This book is the first to explore handicrafting practiced by media fans, their online fan communities and the multiple meanings they create. Based on in-depth ethnographic research into fans on the online social network for knitters, crocheters and crafters, Ravelry, Brigid Cherry explores textile craft by fans as both an artistic practice and transformative fan work. Including case studies of projects inspired by Doctor Who, True Blood, Firefly, Harry Potter, Sherlock and steampunk, the book engages with many forms of fan production, including fan art, fan fiction and cosplay. Fans of popular films and TV shows are increasingly engaging with textile crafts as a way of reworking, reimagining and engaging with cult media texts. Proving a global phenomenon amongst fan cultures in the digital media sphere, traditional film and TV audiences are forging their fan identities and participating in wider fan communities in innovative ways through online craft forums and blogs that showcase their knitting, crochet, spinning and dyeing projects. Exploring key debates from textile and media theory, surrounding gender, domesticity, the culture industries, audiences and fan culture, this book is essential reading for students of textiles, media studies, fashion, cultural and gender studies.

Entering fashion history in 1993 with his notorious 'grunge' collection for Perry Ellis, Marc Jacobs would soon be hailed by American Vogue as 'the dauphin of grungy, understated cool'. He quickly rose to become one of the most influential designers of his generation, both at the helm of his own label and as creative director of Louis Vuitton from 1998 to 2014. Known for his collaborations with prominent artists, musicians and muses - from Stephen Sprouse to Sonic Youth, Debbie Harry, Sofia Coppola and Chloe Sevigny, Marc Jacobs 'changed what it means to be a fashion designer, just as once upon a time Andy Warhol changed what it meant to be an artist', according to fashion historian Valerie Steele. Opening with an essay on the designer's work, Marc Jacobs: Unseen unfolds chronologically, revisiting the designer's most iconic creations and revealing previously unseen behind-the-scenes moments of models, hairdressers, stylists, make-up artists and Marc Jacobs himself at their most creative. Robert Fairer's stunning and highenergy photographs capture the youth, glamour and spirit that defined Jacobs's shows.

This is the first in-depth, book-length study on fashion and Italian cinema from the silent film to the present. Italian cinema launched Italian fashion to the world. The book is the story of this launch. The creation of an Italian style and fashion as they are perceived today, especially by foreigners, was a product of the post World War II years. Before then, Parisian fashion had dominated Europe and the world. Just as fashion was part of Parisian and French national identity, the book explores the process of shaping and inventing an Italian style and fashion that ran parallel to, and at times took the lead in, the creation of an Italian national identity. In bringing to the fore these intersections, as well as emphasizing the importance of craft in cinema, fashion and costume design, the book aims to offer new visions of films by directors such as Nino Oxilia, Mario Camerini, Alessandro Blasetti, Federico Fellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, Luchino Visconti and Paolo Sorrentino, of film stars such as Lyda Borelli, Francesca Bertini, Pina Menichelli, Lucia Bose, Monica Vitti, Marcello Mastroianni, Toni Servillo and others, and the costume archives and designers who have been central to the development of Made in Italy and Italian style.

The first book to chart a visual history of women’s sportswear, and the key role that Nike has played in it over the last 50 years

This is a book about Nike sportswear and what it means to women. The garments women wear, and why they wear them. It’s about athletes, from the elite to the aspiring amateur, running marathons or running errands. It’s about the spaces we perform in, and the way we use clothing to do it: from the track and the fitness studio, to an online world and the street outside.

Look Good, Feel Good, Play Good visualizes the relationship between women and the garments they wear through five design archetypes from sporting history: warm-ups, jerseys, leggings, sport bras, and shorts. Steeped in narrative, history, and Nike’s abundant archive, the book’s rich imagery spans reproductions of Nike’s trade catalogues that date back to the early 1980s, period and contemporary photography, sketches, advertisements, fabric swatches, seasonal color palettes, original design proposals and patents, logos, product and campaign shots, and everything in between.

