The Great Fashion Designers: From Chanel to McQueen, the names that made fashion history

Description

Over 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 to capture the spirit of their times. This beautifully illustrated revised edition 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 to show us fashion at its most inspirational.

Brenda Polan is a fashion writer, editor, lecturer and academic. She was formerly fashion editor and women's page editor of The Guardian and has since written for all Britain's major newspapers and many magazines. She was until recently Programme Director (Media) at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London. Roger Tredre is Course Leader, MA Fashion Communication, at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. Prior to his academic career, he worked in newspaper fashion journalism and was the first Editor-in-Chief of WGSN, the online fashion trends and research business.

[Praise for the first edition] This is a comprehensive introduction into the world of fashion and the designers you need to know about who inhabit it ...If it's not already, put it on your Christmas list now! -- Vogue online With over 30 years in the industry, Polan and Tredre give fashion history a personal spin. -- That's Not My Age An interesting and indispensable tome. -- Glass Magazine A succinct round-up! -- WGSN This book is a great introduction to some of the most important fashion designers from the 1840s to today. The essays on each designer are short and accessible, providing an excellent summary of their life and work, and serving as a source of inspiration for further research in fashion studies. * The Journal of Dress History * The first edition of The Great Fashion Designers published in 2009 soon became the 'must consult' for fashion professionals, aficionados and students alike, so it is good news that it has been revised by the authors, Roger Tredre and Brenda Polan and written with the same high standard of research and critical assessment as the original. I am sure I will not be alone in hailing this new editorial; the work of two scholars who write in a way that shares their passion for the subject and their far-reaching knowledge, whilst never for a moment faltering in fact or judgement. This book is indispensable. -- Colin McDowell, MBE, Fashion Writer, Journalist and Academic