From Charles Frederick Worth to Nicolas Ghesquière, designers have propelled fashion from an elite craft into a cornerstone of contemporary popular culture. This brilliantly written analysis of the achievements of the 50 greatest names in international fashion explores their lives, both personal and professional, drawing on the latest academic research and on the best of fashion journalism, including the authors' own interviews with designers spanning a 30-year period.The designers' working methods and career highlights are outlined in detailed and wittily written entries that capture the spirit of their times. From Poiret and Patou to Gernreich and Galliano, the sometimes provocative selection of 50 names poses stimulating questions about the definition of a fashion designer in the modern era. A ground-breaking book, this is a definitive introduction to fashion designers that is essential reading for both students and general readers alike.

Some of the most important people in fashion Chanel, Alaia, Blahnik, Yves Saint Laurent, Pucci, Kenzo and Missoni are known for their public image and their iconic designs. But what kind of world have they cultivated behind closed doors? From France to Italy, from England to Morocco, come along on a private visit to the remarkable homes of the worlds great couturiers, stylists, muses and fashion personalities. Ivan Terestchenkos glorious photographs revel in the decor, works of art and the personal collections of these legendary designers.

Covers the history of couture and its top designers.

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.

This is a comprehensive survey of 50 of the most influential designers, ranging from early celebrity designers such as Paul Poiret to current cutting edge designers such as Hussein Chalayan. The names chosen are there because they have had an extraordinarily powerful influence on fashion and collectively they are responsible for almost the whole fashion story of the last 100 years. Each designer's iconic creations are shown in detail, and graphic timelines and cross references show not only why these pieces were extraordinary in their own time, but why they are still influencing designers today. The timelines demonstrate design influence through the generations. The result is a fascinating look at the fashion world that will appeal to anyone interested in fashion as well as being a useful resource for all fashion students.

Current fashion is a complex phenomenon. In a constant state of constant flux, contemporary fashion combines a mix of the different cultural aspects that inform the modern individual. Atlas of Fashion Designers is born out of this proposition, and features a compilation of the most important fashion designers and their work in the past five years, selected from a multi-disciplinary perspective that display the heterogeneous mix of today’s fashion world. Featured designers all have one trait in common: they were singled out, not only for the quality of their work, but also because they illustrate different perspectives in their approach to fashion. This book includes designers with a wide array of visions, from classical haute couture to those who experiment with developing fields such as anthropology, new textiles, high technology, architecture, art, or recycling. From Ricardo Tiscci, Nicholas Ghesquière to Sybilla, to artists who are primarily concerned with pure fashion such as Lucy Orta, or to those investigators who concern themselves with innovation in the fields of textile research and technology, such as Issey Miyake or Hussein Chalayan. Atlas of Fashion Designers is a very relevant and useful reference in a hybrid society, which is composed of ever increasing heterogeneous elements. By offering a synthetic, fluid and diverse approach to the subject, the “Atlas� draws a map of the complex world of fashion at present time, and looks forward to what it may be tomorrow.

This comprehensive guide explores the fundamental sewing methods fashion designers need and teaches professional garment construction. Chapter One introduces sewing tools and machinery (including industrial machines). It discusses how to work with patterns and explains cutting-out methods. Chapter Two is devoted to different fabrics and how they work, focusing on the construction of a garment, including fastenings and trimmings, and the use of materials to support structured pieces, such as corsets. Hand-sewing techniques and basic seams are explored in Chapter Three. Techniques are demonstrated with step-by-step photographic guides combined with technical drawings. A guide to making garment details and decorations, such as pockets, waistlines, and necklines, is found in Chapter Four. Chapter Five addresses fabric-specific techniques, for everything from lace to neoprene. The best technical approaches to use for patternmaking and construction are discussed for each fabric. Catwalk images demonstrate how these kinds of techniques are employed by designers.