Each chapter features interviews with Nike athletes, trainers, and other collaborators, along with insightful texts from cultural commentators. Across more than 350 pages and 575 images, this unprecedented volume not only maps the development of women’s sports apparel but proves its potential, in whatever context, to make athletes who identify as women feel at their most powerful.

Featuring contributions from: Dina Asher-Smith, Scout Bassett, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Sue Bird, Deyna Castellanos, Chandra Cheeseborough, Anna Cockrell, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Kirsty Godso, Xochilt Hoover, Rayssa Leal, Tatyana Mcfadden, Naomi Osaka, Megan Rapinoe, Sha’Carri Richardson, Caster Semenya, and Dawn Staley.

Featuring essays by: Dal Chodha, the Editor-in-Chief of Archivist Addendum; Michelle Millar Fisher, the Wornick Curator of Contemporary Decorative Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Heather Radke, an essayist, journalist, and contributing editor, and reporter at Radiolab; Samantha N. Sheppard, an Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at Cornell University; and Natalie E. Wright, a historian of design and disability.

A fully illustrated biography of iconic American designer Ralph Lauren told through the lens of fashion From the author of Dressing the Man, the seminal tome on men's fashion, comes the illustrated biography of Ralph Lauren. Published in time for Lauren's 80th birthday on October 14, 2019, Alan Flusser's book looks at the life of the iconic American designer through the lens of fashion and cultural impact. This high-level, yet intimate, reflection on the life and work of Ralph Lauren shows how a preppy young boy from the Bronx created one of the most recognizable brands in American fashion.

Megan Hess: The Shoe is an illustrated love story about the most coveted accessory of any designer wardrobe, from internationally renowned fashion illustrator Megan Hess. A piece of fashion is so much more than an object. To the designer who creates it, the muse who inspires it or the fashion lover who lusts after it, that piece is part of a story. Nothing quite says style like an incredible pair of shoes. The red sole of a Louboutin, the jewelled buckle of a Manolo Blahnik, the simple perfection of a Chanel slingback, or the incredible finishes on a Jimmy Choo - these are the details that complete an outfit and define timeless elegance. Megan Hess: The Shoe is the latest in the Ultimate Fashion Wardrobe series, filled with fascinating information and stunning illustrations and packaged up in a beautiful hardback: the ideal accessory for any creative life.

'When times are hard, fantasy and escapism are crucial' Alexander McQueen Having grown up in London's East End, Alexander McQueen left school at 15 to become a tailor's apprentice on Mayfair's Savile Row. At 22, he joined the prestigious MA course at Central Saint Martins and, after presenting his 1992 graduate collection (bought on the spot by influential fashion stylist Isabella Blow), went on to change the course of fashion. McQueen was defiant in his opinions on creativity ('Give me time and I'll give you a revolution'), women ('I design clothes because I don't want women to look all innocent and naive ... I want people to be afraid of the women I dress') and craft ('You've got to know the rules to break them. That's what I'm here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition'). He drew much of his inspiration from the natural world ('I have always loved the mechanics of nature and to a greater or lesser extent my work is always informed by that') and consistently challenged perceptions of beauty ('People find my things sometimes aggressive. But I don't see it as aggressive. I see it as romantic, dealing with a dark side of personality'). This attractive book in an accessible format is the perfect gift for fans of fashion and Alexander McQueen, capturing the wit and spirit of a true visionary.

"A true collector's item..." - Tim Chan, Rolling Stone "Filled to the brim with everything from Harry's colour palettes to his inspiration, this pick combines high-fashion with all the quirkiness we love about HS and it's just perfect." - Glamour UK "Have the best-dressed coffee table by adorning it with this book filled with photos of THE best-dressed man." - Seventeen Magazine "I'm incredibly lucky to have an environment where I feel comfortable being myself" - Harry Styles. Stepping bravely into the cyclone of 21st-century fashions, Harry Styles is more than weathering the storm. Whether he's breaking the internet with his $7.99 frog-eyed yellow bucket hat or a pair of black fishnets, or fronting cult magazine The Beauty Papers, as he did in March 2021, Hazza's sparkle knows no boundaries. Gucci met Styles in 2014, and there was instant chemistry. According to designer Alessandro Michele, Harry is 'a young Greek God with the attitude of James Dean and a little bit of Mick Jagger' - and that effortless superstardom certainly radiates from the photos in this collection, which document the heart of Harry's wardrobe, both on-stage and off. Part fashion history lesson, pulling references from the rock and roll greats of the past, and part innovation, Harry's style pays homage to Kurt Cobain and Marc Bolan, Prince and Little Richard, while developing into something authentic and entirely his own. This chic book fizzles with facts about Harry's styling choices, presenting the star's most revered looks alongside pictures that trace the roots of each design. With quotes from key designers, this is the perfect gift for any fan.

Christian Dior: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Master is a stunning illustrated biography of legendary designer Christian Dior from internationally renowned fashion illustrator Megan Hess. Discover the key moments of Dior's fascinating life and iconic items from the fashion world that he created. Dior's love of flowers, creativity, femininity and good-luck charms were woven into everything he designed, and his New Look remains iconic to this day. Elegantly enclosed by a hardback cover and ribbon, Megan's beautiful illustrations follow Dior through three distinct chapters: the highs and lows of his early life, set against a backdrop of bohemian and wartime Paris; the couture house that he built into an empire in just ten years; and the incredible legacy he left behind for one of fashion's most influential brands. Christian Dior is a celebration of a man whose life was as remarkable as the clothes that he created, brought to life on the page by the expert hand of Megan Hess.

'Riello and McNeil's new collection of essays represents an immense and impressive project' - Choice 'Now, the key contributions from nearly every expert in the field are assembled in one fascinating book. This kaleidoscopic and informative volume ranges impressively across conventional boundaries of chronology, geography, and discipline.' - Glenn Adamson, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK 'This book is indispensable for anyone interested in fashion. History has never been more alive than in the pages of this Reader.' - Patrizia Calefato, University of Bari, Italy The Fashion History Reader is an innovative work that provides a broad introduction to the complex literature in the fields of fashion studies, and dress and fashion history. Twenty-three chapters and over forty shorter 'Snapshot' texts cover a wide range of topics and approaches within the history of fashion, ranging from object-based studies to theory-driven analyses. The book is divided into six parts, surveying some of the key themes in the history of fashion. Themes also move in and across time, providing a chronology to enable student learning: parts one to three cover the fifteenth to the eighteenth-century parts four and five cover the nineteenth-century to the contemporary (with particular attention given to non-European countries) part six provides a survey of the global setting and current globalized nature of fashion. A comprehensive introduction by the editors contextualizes debates for students, synthesising past history and bringing them up-to-date through a discussion of globalization. Each section also includes a short, accessible introduction by the editors, placing each chapter within the wider, thematic treatment of fashion and its history, and an 'Annotated Guide to Further Reading' encourages students to enhance their learning independently. The Fashion History Reader was awarded a prize for 'Best Edited Book' at the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand: Art Historians of Australasia, Annual General Meeting, December 2011.

Harness the power of your wardrobe to achieve your dreams with this timely take on personal style from a world-renowned fashion psychologist. You may get dressed every day without really thinking about what you're putting on, but did you know that what you wear has a powerful effect on how you feel? Or that your clothes influence the way others perceive you? By making a few adjustments to your wardrobe, and learning to style from the inside out, you'll not only elevate your look, but level up your entire life. Dawnn Karen is a pioneer in the field of fashion psychology, and she has spent years studying the relationship between attire and attitude. In Dress Your Best Life she goes far beyond well-known makeover advice, pushing you to ask yourself: Are my clothing choices hurting me or helping me to achieve my life goals? Her book will help you discover your unique style story, become a smarter shopper, use color to your advantage, match moods to clothing choices, and embrace new or different standards of beauty. This knowledge is a power that you'll exercise every time you open your closet door or walk into an important meeting in just the right outfit. Packed with practical tips and cutting-edge advice, Dress Your Best Life will teach you to harness the power of fashion for the life you want to live.

Is there a peculiarly English 'look' and if so how does one define it? From the 'traditional' dress of the Victorian rural working class through to the contemporary collections of Vivienne Westwood and a younger generation of London-based designers, notions of Englishness, either real or imagined, have always been at play in considerations of English fashion and clothing. This provocative book explores how far these fraught ideals can be applied to the dress of the past and present. English expressions of taste and creativity have had a profound influence on style over the last three centuries, and the pursuit and subversion of an English 'look' have shaped conceptions of fashionability from the pastoralism of the eighteenth-century through to the eras of Twiggy, Punk and beyond. But are these simply stereotypical characterizations that relate to an imagined 'Englishness', or is there some concrete basis for them? If the former, what has led to their development? If the latter, what definitions can be employed to unravel such complicated conceptions of national identity? What role has social decorum played in developing an 'English' style, and is this preoccupation with etiquette in fact unique to England ? With chapters authored by leading scholars in the fields of costume history, social history and cultural studies, this is the first book to examine the ways in which fashion and dress might be considered in the context of national identities as they apply in England. Presenting an overview of how particular designers and consumer groups have striven to present or contest versions of Englishness through clothing from the 18th through to the 21st centuries, it will fascinate anyone interested in dress history, national and ethnic identity or English cultural history.

She revolutionized how women looked. She banned corsets, shortened skirts and scented the world with Chanel No.5. Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel was an icon. But how closely did her carefully moulded image match the truth? Born illegitimate and raised in an orphanage - not by the two aunts that she invented - Gabrielle Chanel fought constantly to escape the mundane. She rose from back-street milliner to become the head of a vast business empire, and socialised with Picasso, Stravinsky and Cocteau. Edmonde Charles-Roux also reveals one of Chanel's best-kept secrets - her love affair with a prodigal German spy. Chanel's legend did not fade with her death, and nor has the mark of sheer elegance that she left upon the world of fashion. This is the living woman behind the vibrant legend.

Known for its evocative use of colour, proportion, and subversive fabrication, the New York based fashion house Sies Marjan, founded in 2016 by Dutch creative director Sander Lak, had a brief but influential life. Sies Marjan s pieces were marked by luxurious construction, the signature use of shining, jewel-toned hues, and effortlessly cool appeal the house s pastel coats, thrown over T-shirts, are still regularly seen in downtown New York and Brooklyn. Since its founding Sies Marjan has garnered a devoted fan base and praise from notable critics, celebrities, and fans alike in a city known for its endless affection for a darker palette. Rejecting the chronologies and seasonality of the typical fashion compendium, this exhaustive, richly illustrated volume is organized purely by colour. The trajectory through the colour spectrum traces the journey through the blazing life of the brand. Images featured within range from previously unpublished drawings, looks from iconic runway shows and ad campaigns, as well as found objects that reveal the inspiration behind the creation of these luxurious, chromatic garments. The flow of colour is punctuated by a number of interviews and reflections from Donna Tartt, Isabella Rossellini, Rem Koolhaas, Nia Dacosta, Hanya Yanagihara, and others.

Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel was, without doubt, the most influential designer of the 20th century. This book honours her influence by celebrating the key elements that defined and still define her style through inspired pairings of classic and contemporary photographs. Juxtaposing fashion plates from Chanel's own time with the most recent creations by Karl Lagerfeld, such as Cecil Beaton's portrait of Coco Chanel presented alongside one of Cate Blanchett by Lagerfeld himself, the resonance between archive and contemporary photographs becomes sharp, vibrant and telling. The vocabulary of Chanel's style - the little black dress, baroque inspirations, androgynous chic - is revealed in eleven chapters that compare original forms in the 1920s with the full range of their later expressions through every fashion era. Chanel's legendary fashion house continues to captivate a huge audience with an insatiable appetite for one of fashion's undisputed style perennials.

1. Highlights recent advances in material science and armour technology 2. Provides information on computational methods for armour design 3. Discusses stress waves and penetration mechanics 4. Covers human vulnerability and reactive armour systems

'Fascinating' Sunday Times 'Deeply sourced and rich with anecdotes' The Times 'Like a nonfiction version of The Devil Wears Prada' Elizabeth Day 'Odell's extensive reporting dredges up a wealth of delightful details' New York Times This definitive biography of Anna Wintour chronicles the steep climb of an ambitious young woman who would, with singular and legendary focus, become the most powerful woman in media. As a child, Anna Wintour was a tomboy with no apparent interest in clothing but, seduced by the miniskirts and bob haircuts of swinging 1960s London, she grew into a fashion-obsessed teenager. Her father, the influential editor of the Evening Standard, loomed large in her life, and once he decided she should become editor in chief of Vogue, she never looked back. Impatient to start her career, she left high school and got a job at a fashionable boutique in London - an experience that would be the first of many defeats. Undeterred, she found work in the competitive world of magazines, eventually moving to New York. Before long, Anna's journey to Vogue became a battle to ascend, no matter who or what stood in her way. Once she was crowned editor in chief - in one of the stormiest transitions in fashion magazine history - she continued the fight to retain her enviable position, ultimately rising to dominate all of Conde Nast. Based on extensive interviews with Anna Wintour's closest friends and collaborators, including some of the biggest names in fashion, journalist Amy Odell has crafted the most revealing portrait of Wintour ever published. Weaving Anna's personal story into a larger narrative about the hierarchical dynamics of the fashion industry and the complex world of Conde Nast, Anna charts the relentless ambition of the woman who would become an icon.

Everything you need to know to sew your own clothes and home furnishings.

Demystify your sewing machine and get to grips with essential techniques with The Sewing Book. This bestselling guide covers over 300 techniques with illustrated step-by-step sequences, showing you how to create everything from seams and hems to darts, gathers, and collars.

Discover how to read a pattern and adapt designs to suit your measurements, get to grips with tools and materials, and find the best fabrics to suit whatever you want to make.

Complete with ten homeware and clothing projects to help you put your new-found skills to the test, The Sewing Book shows you everything you need to know, stitch by stitch.

The relationship between popular music and fashion has been culturally significant since the 1950s, and this book explores the ways in which music and musicians play a key role in the shaping of identity, taste and consumption. Using a range of historical and contemporary examples, this book uncovers the way in which fashion and music have worked to shape contemporary attitudes to bodies and identities.
Focusing on performers as much as fans, on the mainstream as much as the underground, "Fashion and Music" provides a lens through which to examine themes of gender, sexuality, ageing and youth, ethnicity, body image, consumer culture, fandom and postmodernity.

A Cultural History of Jewish Dress is the first comprehensive account of how Jews have been distinguished by their appearance from Ancient Israel to the present. For centuries Jews have dressed in distinctive ways to communicate their devotion to God, their religious identity, and the proper earthly roles of men and women. This lively work explores the rich history of Jewish dress, examining how Jews and non-Jews alike debated and legislated Jewish attire in different places, as well as outlining the big debates on dress within the Jewish community today. Focusing on tensions over gender, ethnic identity and assimilation, each chapter discusses the meaning and symbolism of a specific era or type of Jewish dress. What were biblical and rabbinic fashions? Why was clothing so important to immigrant Jews in America? Why do Hassidic Jews wear black? When did yarmulkes become bar mitzvah souvenirs? The book also offers the first analysis of how young Jewish adults today announce on caps, shirts, and even undergarments their striving to transform Jewishness from a religious and historical heritage into an ethnic identity that is hip, racy, and irreverent. Fascinating and accessibly written, A Cultural History of Jewish Dress will appeal to anybody interested in the central role of clothing in defining Jewish identity.