The Day Before

Sonia Rykiel, the flame-haired Parisian known for her chic, playful knitwear, marks her house’s 40th anniversary with a spectacular runway show in Paris in October. Directed by Loic Prigent and presented by Sundance Channel.

Versace shows are always sexy extravaganzas, and its Milan show is no exception. The self-described “drama queen” Donatella Versace gives unprecedented access to her creative process and the house of Versace itself. From the intricate planning for the show at Versace Teatro to a pilgrimage to the home of her late brother Gianni Versace, we step into the life of the greatest fashion diva alive.

Nina Ricci, a classic French house of fashion, has hired Peter Copping to revamp and build on its DNA of flowers, flowers, flowers. At the fall show in Paris, Copping’s first major show in front of hundreds of journalists and buyers, wrinkles in the carpet, 1000 prickly fresh roses and shoes that don’t fit threaten to spoil his spectacular winter garden presentation.

World-famous for his Caroline Bessette-Kennedy wedding gown and Michelle Obama election day dress, Narciso Rodriguez’s designs are sleek, sculptural beauties. His dedication to exquisite tailoring means that his heads of atelier have to work each inch of the master’s vision as they prepare for his New York show. As Rodriguez leaves his studio for the show venue, two key dresses are not yet ready and his team is in full-on panic mode.

26-year-old Alexander Wang’s meteoric rise in the fashion world is all the more amazing because he has been able to synchronize critical and commercial success. As Wang prepares for his New York show - the first ever to be broadcast in Times Square - he experiences the drama of preparing a collection that reflects his edgy downtown sensibility, over-laced with the tension of managing a rapidly expanding new team.

Jeremy Scott’s ultra-visual and pop-with-a-cause collections are sold worldwide at the hippest stores, his designs have been worn by Madonna and Miss Piggy, and he has collaborated with Longchamp and Adidas, but his label is still a personal struggle. For Scott’s Fall collection to be shown in New York, his small, very dedicated team works around the clock, by hand, to achieve the vision of arguably America’s most subversive fashion designer.