The Dress


Book Description

This collection of dresses from the inimitable Megan Hess celebrates fashion's finest moments and takes the reader on a decadent romp through fashion history... from the haute to the hot. From the elegant, such as Audrey Hepburn's simple black shift or Princess Di's never-ending wedding gown, to the quirky, such as Bjork's Swan Dress or the Liz Hurley safety-pin dress, to the simply unforgettable - such as Marilyn's famous moment in white in The Seven Year Itch or Madonna's perilous-looking conical bustierre. Megan Hess has spent her career exploring and illustrating fashion. And while fashion is an ever-changing, ever-inspiring beast, there are certain dresses that capture a moment in history, the spirit of a generation and the indefinable energy of a fashion icon. In this book, Hess has collected the most iconic dresses throughout fashion history, and explores why they continue to resonate with audiences and viewers in decades to come. Interspersed with historical anecdotes, famous quotes and scene-setting landscape illustrations which enlighten the reader of the social themes surrounding the fashion moment in question, this book is an elegant and immersive introduction to the moments that shaped fashion - and how fashion, in turn, shaped our lives.




As Seen in Vogue


Book Description

Documents the history of "Vogue" magazine over the course of the twentieth century, and features more than six hundred advertising images that provide insights into the evolution in American fashion, society, and culture since the magazine's debut in 1893.




The Lives of 50 Fashion Legends


Book Description

This fun volume from fashion experts Fashionary tracks the rise to fame of the most influential designers in fashion. This visual book walks you through the stories of the world's greatest designers, across the decades. Explore each of the legend's life choices, learn how they adapted to trends and adversities, and discover how the fashion industry has changed over the years. Filled with timelines and fascinating graphics that place each fashion designer on the world stage. This volume shares appraisals of 50 of the most important fashion designers and their iconic status. Alongside star designers such as Coco Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Cristóbal Balenciaga, and the most influential fashion designers in the fashion industry, it is filled with historical information about the brands and biographies. A special treat for anyone who loves fashion. Fashion Legends included: Coco Chanel, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Christian Dior , Pierre Balmain, Emilio Pucci , Pierre Cardin , Hubert de Givenchy , Mary Quant , Sonia Rykiel , Valentino Garavani, Oscar de la Renta , Karl Lagerfeld , Giorgio Armani , Azzedine Alaïa, Yves Saint Laurent , Issey Miyake , Kenzo Takada, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli , Vivienne Westwood , Rei Kawakubo , Calvin Klein , Yohji Yamamoto , Jil Sander , Paul Smith , Gianni Versace , Diane Von Fürstenberg, Donna Karan , Miuccia Prada , Franco Moshino , Tommy Hilger , Jean Paul Gaultier , Helmut Lang , Martin Margiela, Dries Van Noten, Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana, Micheal Kors , Ann Demeulemeester , John Galliano , Alber Elbaz , Tom Ford , Marc Jacobs , Thom Browne , Raf Simons , Hedi Slimane , Alexander Mcqueen , Hussein Chalayan , Nicolas Ghesquière, Stella McCartney, Riccardo Tisci




Nina Garcia's Look Book


Book Description

"We must all listen to Nina Garcia. Sharp and genuine, her advice can make or break an outfit." -- Tim Gunn, Fashion Consultant and Mentor of Project Runway "Believe me-there's pressure when you're deciding what to wear to a meeting with an iconic fashion designer or a member of the press. It can be terrifying. But instead of panicking, I stop, take a deep breath, and remember that I speak "fashion." And by the time you have read this book, you'll be able to speak the language of fashion too, at all the key moments of your life." -- from Nina Garcia's Look Book Every woman, at one time or another, has contemplated an all-important job interview, first date, formal party, or important presentation and wailed to herself and to her closest girlfriends, "What should I wear" In Nina Garcia's Look Book, style guru Nina Garcia solves this universal quandary with an inspired and unbeatable combination of fashion knowledge and common sense. She shows us the pieces, the accessories, and the strategies to create the looks that will take us from the first day on a job through the day we ask for a raise and beyond, from the first time we meet our boyfriend's parents (or his children) through the day we see our own children walk down the aisle. With Nina by your side, you can't go wrong. You'll have all the tips you will need to navigate every day looking your best. True style is not about having a closet full of expensive and beautiful things-it is instead about knowing when, where, and how to utilize what you have.




Christian Dior


Book Description

Christian Dior: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Master is a stunning illustrated biography of legendary designer Christian Dior from internationally renowned fashion illustrator Megan Hess. Discover the key moments of Dior's fascinating life and iconic items from the fashion world that he created. Dior's love of flowers, creativity, femininity and good-luck charms were woven into everything he designed, and his New Look remains iconic to this day. Elegantly enclosed by a hardback cover and ribbon, Megan's beautiful illustrations follow Dior through three distinct chapters: the highs and lows of his early life, set against a backdrop of bohemian and wartime Paris; the couture house that he built into an empire in just ten years; and the incredible legacy he left behind for one of fashion's most influential brands. Christian Dior is a celebration of a man whose life was as remarkable as the clothes that he created, brought to life on the page by the expert hand of Megan Hess.




