The ’90s Docuseries The Look Was Like David Attenborough, But in a Different Jungle and With Deadlier Wildlife

The Look, which aired in 1992 and was produced by Jeremy and Gina Newson, the former of which narrated the show, captured fashion’s shift from a relatively insular business to the world-spanning industry that we know today. The series features some of fashion’s biggest names of the time, from Issey Miyake and Ralph Lauren to Jean Paul Gaultier and Valentino, plus key PRs and top editors (including WWD’s John Fairchild and Vanity Fair’s Bob Colacello). The six episodes address different facets of the industry, from fashion shows and fragrance launches to the power of the press (hello!). A close-up view into the world of Yves Saint Laurent capped it all off with a brilliant finale. But my personal favorite by far is the first episode: “Runway.” A complete breakdown of the role of the runway show in the success of a brand, it accurately dissects the parts played by the press, publicists, photographers, models, and other backstage types. No one was safe here. It’s basically David Attenbrough, but in a different jungle and with arguably deadlier wildlife. 

“Unlike traditional rituals, which reaffirm or celebrate life’s certainties, the rites of fashion celebrate change,” Newson says in the voiceover. “From one season to the next, nothing must remain the same.” That’s true enough, but the difference these days is that the trend cycle mutates at the speed of TikTok, and when fashion explores change it does so within the boundaries of branding. Labels now stick to their aesthetics—think of, say, the last three Miu Miu shows, or Celine since Hedi Slimane took over in 2018. The idea now is to build brands into adjectives. “That’s just so Bottega,” “it’s giving Phoebe [Philo],” “the Hedi jumped out,” are only some of the ways my friends and I superficially discuss fashion today.

Newson continues: “This imperative of change, of uncertainty, obsolescence, and yearning, is the life blood of a vast industry at the heart of western culture. Mixing desire and dollars, myth and money, the dreamworld of capitalism and its economy. But change doesn’t come cheap,” he cautions, before breaking down the total cost of a runway show (around $200,000 spread across the venue, models, and backstage support, etc., though the price tag has increased significantly by now ). Through the pandemic, we’ve seen designers question the need for runway shows, but many, if not most, have returned to the tried-and-true format. Why? The Look puts it plainly: the value of the moment is incomparable. A viral image (hello, Bella Hadid at Coperni) and a celebrity cameo (Cher at Balmain, anyone?) can help sell the basics. “The $10,000 frocks help send $10 hair dye and lipstick sales rocketing,” Newson quips. 

The Look calls PRs the “first line of defense,” accurately implying they are the ultimate gatekeepers, as they quite literally hold the gates open or closed. In a montage, we see them doing the “PR double peck,” gleefully greeting VIP guests and editors (this much has not changed). Valentino’s Carlos Souza discusses seating: “Newspapers, it depends on what they wrote last season, if they did a good article and something very special then we try to put them on the first row. For a bad article? Third row [he laughs].”