Helen David's 37 Seasons

2025
1h 18m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

When Helen David first founded her fashion label, English Eccentrics, in the early 80s, she was living in a Brixton Squat and selling her designs from a market stall in Camden. By the mid-90... Read allWhen Helen David first founded her fashion label, English Eccentrics, in the early 80s, she was living in a Brixton Squat and selling her designs from a market stall in Camden. By the mid-90s, she was dressing stars like Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Prince, Helen Mirren and Helen... Read allWhen Helen David first founded her fashion label, English Eccentrics, in the early 80s, she was living in a Brixton Squat and selling her designs from a market stall in Camden. By the mid-90s, she was dressing stars like Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Prince, Helen Mirren and Helena Bonham-Carter. Then, at the turn of the millennium, during the height of her success, he... Read all

Director
- Oliver David

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

YOUR RATING

Director
- Oliver David

5User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win total

Photos

User reviews5

7.47

Featured reviews

10imdbfan-7900382708

Skillfully woven biography of a fashion icon

A very watchable insight into the rise and decline of the London fashion world over three decades through the career of one of its best-know designers.

This documentary story has parallels with Nick Willing's Paula Rego, Secrets and Stories. Both Nick and Oliver David have magnificently risen to the challenge of making film monographs of their celebrated mothers.

Oliver David has interwoven the sort of revelatory, personal dialogue only a child can have with their parent with still images and extraordinary footage of Helen's catwalk shows.

The result could have been mawkish and shallow, but it is not. It is touching and honest.

1carolyn-490

Creative story of fashion, family and business

A gentle, authentic and engaging story of a designer, showing the artistry,inspiration, joy and rewards of her creative journey and some of the struggles and hard work behind the business of fashion. Great fashion archive footage, photos and items.

There is a relaxed, conversational tone to much of the film as it is framed around a family connection. The documentary is made by Oliver, the son of the designer in question, Helen david; he remembers things from childhood and Helen looks back .. realises the impact of running a demanding business whilst bringing up young children, Particularly interesting for anyone who remembers the excitement of British fashion in the 80s and 90s, loads of snapshots of the design process behind fashion and textiles of the English Eccentrics label.

10imdbfan-9237878562

Splendidly Eccentric

A splendid movie showing a monograph of the life and achievements of the fashion designer, Helen David, the founder of the renowned fashion house, English Eccentrics, a fashion house that, together with Zandra Rhodes and Vivien Westwood, contributed to the vital style and mood of London from the 1970s onwards.

The name, 'English Eccentrics', of course, cleverly borrowed from the title of the celebrated book by Dame Edith Sitwell who notoriously penned a witty account of some of our uniquely English characters in history and of her time. Helen David took up the theme by creating designs that are always highly original and unexpectedly off-centre, 'eccentric'.

10imdbfan-9220501815

Creative force of nature

Oliver David's wonderfully intimate film shines a light on the extraordinary world of fashion and design as a cultural force through the lens of the highly influential Helen David, who should be more celebrated for her truly visionary work. I found myself completely absorbed into the world of fashion, a world of which I knew little, but now one I want to learn more about.

Helen is a true English Eccentric, driven by deep rooted themes and ideas, with a sense of creating work to develop a better society.

This is a highly personal, reflective and touching film which every art and fashion lover should see. The fashion and design worlds aren't easy ones to exist in, but Helen, through creative steelyness and with a sense of artistic free spirit continues to be a creative force, and a creative force for good.