The History of Fashion Journalism


Book Description

The History of Fashion Journalism is a uniquely comprehensive study of the development of the industry from its origins to the present day, and including professionals' such as Dylan Jones's vision of the future. Covering everything from early tailor's catalogues through to contemporary publications such as LOVE, together with blogs such as StyleBubble, and countries from France through to the United States, The History of Fashion Journalism explores the origins and influence of such well-known magazines as Nova, Vogue and Glamour. Combining an overview of the key moments in fashion journalism history with close textual analysis, Kate Nelson Best brings to life the evolving face of the fashion media and its relationship with the fashion industry, national politics, consumer culture and gender. This accessible and highly engaging book will be an invaluable resource not only for fashion studies students but also for those in media studies and cultural studies.




American Runway


Book Description

New York Fashion Week has served many purposes throughout its long history, but it has always remained at the center of the American fashion world. During World War II, Fashion Week challenged the dominance of French couture; in the 1970s and 1980s, it was a showcase for American sportswear stars who became household names; in the 2000s, it was the stage for celebrity designers using the runway as a vehicle for entertainment; and now, it is the place to see and be seen by contemporary reality TV and social media stars. Now, this illustrious history is told as it’s never been told before, in a book packed with designer interviews, backstage ephemera, and exclusive photographs culled from all 75 years of New York Fashion Week. Part historical overview, part scrapbook, and part fashion-industry field guide, American Runway will bring to life the people, places, and over-the-top runway productions of New York Fashion Week—and will sate the appetites of die-hard fashion fans and casual fashionistas alike.




Fashion Is Spinach


Book Description

After working as a stylist in Paris, Elizabeth Hawes (1903–71) launched one of the first American design houses in Depression-era New York. Hawes was an outspoken critic of the fashion industry and a champion of ready-to-wear styles. Fashion Is Spinach, her witty and astute memoir, offers an insider's critique of the fashion scene during the 1920s and '30s. "I don't know when the word fashion came into being, but it was an evil day," Hawes declares. Style, she maintains, reflects an era's mood, altering only with changes in attitude and taste. Fashion, conversely, exists only to perpetuate sales. Hawes denounces the industry's predatory practices, advising readers to reject ever-changing fads in favor of comfortable, durable, flattering attire. Decades ahead of her time, she offers a fascinating and tartly observed behind-the-scenes look at the fashion industry's economics, culture, and ethics.




Coco Chanel


Book Description

Coco Chanel: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon is an illustrated biography of Coco’s Chanel's life from the internationally reknown illustrator and author, Megan Hess. It features key moments from Coco's amazing life and iconic items from the fashion empire that she built. Think an illustrated picture book for adults, told through Megan's stylish and feminine illustrations with a fun, whimsical and magical bent. Coco Chanel takes us on a romp through the three distinct chapters of Coco's life: from Coco’s early life and building the brand, to the empire she created, to the legacy she left behind, and how her style is still influential and iconic today. Hess’s book literally paints a picture of the woman who forever changed the way women dress.—The Australian Coco Chanel: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon is a beautifully presented biography of the designer—Books + Publishing National Style lovers, unite! This amazing guided tour of Chanel’s game-changing empire is made for coffee tables—Cleo Australian illustrator Megan Hess, whose work graces prestigious designers and brands including Chanel, Carrier and Tiffany and Co., creates a whimsical adventure through the world of Mademoiselle Chanel—PRIMOLife




Icons of Style


Book Description

In 1911 the French publisher Lucien Vogel challenged Edward Steichen to create the first artistic, rather than merely documentary, fashion photographs, a moment that is now considered to be a turning point in the history of fashion photography. As fashion changed over the next century, so did the photography of fashion. Steichen’s modernist approach was forthright and visually arresting. In the 1930s the photographer Martin Munkácsi pioneered a gritty, photojournalistic style. In the 1960s Richard Avedon encouraged his models to express their personalities by smiling and laughing, which had often been discouraged previously. Helmut Newton brought an explosion of sexuality into fashion images and turned the tables on traditional gender stereotypes in the 1970s, and in the 1980s Bruce Weber and Herb Ritts made male sexuality an important part of fashion photography. Today, following the integration of digital technology, teams like Inez & Vinoodh and Mert & Marcus are reshaping our notion of what is acceptable—not just aesthetically but also technically and conceptually—in a fashion photograph. This lavishly illustrated survey of one hundred years of fashion photography updates and reevaluates this history in five chronological chapters by experts in photography and fashion history. It includes more than three hundred photographs by the genre’s most famous practitioners as well as important but lesser-known figures, alongside a selection of costumes, fashion illustrations, magazine covers, and advertisements.