Mode!

Icons of Fashion presents an overview of the development of our "second skins," from women's liberation from the corset, through the thrift and glamour of pre- and postwar fashions, to the "anything goes" principle of the 1990s. The icons of haute couture-pioneering trends, influential fashion designers, revolutionary garments and accessories - are introduced on graphically stunning, double-page layouts. This book is an invitation to discover and revisit the highlights of the history of twentieth-century fashion. The undiminished importance of such great European and American couturiers as Madeleine Vionnet, Christian Dior, Salvatore Ferragamo, Cristobal Balenciaga, Claire McCardell, and Charles James, as well as the continued topicality of "perfect" clothes and fashion trends from New Look to Grunge, reveal the power of fashion to capture the ideas of a specific historical moment in clothing. Entertaining and insightful texts by twenty-seven internationally renowned fashion journalists and experts in the field of costume and fashion history are paired with exquisite photographs by famous photographers such as Peter Lindbergh, Nick Knight, Mario Testino, and Hans Feurer, bringing the history of fashion to life. The biographies of seventy-five designers, a detailed bibliography, and an index make this an important reference work. A roll call of the fashion world, Icons of Fashion sets an exciting and inspirational stage from which to view the history, art, and culture-the zeitgeist-of this century.