To mark London Fashion Week 2016, from 19 – 23 February, the YaleBooks Blog is celebrating some favourite fashion books of the season. In addition to announcing Manus x Machina – the stunning accompanying catalogue to the Costume Institute’s annual fashion exhibit and this year’s Met Gala theme – we are also sharing new publications on themes ranging from the magical, as illustrated in Fairy Tale Fashion, to the utilitarian, exemplified by the most versatile and timeless of fabrics, Denim.
COMING SOON …
Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology
Available May 2016
A stunning look the complex relationship between the artisanal and the technological in fashion, featuring new photography of extraordinary pieces, including intricate 19th-century floral designs by William Morris, handcrafted haute couture of designers such as Christian Dior and Alexander McQueen, and the spectacular 3D creations of Iris van Herpen.
Author Andrew Bolton is curator in charge of The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Accompanies the Costume Institute’s spring 2016 exhibition, from 5 May – 14 August 2016,
presented in the Museum’s Robert Lehman Wing and Anna Wintour Costume Center.
Fairy Tale Fashion
The first book to examine the history, significance and imagery of classic fairy tales through the lens of high fashion, Fairy Tale Fashion explores the pivotal role of dress in the exploration of power, transformation and identity in fairy tales in this sumptuously illustrated book.
The introduction to fairy tales and dress is followed by short essays on: ‘Cinderella’, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, ‘The Fairies’, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘Snow White’, ‘Rapunzel’, ‘Furrypelts’, ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘The Snow Queen’, ‘The Swan Maidens’, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The exhibition is at The Museum at FIT and runs from 15 January – 16 April 2016
Denim: Fashion’s Frontier
This beautifully illustrated book explores the multifaceted history of denim and examines the continually evolving relationship between it and high fashion.
Prized for its durability and strength, denim began as fabric for workwear, famously in the clothing produced by Levi Strauss & Co. for fortune hunters during the 19th-century California gold rush. Over the past 160 years, film, television and advertising have helped transform denim into a symbol of youth, rebellion and sex. Featuring previously unpublished material, an insightful text and copious illustrations, this book offers a new perspective on denim’s rise from the 19th century to today.
The exhibition is at The Museum at FIT and runs until 7 May 2016
Isaac Mizrahi
This stylish book presents the pioneering couture fashions of Isaac Mizrahi, including his work in fashion, theatre, film and television.
Mizrahi’s exuberant couture style is classic American, inventively reimagined. He pioneered the concept of ‘high/low’ in fashion, and was the first high-end fashion designer to create an accessibly priced mass-market line.
New photography brings Mizrahi’s fashions to life, and an interview with the artist offers an intimate perspective on his kaleidoscopic work in diverse media.
The exhibition is at The Jewish Museum, New York, and runs from 18 March – 7 August 2016
Fashion Plates: 150 Years of Style
This sumptuously illustrated, encyclopedic book, is a chronicle of fashion and its trends from the 18th to the early 20th century. The publication is lavishly illustrated with colour plates from publications dating from 1778 to the early 20th century.
Organised chronologically and featuring both men’s and women’s garments, these lively and colourful vignettes not only are beautiful, but also deftly illustrate the evolution of fashion over time.
‘A chronological visual diary of the stylish elite’s favorite looks throughout history … many of the illustrations haven’t been seen since they were first printed.’ – Architectural Digest
