The Great Fashion Designers

Brenda Polan, Roger Tredre

• Publisher: Berg Publishers
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN:
  9781847882271
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780857851741
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Fashion Design
• Index: Social Sciences

Over the course of 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 with engaging essays that capture the spirit of their times.

This revised edition has hundreds of inspiring colour photos and features five new designer profiles: 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, showing us fashion at its most inspirational.

Table of contents

• CONTENTS
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• FOREWORD
• INTRODUCTION
• PART 1 Early Days
• Introduction
• 1 CHARLES FREDERICK WORTH (1825–1895)
• 2 CALLOT SOEURS (1895–1937)
• 3 JEANNE PAQUIN (1869–1936)
• 4 PAUL POIRET (1879–1944)
• 5 MARIANO FORTUNY (1871–1949)
• PART 2 1910s–1930s
• Introduction
• 6 JEANNE LANVIN (1867–1946)
• 7 GABRIELLE CHANEL (1883–1971)
• 8 JEAN PATOU (1880–1936)
• 9 MADELEINE VIONNET (1876–1975)
• 10 ELSA SCHIAPARELLI (1890–1973)
• 11 MAINBOCHER (1890–1976)
• 12 ADRIAN (1903–1959)
• 13 SALVATORE FERRAGAMO (1898–1960)
• 14 MADAME ALIX GRÈS (1903–1993)
• PART 3 1940s–1950s
• Introduction
• 15 CRISTOBAL BALENCIAGA (1895–1972)
• 16 CHRISTIAN DIOR (1905–1957)
• 17 CHARLES JAMES (1906–1978)
• 18 CLAIRE MCCARDELL (1905–1958)
• 19 HUBERT DE GIVENCHY (1927–)
• 20 PIERRE CARDIN (1922–)
• 21 MARY QUANT (1934–)
• 22 RUDI GERNREICH (1922–1985)
• PART 4 1960s–1970s
• Introduction
• 23 NORMAN NORELL (1900–1972)
• 24 YVES SAINT LAURENT (1936–2008)
• 25 ANDRÉ COURRÈGES (1923–)
• 26 VALENTINO (1932–)
• 27 KARL LAGERFELD (1938–)
• 28 HALSTON (1932–1990)
• 29 KENZO (1939–)
• 30 RALPH LAUREN (1939–)
• 31 ISSEY MIYAKE (1935–)
• 32 GEOFFREY BEENE (1927–2004)
• 33 CALVIN KLEIN (1942–)
• 34 GIORGIO ARMANI (1934–)
• PART 5 1980s
• Introduction
• 35 REI KAWAKUBO (1942–)
• 36 YOHJI YAMAMOTO (1943–)
• 37 VIVIENNE WESTWOOD (1941–)
• 38 PAUL SMITH (1946–)
• 39 AZZEDINE ALAIA (c. 1940–)
• 40 GIANNI VERSACE (1946–1997)
• 41 JEAN PAUL GAULTIER (1952–)
• 42 DOLCE & GABBANA (DOMENICO DOLCE 1958–, STEFANO GABBANA 1962–)
• 43 JOHN GALLIANO (1960–)
• 44 DONNA KARAN (1948–)
• PART 6 1990s–
• Introduction
• 45 MIUCCIA PRADA (1949–)
• 46 MARTIN MARGIELA (1959–)
• 47 MARC JACOBS (1963–)
• 48 TOM FORD (1962–)
• 49 ALEXANDER MCQUEEN (1969–)
• 50 NICOLAS GHESQUIÈRE (1971–)
• ILLUSTRATIONS
• BIBLIOGRAPHY