The Great Fashion Designers

by Brenda Polan, Roger Tredre

From Charles Frederick Worth to Nicolas Ghesquière, designers have propelled fashion from an elite craft into a cornerstone of contemporary popular culture. This brilliantly written analysis of the achievements of the 50 greatest names in international fashion explores their lives, both personal and professional, drawing on the latest academic research and on the best of fashion journalism, including the authors' own interviews with designers spanning a 30-year period.The designers' working methods and career highlights are outlined in detailed and wittily written entries that capture the spirit of their times. From Poiret and Patou to Gernreich and Galliano, the sometimes provocative selection of 50 names poses stimulating questions about the definition of a fashion designer in the modern era. A ground-breaking book, this is a definitive introduction to fashion designers that is essential reading for both students and general readers alike.

Genres: Fashion, History, Design, Art, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2009

Reviews

[BeyondDL · Rating 4 out of 5]

"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.

[Irene Adler · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Dani Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Janie Zekkou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource
Would get again from library