doing."
Photo: Valentino: Acolyte Films; McCarroll: Regent Releases