The fashion documentary is enjoying a moment, following the critical and commercial successes of R.J. Cutler's "The September Issue" and Matt Tyrnauer's "Valentino: The Last Emperor." "Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston," a look at the designer's rise and fall, screened on the closing night of the Tribeca Film Festival. The screening was followed by a panel of Halston's associates-Andre Leon Talley, designer Ralph Rucci, model Pat Cleveland and the film's director Whitney Sudler-Smith-discussing Halston's legacy, with Tyrnauer moderating.

Demand for the tickets, which were offered exclusively to American Express cardmembers, ran high and sold out quickly; some fashion industry sources told us of pleading phone calls scrounging for extra tickets in the week before the premiere. Attendees included Sarah Jessica Parker, currently a creative executive on the re-vamped Halston Heritage line, Mad Men's Bryan Batt, Marchesa's Georgina Chapman, and actress Melissa George.

In "Four Play," Christina Ricci's latest cinematic effort, the actress plays four sides of the same woman in downtown Manhattan. Her co-star: Donna Karan's Spring 2010 Eldridge bag, which has convertible straps so it can be carried in four different ways.

Released to blogs and to YouTube in December, the two-minute film has been viewed more than 100,000 times; it's now viewable only at the Donna Karan Web site. "You need all these different avenues to get your message out there," says Patti Cohen, Donna Karan's global communications executive.

With the release of R.J. Cutler's "The September Issue" on DVD, someone made the genius decision to pack in over 90 minutes worth of never-before-seen footage. The bonus footage actually exceeds the original film's length. Often, deleted scenes and bonus footage play like indulgent filler, but The September Issues's extras are as compelling and quirky as anything that made the film.

Last fashion week, American audiences were introduced to French documentarian Loic Prigent, who camped out with Karl Lagerfeld, Proenza Schouler and Jean Paul Gaultier in the hours leading up to their runway shows for his "The Day Before" series. But Prigent is as well-known in his native France for several seasons of "Habillées," a light-hearted but comprehensive look at the themes dominating each runway season. Prigent directs host Mademoiselle Agnés, a Frenchwoman of such charm that Karl Lagerfeld sweeps her up in his arms for an impromptu waltz.

As a German philosopher once noted, "In fashion, one day, you're in, and the next day, you're out." So it goes for reality fashion shows, which keep rehashing work from seasons past instead of coming up with fresh, forward-looking concepts. There are some indications that fans are beginning to lose interest. Lifetime's inaugural "Project Runway" season six finale garnered 4.2 million viewers (versus season five finale's 4.8 million viewers), while Bravo's "The Fashion Show" only mustered under a million viewers a week and has not been renewed.

For all of the fashion industry's glamour and refinement, it also has a grittier, less photogenic side that receives too little attention. In HBO's "Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags," which premieres tonight, documentary filmmaker Marc Levin mines the rich history of New York's garment industry, which once thrived as an employer to thousands and now withers as jobs migrate overseas. "Schmatta" is a Yiddish word that means "rag."

On "Project Runway," viewers often look forward to the nail-biting, pre-runway sequence in which amateur designers scramble to finish their outfits before sending their models onto the runway, sometimes literally sewing clothes on at the last possible minute.

In his four-part "The Day Before" series for the Sundance Channel, which premieres tomorrow night, fashion documentarian Loic Prigent reveals that real world luminaries such as Proenza Schouler's Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez aren't immune to such scrambles. The film shows the designers fussing with a collar two seconds before pushing a model onto the runway.

Tonight, TLC will air "Gown Crazy", a one-hour special starring "Project Runway" Season Three alumnus Johnathan Kayne Gillaspie (yes, that's spelled right). ProjRun fans will remember Gillaspie as the fast-talking Southern charmer with an unapologetic passion for pageant dresses.

"Gown Crazy" follows the designer at his sprawling Oklahoma home-studio as he juggles finishing dresses and talent costumes for Miss Oklahoma contestants while also planning a charity fashion show in his backyard. Although there are no snarky asides from a Michael Kors or a Nina Garcia, the show borrows some effective ProjRun techniques: there are multiple looming deadlines, an increasingly overworked and sleepless designer, quippy commentary to the camera and show-stopping gowns.

"The September Issue," a documentary on Anna Wintour and Vogue will premiere tomorrow night at the Sundance Festival. The film follows the Vogue editor and her team from January through August 2007 and focuses on the production of the September Vogue, which remains the largest magazine ever published. Director R.J. Cutler first approached Ms. Wintour at the end of 2005; yesterday, nearly three years after the first meeting, he was finishing the final sound mixing before the film's Friday premiere.