I'm not a huge fan of musicals, however I love Cecil Beaton, and his costume and set designs for the "Ascot Gavotte" scene from My Fair Lady are simply stunning. Even though his designs date from the 60's, the combination of black, white and gray patterns still feels glamorous and fresh.
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I saw Valentino: The Last Emperor last week and I can honestly say it's the best thing I've seen in a long time. The documentary chronicles the two years leading up to Valentino's retirement and features so many beautiful clothes, people, and homes it will make you giddy. The film ends with Valentino's three-day 45th anniversary celebration in Rome and seeing all the work that went into producing the spectacle is awe inspiring - this man (and all the creative people who work for him) certainly knows how to throw a party!
Helvetica is a must-see for anyone interested in the history of typography and graphic design. The film chronicles the use of the typeface Helvetica throughout the last 5o years and includes interviews with some superstar type and graphic designers where they discuss their creative process and talk about how the aesthetics of a particular typeface can evoke different emotions/actions depending on the context in which it is employed. PBS has built a great companion website which has more interesting tid-bits about the history of Helvetica and you can even take the What font are you? Quiz. Apparently, I am Times New Roman.
