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

(Paperback, 3rd edition)

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Over the course of the last 180 years, designers have transformed fashion from an elite craft into a cornerstone of global popular culture.

This brilliantly written classic guide to the lives and collections of 59 iconic fashion designers was first published in 2009 and is now available in this fully revised and expanded third edition. It draws on the latest academic research and the best of fashion journalism, including the authors own interviews with designers. Beginning with Charles Frederick Worth and concluding with the star names of the twenty-first century, the book details each designer's working methods and career highlights with engaging essays that capture the spirit of their times.

This new edition widens its remit to explore designers making waves beyond the Western world. It features six new designer profiles: Virgil Abloh, Iris van Herpen, Japans Nigo, Chinas Uma Wang, Indias Sabyasachi and Nigerias Shade Thomas-Fahm. The text has also been updated throughout to reflect growing concern within the fashion world over sustainability issues, and to document a business in constant ferment, with designers swapping jobs and fashion houses at unprecedented speed. The Great Fashion Designers explores these designers' passion and flair, showcasing fashion at its most inspirational.

Reviews

[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 farreaching knowledge, whilst never for a moment faltering in fact or judgement. This book is indispensable.

-- Colin McDowell, MBE, Fashion Writer, Journalist and Academic

[Praise for the new edition]
Founded on the expertise of two fashion industry veterans, this book acutely sums up the careers of some of fashion's greatest visionaries by drawing on personal insights and valuable interviews over the years. An unmissable and inspiring reference book for all!

* Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Style Editor EMEA *
An essential reference book for every student. Delighted to see a Chinese designer in the new edition. * Yoanna Liu, Harpers Bazaar China *

Author Bio

Brenda Polan is a fashion writer, editor, lecturer and academic. She was Fashion Editor and Womens Page Editor of The Guardian and has written for all Britains major newspapers and many magazines. She was formerly Programme Director (Media) at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London.

Roger Tredre is Course Leader for the MA in Fashion Communication, at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. Prior to his academic career, he worked in newspaper journalism and was the first Editor-in-Chief of WGSN, the online fashion trends and research business. He has consulted widely for many leading fashion brands.