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The Great Fashion Designers: From Chanel to McQueen, the names that made fashion history
Over the last 180 years designers have propelled fashion from an elite craft into a cornerstone of popular culture. This brilliantly written guide to the lives and collections of 55 iconic fashion designers draws on the latest academic research and the best of fashion journalism, including the authors' own interviews with designers. Beginning with 19th century couturier Charles Frederick Worth and concluding with the star names of the 2010s, Polan and Tredre detail each designer's working methods and career highlights to capture the spirit of their times.
This beautifully illustrated revised edition features five new designer Hedi Slimane, Raf Simons, Phoebe Philo, Alessandro Michele and Demna Gvasalia. It's also been updated throughout to reflect a fashion world in constant ferment, with designers swapping jobs and fashion houses at unprecedented speed. The industry has expanded into a global phenomenon - and designers have emerged as true celebrities; The Great Fashion Designers explores their passion and flair to show us fashion at its most inspirational.
This beautifully illustrated revised edition features five new designer Hedi Slimane, Raf Simons, Phoebe Philo, Alessandro Michele and Demna Gvasalia. It's also been updated throughout to reflect a fashion world in constant ferment, with designers swapping jobs and fashion houses at unprecedented speed. The industry has expanded into a global phenomenon - and designers have emerged as true celebrities; The Great Fashion Designers explores their passion and flair to show us fashion at its most inspirational.
396 pages, Paperback
First published January 10, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 20, 2012
"The Great Fashion Designers" is a comprehensive compendium of the fashion world's greatest. Written as a factual account it places the world of fashion in an objective view, unstylised yet meticulous in description. A great book if you need to research the threads of fashion or just looking to be more informed.
May 18, 2021
TL:DR the whole of it. Got bored.
If you are a fashion design student and want bios of designers and text about what they did that was different, this might work for you.
If you want photos showing techniques / design elements you will be disappointed (like me). There are few photos and many of the ones that are reproduced are stock standard - Dior's 'New Look', Chanel looking over her shoulder with the strings of pearls, even Rei Kawakubo's red gingham distorted tube dress. Yawn, seen them all before many times.
And sustainability in fashion design is apparently not important... because, art. Or something.
If you are a fashion design student and want bios of designers and text about what they did that was different, this might work for you.
If you want photos showing techniques / design elements you will be disappointed (like me). There are few photos and many of the ones that are reproduced are stock standard - Dior's 'New Look', Chanel looking over her shoulder with the strings of pearls, even Rei Kawakubo's red gingham distorted tube dress. Yawn, seen them all before many times.
And sustainability in fashion design is apparently not important... because, art. Or something.
August 9, 2023
I only read parts of this for my history of fashion course, but it provides short yet very informative chapters on each of the most influential fashion designers in history.
November 4, 2013
Great resource
Would get again from library
Would get again from library
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews