Written by an expert whose fashion knowledge extends around the globe, The Fashion Design Directory presents an enticing panorama of around 150 of the most influential players in the world of fashion from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day - the people and companies who have shaped contemporary fashion and defined the modern perception of style. Engaging, informative text sets the scene for each designer - their origins, their ethos and their pathway to success - while striking runway images showcase statement looks and pieces from each designer's career. Together, they give a compelling overview of their defining collections and labels.

Screen Style celebrates the beautiful, stylish and often covetable outfits and costumes featured in 50 iconic and diverse series of the small screen: from Mad Men to Call My Agent, Bridgerton to Empire. By organising the series into genres - Comedy, Coming of Age, Crime, Historical, Retro, Contemporary - the author shows how designers take different approaches when manipulating the latent power of dress to create convincing characters and enhance the experience of the viewer. She reveals how the characters themselves can become role models for what to wear, transforming actors into fashion influencers. The book is beautifully illustrated with over 250 screen stills, each accompanied by an extended caption, further demonstrating how TV series have helped to set the standard for fashion on and off screen.

Numerous designers have pioneered cutting-edge garments and collections throughout the evolution of fashion. But all too often a lack of obvious fit or purpose has been mistaken for a lack of design sophistication. In an informed defence of innovative fashion, Why You Can Go Out Dressed Like That champions the improbable, the provocative, the uncomfortable and the seemingly ridiculous. Inspired by diverse sources, theories and concepts, as well as futuristic textiles and techniques, the book explores the groundbreaking work of designers who strive to extend the boundaries of their creativity. There are no fixed elements to the 100 designs featured in this book, which range from the cerebral conceptions of Comme des Garcons, to the augmented anatomies of Thierry Mugler and the exaggerated physicality of Thom Browne's broad-shouldered men. The garments do not have to fulfil a function, keep you warm, or increase sexual attraction, nor do they have to beguile or disarm. They do need to have impact at the time of creation and to prove influential in the longer term. Many original designs elicit the response: `You can't go out dressed like that!'. Marnie Fogg proves decisively that modern fashion is not as outrageous and unwearable as it may seem.

A visual journey through 100 years of wedding styles and dresses, Vintage Weddings takes a close look at the key periods, diverse styles, iconoclastic designers, significant ceremonies and cultural influences in wedding fashions. Organized chronologically, this book shows the reader how to recognize the silhouette that will best suit their body shape, identify luxurious fabrics, contrast various styles, and to source appropriate accessories, from gloves and shoes to flowers, veils, jewellery and table decorations. Throughout the book, individual pieces that epitomize the defining characteristic of each designer or decade are analysed in detail. This book is for those interested in collecting and acquiring all aspects of authentic vintage pieces relating to the wedding ceremony, and also for prospective brides who are buying new, but are looking for sources of inspiration.

Foreword by Anya Hindmarch Decade by decade, the lavishly illustrated Vintage Handbags recounts over 100 years of handbag history, from Elsa Schiaparelli's mesh bags for Whiting & Davis in the 1920s through the Hermes Kelly bag in the 1950s to the Fendi Baguette of the 1990s. Accompanied by archive images, fashion photography and specially commissioned photographs of period pieces, the most collectible and beautiful handbags are showcased. An invaluable and visually stunning reference, the book explores the key designers, technical developments and cultural influences that shaped handbag design, revealing exquisite and groundbreaking work from such luminaries as Salvatore Ferragamo, Coco Chanel, Hermes, Fendi, Bonnie Cashin and Judith Leiber.

Through 100 groundbreaking dresses, The Dress traces the past and present influences and reinterpretations in clothing design. From the Victorian crinoline to Vivienne Westwood's mini-crini of 1985, from Herve Leger's 1985 bandage dress to Christopher Kane's 2006 neon version, each landmark dress gives examples of how fashion ideas have been reborn and referenced throughout time by designers. By making connections between designers and across decades, the book allows the reader to discover the breadth of influence in this field, the magic of inspired originality from fashion designers and an overview of fashion history. From beaded and bias-cut to frou-frou to corseted, Chanel to Yves Saint Laurent, laced to bustled, each dress tells a fashion story through anecdotes and analysis, with historic and cross-cultural references, beautiful imagery, and immaculate referencing.

An essential sourcebook of prints from a key fashion decade. The 1950s was the decade when an analytical approach to design, with a lightness and freshness, combined with whimsical imagery and idiosyncratic subject matter. Showcasing hundreds of print designs, this book celebrates the heyday of postwar fashion design. From Lucienne Day and Robert Stewart to Maija Isola of Marimekko, the designs and influences of the print icons of the time are all covered. In addition to finished prints, the book contains exclusive illustrations and original artworks. The major themes of the period are explored, including: narrative and novelty; abstraction, exploring the distorted and attenuated forms used in print; artistic licence and the influence of contemporary art on fashion print; and finally kinetic prints that capture the influence of the era’s ‘mobiles, doodles and spasms’. Each short chapter introduction is followed by a range of illustrations with captions to give provenance and relevance, making this a unique sourcebook for contemporary designers and students.

Foreword by Kaffe Fassett A visual journey through the decades, Vintage Knitwear takes a close look at the key periods, significant styles, iconic designers and cultural influences in fashion knitwear. Organized chronologically, this book enables the reader to identify the unique constructions, innovative finishes and technical developments that determine the most influential knitwear designs of the decades of the twentieth century. Individual pieces that epitomize the defining characteristic of each designer or era are analyzed in detail.

A visual history of tea towel design, from the 1950s to today. Both practical and beautiful, the tea towel has over the last century established itself firmly as an essential piece of domestic design. This lavishly illustrated book explores 100 of the best tea towel designs from the 1950s to today. Featured are tea towels from well-known textile designers such as Lucienne Day, Emma Bridgewater, Pat Albeck, Cath Kidston, Orla Kiely and Angela Harding, as well as collectable tea towels from key retail stores such as Heal's and Selfridges. Together they showcase a rich visual history of textiles and homeware design of the last century. With full-page images and close-up details, The Art of The Tea Towel will appeal to those interested in both textile design and homeware.