From simple to sophisticated, elegant to excessive, what we wear says who we are. This is the definitive visual guide to everything ever worn.
From the extravagance of Ancient Egypt, through the legendary houses of Chanel and Dior, to todays catwalk sensations, this gorgeous, carefully curated collection shows how fashion reflects people and places, and captures the times in which they lived. Packed with a dazzling combination of original fashion plates, archive images, and commissioned photography, Fashion takes you on a fabulous tour across the centuries as it catalogues the history of what people wear, revealing how Western fashion has been influenced by design from around the world, and celebrating everything from costume to haute couture.
Expert commentary captures the turning points of fashion history, such as when hemlines rose to reveal a glimpse of stocking, youngsters pulled on jeans and "invented" teenagers, the red carpet became a runway, and celebrities became designers. Fashion icons take centre-stage too, with features on famous trend-setters and designers, such as Elizabeth I, Marie Antoinette, and Alexander McQueen, who set the style for each generation.
Fashion is an indispensable work of reference whether youre a fashion-mad teen, a wannabe designer, or someone intrigued by the violent origins of the stiletto or the birth of bling. If its ever been in fashion, its in this book.
About the Author
Caryn Franklin MBE, former fashion editor and co-editor of i-D Magazine and prime-time BBC TV presenter, is a multi-platform broadcaster, fashion and identity commentator and activist. In nearly four decades of practice Caryn has explored the politics of image and self-esteem through commercial, educational and activist positions. She has written for numerous magazines, newspapers and websites, produced four books, authored many TV shows and documentaries on fashion as well as co-created groundbreaking campaigns such Fashion Targets Breast Cancer and the multi award winning All Walks Beyond the Catwalk.