Fashion and textile design Books

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Book SynopsisMen in khaki and grey squatting in the trenches, women at work, gender bending in goggles and overalls over their trousers, a girl at the Paris theatre in pleated, beaded silk, a bangle on her forearm made from copper fuse wire from the Somme. What people wear matters. Copiously illustrated, this book is the story of what people on both sides wore on the front line and on the home front through the seismic years of World War I. Nina Edwards, reveals fresh aspects of the war through the prism of the smallest details of personal dress, of clothes, hair and accessories, both in uniform and civilian wear. She explores how, during a period of extraordinary upheaval and rapid change, a particular preference for a type of razor blade or perfume, say, or the just-so adjustment to the tilt of a hat, offer insights into the individual experience of men, women and children during the course of World War I.Trade ReviewClothes have a language that illuminates the social and cultural significance of the circumstances in which they are worn. This is particularly true in wartime. Dressed for War is a fascinating and immensely readable account of in what and how both the military and civilians dressed, during the First World War. An apparently trivial subject turns out to have a profundity that adds a rich dimension to our understanding of the Great War in this its centenary year.' Juliet GardinerTable of ContentsIntroduction The Prelude Uniform, Chivalry and Doing One’s Bit Men in Civvies, Women in Uniform Vanity, Luxury and the Fabric of War Attitudes to the Body Variety and Haute Couture Manufacture and the Home Mourning and Wedding 10. O Brave New World Acknowledgments Bibliography Index Websites

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Book SynopsisThe story of Coco Chanel in her own words, as told by her to Paul Morand - in a Deluxe special edition, illustrated by Karl Lagerfeld and authorised by Chanel Told in her own words, Coco Chanel's memories offer a rare glimpse into the mind of one of the most influential women in fashion history. During a visit to St. Moritz at the end of World War II, Chanel shared intimate details of her life, loves and fashion philosophy with her life-long friend, Paul Morand. Only coming to light after Chanel's death, her intimate recollections reveal the secrets behind her success and the captivating charm that made her a true icon The Allure of Chanel attracted the attention of Karl Lagerfeld, who embellished it with seventy-three drawings, sketched for this special illustrated edition.Trade Review'This enchanting, tiny book is the closest anyone can get to a face-to-face with Coco. It's written in her voice and in her words, and though it's full of lies, omissions and contradictions, there's enough raw truth in it to reflect the extraordinary woman who was Chanel, even though glimpsed shard by shard in a broken mirror' - Spectator'Morand was the all-round aesthete' - Nicholas Lezard'Morand was a citizen of the world, with a sharp eye and a neat turn of phrase' - The Tablet

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Book SynopsisClothes take the ordinary human body and fashion it into something remarkable. Born to the same anatomical legacy, each generation has used garments to shape itself in the image of its own particular desires. Taking different body parts in turn, The Anatomy of Fashion invites us to view ourselves as we have been in the past. Arguing that analysis needs to aspire to the proliferation and playfulness of fashion itself, the chapters both explore a different aesthetic and examine its wider, and often surprising, implications. In countless different ways, fashion is caught up in the larger picture of its chronological moment. Whether in the mechanisms of production, the politics of consumption, the construction of sexuality or gender, or the formation and reformation of manners and morals, fashion is there. In its provocative conclusion The Anatomy of Fashion turns its attention to dress practices today. Reassembling the anatomical parts, the text places the contemporary body in the historical view and reveals the strangeness that lies at the heart of our own normality.Trade ReviewIt is always a delight to discover a non-fiction writer who can write about history with both intelligence and levity. Although this book is well suited as a textbook, it is an engaging and thoughtful read for even seasoned fashion veterans. Ingrid Mida, Fashion is my MuseTable of ContentsAbbreviations Prologue: Approaching the past 1. Head and neck 2. Breasts and waist 3. Hips and bottom 4. Genitals and legs 5. Skin Epilogue: Fashioning the body today

