Fashion/Textiles

One of the most interesting cultural phenomena in New Zealand over the past 22 years has been the spectacular success of the World of Wearable Art, an annual competition and award show that explores the intersection of fashion and art, through a genre popularly known as wearable art. This unique event, which draws an audience in Wellington of around 40,000 people, has encouraged an explosion of creative activity, inspiring a wide range of fashion designers, artists, costume makers and other craft artists from all over the world to ... read more

This informative and beautiful volume sheds light on the enduring significance of textiles as a major form of aesthetic expression across Africa, relating long-standing cultural practices to recent creative developments. Some of the finest and oldest preserved examples of West African textile traditions are presented, and both their artistic and technical qualities are examined. Wrapped around the body, fashioned into garments, or displayed as hangings, these magnificent textiles include bold strip weavings and intricately patterne... read more

A follow up companion to the bestselling "Manolo Blahnik Drawings", this book presents a collection of Manolo's celebrated shoe designs. It is organized thematically to express Manolo Blahniks interests and passions art history, architecture, film (including his renowned designs for Sofia Coppolas Marie Antoinette), theatre, and flora and fauna.

Inheriting a priceless vintage clothing collection sounds like every woman's dream come true.But when Charlotte Smith discovered that her American godmother Doris Darnell had made her custodian of more than three thousand pieces dating from 1790 to 1995 including originals by Chanel and Dior she was more than a little daunted. From the moment Charlotte uncovered her first treasure an exquisite 1920s evening dress she was enchanted. But when she found her godmother's book of stories the true value of her inheritancehit home.... read more

Style meets substance in this lavishly illustrated, highly informative, and beautifully designed book on sustainable fashion and beauty. Summer Rayne Oakes, fashion model, eco advocate, and resident expert on www.treehugger.com and Discovery Network's 'Planet Green' shows how to make informed choices when shopping. In addition to explaining the basics (from fair trade to organically grown), this book showcases hundreds of her favorite designers, such as Stella McCartney and Safia Minney, and eco-friendly brands, such as Levi's Loom... read more

The glamour and excitement of the world of haute jewelry is beautifully explored in Jewelry International.

An unprecedented publication showcasing Gucci as never before, including thought-provoking essays, commentaries, and authoritative anecdotes along with previously unpublished contemporary and archival photographs. Published in conjunction with the opening of the new Gucci Museum in Florence, Gucci is the ultimate celebration of the world-renowned fashion house. Told through a loose grouping of words, concepts, shapes, and moods, the book tells its story through new conceptual forms and the free links between images, symbols, and ob... read more

"Nostalgia in Vogue" celebrates the popular and poignant coming-of-age memoir columns that have been enchanting Vogue readers since 2000. This elegant volume collects a wonderful selection of Vogue's famous "Nostalgia" columns and the stunning photographs that accompanied them. Writers, designers, models, and celebrities share coming-of-age stories based on a rich range of themes from fashion to art, Hollywood, music, childhood, work, and love, each triggered by an extraordinary photograph from Vogue's history. With a host of intri... read more

What do your shoes say about you? Shoes are now much more than just things to walk in. From kids on the block to models on the catwalk, we use them to signal how fashionable we are. But, beyond style, this most intimate object communicates much more ...our sexual desires, aesthetic sense, social status and personality. And, before they became supreme objects of desire, shoes had a history. From ancient times to the present, shoes have had a cultural as well as a practical purpose. Within these pages is pretty much everything you e... read more

Garcia, fashion director of "Marie Claire" and star judge on "Project Runway" delivers an accessible and classy illustrated guide on what to wear for any occasion.

Fashion isn't art. The latter can just be admired, while the first needs to be sold. How do designers create constant objects of desire? In this book, 100 designers give 1000 tips on what it takes to be a great fashion designer. These tips address a number of issues: flare inspiration, collection concept, the promise of clothing, the use of fabrics, and more. New talents and renowned names provide insights and ideas for both expert and up and coming designers.

Everything around us is designed and the word 'design' has become part of our everyday experience. But how much do we know about it? "Fifty Dresses That Changed the World" imparts that knowledge listing the top 50 dresses that have made a substantial impact in the world of British design today. From the 1915 Delphos Pleated dress to Hussein Chalayan's 2007 LED dress, each entry offers a short appraisal to explore what has made their iconic status and the designers that give them a special place in design history.

This is the V&A's bestselling history of fashion. Four Hundred Years of Fashion tells the story of men's and women's fashionable dress through the ages, covering clothes for all occasions and including a wide range of accessories such as shoes, fans, hats and even undergarments. Illustrations are wide-ranging, from the magnificent 18th-century court manuta, sumptuously embroidered with silver thread, to Vivienne Westwood's psychedelic punk outfit. The expertise of the authors gives the text unequalled authority and makes it ... read more

This lavishly illustrated and beautifully designed book celebrates the colourful lives and dazzling work of the great twentieth-century fashion illustrators, as chosen by one of today's leading fashion artists, David Downton. With a foreword by the legendary model Carmen Dell'Orefice, the book follows the careers of Downton's favourite artists, from the great social portraitist of the belle epoque, Giovanni Boldini, to the architect of 1980s' New Wave glamour, Tony Viramontes (including along the way such celebrated names as Erte,... read more

Accompanying an exhibition at Te Papa, The Wedding Dress: 300 Years of Bridal Fashions draws on the Victoria and Albert Museum's superb collection of fashionable wedding dresses, as well as photographs, letters, memoirs, newspaper accounts and genealogical research to explore the history of the wedding dress and the traditions that have developed around it, from 1700 to the present day. Focusing on the white wedding dress, which first became fashionable in the early nineteenth century, the book considers the way couturiers a... read more

This title presents the nitty-gritty of basic patternmaking. Off-the-peg too bland or doesn't fit? Made-to-measure too expensive? Then why not do it yourself? This volume explains the nitty-gritty of basic patternmaking, laying the essential foundations for anyone taking their first steps in tailoring and dressmaking. Four fundamental garments - skirt, dress, jacket and coat - are used to explain patterns step by step, with clear sequences of photographs and descriptions. Gradually, the reader is enabled to tackle ever-increasing c... read more

This title presents the overwhelming power of the classic undershirt. With the addition of just a few letters or an image the simple T-shirt can become a personal billboard. Ironically, though it started life as the standard issue undershirt of the U.S. military, by the mid-70s this humble garment had become a vector for self-expression and individualism, as countless political slogans were emblazoned on its front. Worn by the masses and the privileged alike, the printed T-shirt has since been embraced by high fashion, street cultu... read more

Each book in this inspired series by fashion writer Camilla Morton inventively reimagines one of our favorite "Once Upon a Time" stories, blending it with the real-life story of a famed fashion designer. Lushly illustrated by the designers themselves, these tales illuminate each iconic individual's creative magic while celebrating his unique life and career. The result is an intriguing combination of whimsy and memoir. In this contemporary twist on the tale of the "Elves and the Shoemaker", Manolo Blahnik's delightful drawings evok... read more