Dirty Films boards FASHIONOPOLIS directed by Reiner Holzemer and based on Dana Thomas's book

Acclaimed production company Dirty Films, founded by Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton, and Coco Francini, has come on board to produce FASHIONOPOLIS: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes. The documentary will be directed by Reiner Holzemer. The project is based on Dana Thomas’s definitive book of the same name praised by The New Yorker as “a glimpse into how consumerism, slowed to a less ferocious pace, might be reconciled with sustainability”.

The film moves across the global supply chain, from garment manufacturing and textile waste to responsible brands and secondhand platforms redefining how clothes are made and consumed. It features access to leading voices across the industry, from designers and policymakers to labor activists and innovators driving systemic change.

Blending Holzemer’s observational visual language and Thomas’s investigative reporting, FASHIONOPOLIS will show how bold changemakers are transforming the industry.

Also producing is Bronwyn Cosgrave (The Super Models, Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes For Lizards, Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story). Danielle Perissi (Anbessa, Every Last Child, Lights of Rome, He Named Me Malala) is attached as Executive Producer.

"At its heart, Fashionopolis is a film about possibility – about the belief that fashion can transform itself into a more responsible, more beautiful future. Throughout my career, I have been drawn to fashion for its artistry and creativity. With Fashionopolis, I want to shift my lens toward the changemakers reimagining fashion from within. My goal is not to point fingers, but to portray stories that inspire dialogue and spark hope."

– Reiner Holzemer

“We meet the designers, activists, and innovators working to change fashion from within—and reveal how everyday choices can help build a more just and sustainable industry.”

– Dana Thomas

ABOUT DIRTY FILMS

Dirty Films is an independent production company led by Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton and Coco Francini. The company partners with established and emerging creatives, championing an artist-first approach to storytelling. With a focus on innovation, collaboration and original voices, Dirty Films produces genre-spanning work for television and film that is personal, impactful, and unexpected, as well as the award-winning podcast Climate of Change, exploring climate action through a solutions-focused lens. Dirty Films also executive produced the 10 times Emmy-nominated Mrs. America, and Netflix’s Stateless, which received a record-breaking 18 AACTA nominations and was named one of the “10 greatest drama miniseries of all time” (Collider). Additional credits include Truth, Carol, Little Fish, Apples and The Turning. In addition, with USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Dirty Films created and executed the Proof of Concept accelerator program supporting women, trans and non-binary filmmakers.

ABOUT REINER HOLZEMER

Reiner Holzemer has been working as a documentary film director since 1983. The portraits of internationally renowned artists, especially from the fields of photography and fashion, are the focus of his work to date. His film Dries about fashion designer Dries Van Noten, and Martin Margiela: In His Own Words have been screened at film festivals worldwide and sold in more than 70 countries. In 2020, the Hollywood Reporter voted Reiner Holzemer's film about Martin Margiela the best fashion documentary of the decade. In 2025, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and AchtungFashion magazine ranked Reiner Holzemer 15th among the 50 most influential Germans in fashion. He has recently completed a new documentary exploring the cultural significance of the Leica camera and its lasting impact on visual history.

ABOUT DANA THOMAS

Dana Thomas is the bestselling author of Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes. She is a longtime contributor to the New York Times and the host of The Green Dream, an award-winning sustainability podcast. She wrote the screenplay for Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams, a feature documentary directed by Luca Guadagnino, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2020. Her book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster was adapted for the docuseries, Kingdom of Dreams. She is a fellow for the King’s Foundation, King Charles III’s sustainability center in Scotland.