The Icon: Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face

There's no better excuse than a trip to Paris to figure out a new wardrobe.

When you find yourself stuck in a rut of isolation and a drab existence, sometimes you need to step outside of your comfort zone and pursue whatever random opportunity presents itself, no matter how frightening it may be. 

Take Jo (Audrey Hepburn), for instance. She worked at a dark little bookstore in New York when, by a twist of fate, the editor and photographer for a women's fashion magazine decided to conduct an impromptu photoshoot there. What ensued was a job offer in Paris to model for the magazine and a well-known fashion designer. Could life have gotten any better for Jo?

Though Funny Face (1957) may be somewhat flawed in the sense that at the heart of the film is a love story between Audrey and Fred Astaire - yawn - it is still nonetheless a musical about fashion, set in Paris.

Costume design legend, Edith Head, also provided some iconic looks in All About Eve (1950), Roman Holiday (1953), Rear Window (1954) and Vertigo (1958), not to mention that she shared the work on this film with none other than the great Hubert de Givenchy.

Iconic is an understatement.

The Icon: Yves Saint Laurent

No film is as fashionable as a film about fashion.

When creating a Bildungsroman-esque film about an iconic French fashion designer, it is safe to assume that there will be a fair share of risk involved. But when you have said fashion designer's business partner's / long-term companion's approval, you may rest assured that you have a hit.

Yves Saint Laurent chronicles the designer's life and career, from when he first became head designer at Christian Dior at the youthful age of 21, how he created his own brand as a result of being fired, how he came to struggle with drug-abuse whilst partying with the likes of Andy Warhol, as well as the pressure and anxiety that came with being one of the world's most influential designers. 

Oh yes, and most importantly, at the heart of the film is the tempestuous and, at times, heartbreaking love story between Yves (played by Pierre Niney) and Pierre Bergé (Guillaume Gallienne) that lasted until the designer's death in 2008.

In fact, it was Bergé's assistance that made this film as true-to-life as possible; he loaned 77 vintage YSL outfits to the production, many of which were iconic signature looks of the designer's. This is perhaps one of the best aspects of the film, as it works as a historical exhibition-like feature, providing a context and setting for his creations. 

If you're obsessed with the fashion industry, you will also be delighted to catch several glimpses of the one-and-only Karl Lagerfeld (Nikolai Kinski) in his youth, and Yves's early model/muse Victoire Doutreleau (Charlotte Le Bon), as well as his later muse Loulou de la Falaise (Laura Smet). 

It will be interesting to see how Saint Laurent, another French biopic that will be released later this year, will fair compared to this gem. It will star Gaspard Ulliel (young Hannibal Lecter from Hannibal Rising (2007), hmm...) as Yves, Jérémie Renier as Bergé, and It-Girl of the moment Léa Seydoux as Loulou.

It may be rather scandalous, seeing as real-life Bergé did not support that project.

Love Fest: Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge!

When a lady finds herself newly in love, diamonds are a girl's best friend...

as are long gloves, red dresses and glamour.

Let's face it: writer/director Baz Luhrmann generally just falls short of spectacular (the exception being this film). The Great Gatsby (2013) was alright, but who was that mainly thanks to? Leonardo DiCaprio and Catherine Martin. Though Leo provided a lot of the beautiful visuals in the film, Catherine Martin was the main person in charge of creating the stunning aesthetics for the film. Why? Because she was the costume designer. 

Just like she was more than a decade earlier for Moulin Rouge! (2001).

As with Carey Mulligan, Martin took a beautiful actress (Nicole Kidman) portraying a damaged woman in love and gave her an iconic look. 

Although completely different to Daisy Buchanan's character, Satine's look is just as powerful and perhaps even more inspiring. Sure, she's a courtesan (isn't that just a fancy word for a prostitute?), but she's mainly a performer (kind of like a really fancy stripper). But hookers can be quite stylish sometimes. 

Leaving aside the prostitute/stripper aspect, Satine's wardrobe is impeccable. Her headpieces alone beat Daisy's. Not to mention that she is in Paris at the end of the nineteenth-century, performing at a cabaret.

What we can all learn from Satine is that when you fall in love, you should definitely show it; embrace the sparkle and sensuality that you feel and bring it out through style. 

In short, love equals sequins and luxurious dresses.