Fashion: The 50 Most Influential Fashion Designers of All Time (Icons of Culture)

Highlighted in this volume are the pioneers and innovators in the world of haute couture. They include Jean Patou, whose Paris couture house led fashion in the 1920s and30s, Coco Chanel, who brought comfort and practicality to haute couture, Elsa Schiaparelli, who collaborated in her designs with surrealist painter Salvador Dali, Mary Quant, who designed for Londons youth culture in the swinging sixties, and Gianni Versace, champion of the supermodel. Others include Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Guccio Gucci, Philip Treacy, Levi Strauss, and 40 others. Small in size but filled with information and insights, each Icons of Culture title is a collection of brief, pithy, and enlightening biographies of men and women who have made their mark and left lasting influences in the lively arts. Scattered among these capsule biographies are two-page overviews that examine various aspects of the art. Handsomely designed and accessible to laypersons, these books make fine quick-reference sources while also providing enjoyable reading for inquisitive minds. Illustrations in color and black and white on most two-page spreads.