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Book SynopsisJapanese Fashion examines the entire sweep of Japanese clothing history, from the sophisticated fashion systems of late-Edo period kimonos to the present day, providing possible theories of how Japan made this fashion journey and linking current theories of fashion to the Japanese example. The book is unique in that it provides the first full history of the last 200 years of Japanese clothing. It is also the first book to include Asian fashion as part of global fashion as well as fashion theory. It adds a hitherto absent continuity to the understanding of historical and current fashion in Japan, and is pioneering in offering possible theories to account for that entire history. By providing an analysis of how that entire history changes our understanding of the way fashion works, this book will be an essential text for all students of fashion and design.Trade ReviewSlade sets himself very ambitious targets in Japanese Fashion: A Cultural History, an analytical survey of a whole clothing culture, which he successfully meets. Dr. Slade is an imaginative historian who has the ability to synthesize a wide range of sources, ranging from the offical record to the ephemeral and teh vernacular. Peter McNeil, Fashion Theory: Volume 14, Issue 4 This book is much more than just about fashion - it includes discussions of comparatives, political thought, mass-consumerism, the cloth industry and industrialization, roles of department stores, fashion magazines, wood-block prints, -art, education, schooling, sport,importance of The Rokumeikan (new large westernized building for the elite), and what Slade calls samuraization of all classes. Long, dense read, but really intriguing. Ann WrightTable of Contents1. Introduction: Modernity, Fashion and Japan Modernity and Modernity in Clothing Global Fashion and National Cultures Japan 2. Japanese Clothes 1800-2000 Clothing in the Edo Period Nakedness and Covering It Decency Foundation Choices: Yoga and Nihonga Materials and Materialism 'Westernisation' and Japanese Fashion Textile Industrialisation The Democratisation of Consumption World War II The Rise of Designers Today's Subcultures 3. Japanese Menswear: Masculinity and Sartorial Statecraft Uniforms and the State: The Emperor's New Clothes Suits: Modern and Classic Masculinity The Suit in Europe and America The Growing Civilised Centre The Japanese Suit The Rokumeikan Modern Boys Possible Masculinities post 2000 4. Japanese Womenswear: Femininity and Modernity Traditional Notions of Sartorial Womanhood Meiji Girl Students and School Uniforms Taisho Decadence and the Moga Sportswear, Swimwear & Movement Cosmetics and Substance Hairstyles: The First Experiments Kimono Reform and Traditional Identity Feminine Formality and Time 1960s Counter Culture in Japan Japanese Femininity Today 5. Conclusions: Theories of Japanese Fashion The Economics of Aesthetics A Set of Reoccurring Questions Functional Explanations Fashion as the Search for Meaning and/or Identity Fashion and the Struggle for Status The Economics of Fashion Fashion as Communication Dynamic Explanations of Fashion Fashion as Diffusion Cycles of Fashion Fashion as Erotic Fashion and the Zeitgeist Fashion as Aesthetics Acknowledgements Bibliography

