AUGUST GETTY: From Couture to Camera—A New Chapter Begins
By Aleksandar TOMOVIC
August Getty doesn’t simply enter a room—he arrives, radiating a presence that blends old-school glamour, raw honesty, and visionary ambition. Known for creating some of fashion’s boldest moments in recent years, Getty now stands on the brink of a reinvention that feels less like a shift and more like fate.
“I consider myself an artist first—before designer, before anything else,” he says with calm conviction. “It’s important for any artist to not only challenge societal norms but also to push past your own limits, to refine every instrument you have to tell your story. Being an artist is who I am. It’s in my DNA.”
The world first met August as fashion’s audacious prodigy, designing gowns that made red carpets roar. Now, at 30, he’s turning toward film—not just stepping away from fashion, but evolving beyond it. “Fashion was like a painting I finished,” he reflects. “Now, it’s time for a new canvas.”
That new canvas is Queen of Fashion, a biopic about the late, iconic Isabella Blow. Written and directed by Alex Marx, the film found Getty almost by chance. “I met Alex at a mental health panel in London seven years ago. It’s ironic because I shouldn’t have been on any panel back then, let alone on one about mental health. Alex was the moderator and we bonded over our mutual love for Izzy Blow.”
Last year, Marx reached out: “He said, ‘I want you to help with the clothes.’ I told him, ‘I’m retired, but I’ll get you coffee!’” Getty laughs. “One thing led to another… and now I’m producing the film.”
Isabella Blow, the visionary British fashion editor who championed Alexander McQueen, feels like a kindred spirit to Getty—both fearless disruptors, both drawn to fashion as identity and art. “She’s someone I deeply connect with,” he says.
But this film is more than a creative shift—it’s a symbol of survival. Getty is candid about his sobriety, a journey that redefined his life. “Everything changed. I finally know who I am. As an artist, it’s easy to run from yourself. But you can be sober, happy, and still create beautiful things.”
This version of August Getty is reflective, but not slowed. “There used to be constant inner turmoil,” he admits. “Now, I’ve learned to be still—at least as still as I can be.”
Stillness hasn’t stopped his momentum. Getty is deep in pre-production in London, collaborating with legendary costume designers like Lindy Hemming and Nat Turner, and curating iconic looks from Daphne Guinness’s archives. “These were the clothes that inspired me as a kid. That’s the most exciting part.”
While he hints at a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo, it’s producing that energizes him. “If you want to be in a movie, learn to produce it. Solve problems before they happen. Producing is the smartest way to bring your passion to life.”
Fashion still plays a role. “I used to design by envisioning a movie in my head. I’d dress the woman in that movie. So this move to film—it feels natural.”
There’s a sense of full-circle closure in everything Getty touches now. Recently, he’s been returning his iconic gowns to the women who wore them at pivotal moments—like Rachel McAdams and Laverne Cox. “It’s been a beautiful full-circle moment,” he says. “Giving the garments back to their rightful owners.”
Through it all, his creative philosophy remains the same. “You create because you have to. Because it’s your purpose. You die if you can’t create.” He points to a tattoo inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke: “In the darkest hour of the night, you must confess to yourself that you would die if forbidden to write.” For Getty, it applies to any medium—fabric, film, or feeling.
What grounds him is his support system. “I’ve got a really good mom,” he says, smiling. “Since I was a kid, she’s always told me, ‘You’re not done yet. Keep working,’ or ‘That’s perfect, August.’”
And then there’s the art that raised him—Bowie, Gaga, Brando, Marilyn, Gene Kelly films. “I watch them all the time. I listen to a lot of Prince. I’m just inspired by art.”
Despite joking about back pain and bad knees, there’s nothing tired about him. “Pressure makes diamonds,” he shrugs. “I work well under pressure.”
As for what’s next? “My brain looks like a spider web,” he grins. “There are constant projects on the horizon. Some projects don’t get done—but it’s like leaving a song off an album. They weren’t meant to be on it.”
August Getty proves that reinvention isn’t indulgence—it’s survival. From sketchbook to screenplay, red carpet to rough cut, he reminds us how to live—artistically, audaciously, and above all, authentically.
“I guess you could say,” he smiles, “I’m exactly who I say I am.”
Photography Shaun Vadella @vadellaphoto / Special Fx James Michael Perez @jamesmichaelartistry
“Queen of Fashion” begins filming in London this year. Stay tuned for updates on this extraordinary new chapter from one of fashion’s most compelling voices.
VULKAN’s PRISM Issue featuring August Getty is now available in Print on Demand.
