Vogue: The Gown

by Jo Ellison

A beautiful celebration of haute couture dresses from the early 20th century to today. The Gown is a fabulous collection of more than 300 images grouped into five thematic Classical, Fantasy, Drama, Decorative and Modernist. More than a collection of photographs of dresses, the book is a curated exploration of the art of fashion how, inspired by literature, art and current trends, elaborate and detailed fantasies are created in which the model and her gown become the focus. Succinct captions place each photo in context, listing the photographer, the model, the designer, and how the image fit into or created design trends. Many of the fashion superstars of the modeling and acting world are Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Twiggy, Kim Basinger, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Christy Turlington, Sienna Miller, Jerry Hall, Cate Blanchett, Marlene Dietrich, Bianca Jagger, Claudia Schiffer, Joan Collins, Jennifer Lawrence, Cindy Crawford and Vivien Leigh. The world's greatest fashion houses are featured, including Versace, Givenchy, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Roberto Cavalli, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Pierre Cardin, Christian Louboutin, Dior, Dolce and Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermes, Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren, Karl Lagerfeld, Valentino, Giorgio Armani, Oscar de la Renta, Jean Paul Gaultier, Stella McCartney, Christian Lacroix, Vivienne Westwood, Prada and Isaac Mizrahi. The book is both an evocative celebration of almost a century of fashion history and a stunning collection from the very best fashion photographers, including Tim Walker, Mario Testino, Helmut Newton, Nick Knight, David Bailey, Herb Ritts, Norman Parkinson, Corinne Day, Cecil Beaton and Horst. Presented in a luxurious foil-stamped cloth cover, The Gown is a mesmerizing exhibition of the best and most iconic images from the pages of the world's most fashionable magazines.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Photography, Coffee Table Books, Art, History

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 7, 2014

Reviews

[mol · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars, finished
other than all the typical complaints i have about the fashion/modelling industry (which basically start and end with almost all the models being skinny white women), this was a pretty okay read! i wasn't like AMAZED by any of the designs, though there were a number of them that i found to be really beautiful, and it felt a little lacking in that department. as per usual i did not read any of the little blurbs so i can't speak for any of those, but i liked that the book was divided into sections. i thought my favorite section would be the fantasy one because i love a fairy gown like no one else but surprisingly the decorative section was my favorite !! the designs were the most unique out of all the sections, and they had an element of fun that set them apart from the other designs. idk this just felt okay, it's definitely not bad i just don't feel particularly strong about it

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

- Fashion, like the word suggests, is about trends. Change is the only constant, and the sweet spot is the timing: it's about knowing where things are going, and move there when the momentum is mature, and abandon it when the new momentum is mature

- Fashion comes in cycles, but not exactly: the old fashion never repeats itself - they merely rhymes

- Fashion often takes inspiration from the surrounding (history, background etc) - they never come from a vaccume

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

So many pretty photos but also shows how far we've yet to go when flipping through pages and pages of models who all are of a type.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!