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Book SynopsisWhen, how and why do clothes become fashion? Fashion is more than mere clothing. It is a moment of invention, a distillation of desire, a reflection of a zeitgeist. It is also a business relying on an intricate network of manufacture, marketing and retail. Fashion is both medium and message but it does not explain itself. It requires language and images for its global mediation. It develops from the prescience of the designer and is dependent on acceptance by observers and wearers alike. When Clothes Become Fashion explores the structures and strategies which underlie fashion innovation, how fashion is perceived and the point at which clothing is accepted or rejected as fashion. The book provides a clear theoretical framework for understanding the world of fashion - its aesthetic premises, plurality of styles, performative impulses, social qualities and economic conditions.Trade Review"When Clothes Become Fashion systematically analyzes the phenomenon of fashion and reveals part of the secret on which fashion depends. Ideal for students, the book also offers fascinating insights for the general reader." Barbara Vinken, University of Munich This is a book that I probably will read more than once because it is so dense with analysis. Although the book is dense with fashion theory and rigourous analysis, it is accessible to a general reader. But for artists whose work references clothing, the body, or fashion, this book is well worth the investment in time because it offers a thoughtful analysis of contemporary fashion designers and artists whose work exists on the boundary between fashion and art. Ingrid Mida, Fashion is My Muse blogTable of ContentsIntroduction Part I: FASHION THEORY 1. Does Fashion Need a Theory? 2. Textiles as Material 3. Clothes as Form 4. Fashion as System Part II: INVENTION AND INNOVATION 5. When is Invention? 6. When is Creativity? Part III: WHEN CLOTHES BECOME FASHION 7. When is Fashion? 8. When is Fashion Art? 9. When is Fashion Design? Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe ability to analyze and interpret visual information is essential in fashion. However, students tend to struggle with the concept of visual research, as well as with the application of that research. Visual Research Methods in Fashion provides students with techniques, tools and inspiration to master their visual research skills and make the research that they undertake more effective. Illustrated with real-life examples from practitioners in the industry, academics and students, it focuses on the global nature of the industry and the need to develop ideas relevant to the market.Table of ContentsIntroduction Purpose of the book Who is this book for? How to use this book Overview of chapters Chapter 1 Strategies for Information Seeking Chapter 2 Sources of Inspiration Chapter 3 Colour theory and practice Chapter 4 Textiles and Trimmings Chapter 5 Trends and Forecasting Chapter 6 Concept Development Chapter 7 Traditional Research Tools and Techniques Chapter 8 Web and Technology Based Research Tools Chapter 9 Visual Research for Presentation Glossary Contacts

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Book SynopsisThe interrelationship between fashion and celebrity is now a salient and pervasive feature of the media world. This accessible text presents the first in-depth study of the phenomenon, assessing the degree to which celebrity culture has reshaped the fashion system. Fashion and Celebrity Culture critically examines the history of this relationship from its growth in the 19th century to its mutation during the twentieth century to the dramatic changes that have befallen it in the last two decades. It addresses the fashion-celebrity nexus as it plays itself out across mainstream cinema, television and music and in the celebrity status of a range of designers, models and artists. It explores the strategies that have enabled visual culture to recast itself in the new climate of celebrity obsession, popular culture and the art world to respond adaptively to its insistent pressures. With its engaging analysis and case studies from Lillian Gish to Louis Vuitton to Lady Gaga, Fashion and Celebrity Culture is of major interest to students of fashion, media studies, film, television studies and popular culture, and anyone with an interest in this global phenomenon.Trade ReviewFashion and Celebrity Culture explores the relationship between fashion and style that underpins contemporary celebrity culture. By tracing particular contemporary stylistic shifts as they have intersected with media technologies - photography, cinema, magazines and music - Pamela Church Gibson engages with broad social and cultural transformations in the field of popular culture. Focusing on fashion and its representation, Church Gibson offers a useful point of entry for understanding the processes and meanings that characterize celebrity culture today. * Vicki Karaminas, Associate Professor and Associate Head of the School of Design, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia *Pamela Church Gibson shows that while cinema has, from the early twentieth century forward, influenced fashion trends and often determined who would become a star, the intersection of celebrity, fashion, and high art that has developed in the last twenty years requires us to look "sideways" across the film-media-art-fashion-culture landscape...This is a very smart book in all senses. * Cynthia Baron, Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre and Film, Affiliated Faculty in the American Studies Program, Bowling Green State University, U.S. *Table of Contents1 Introduction 2 Fashion and Celebrity Culture, Past and Present PART I: FASHION & FILM 3 Film Stars as Fashion Icons 4 Hollywood Celebrity Cover Girls 5 ‘Fashion Films': from Prêt-a-porter to A Single Man 6 Sex and The City: From Small Screen to Big Screen PART II: FASHION MEDIA & CULTURE 8 Fashion on Television: So Many Celebrities, So Little Fashion? 7 The Changing Face(s) of the Fashion Magazine and the New Media Landscape 9 Fashion, Music and Celebrity 11 Artists, Celebrity and Fashion: From Wilde and Warhol to Taylor-Wood PART III: FASHION GONE GLOBAL 10 Designers and Models become Brands 12 Other Continents, Other Celebrities, Other Fashions 13 Conclusion: The Future of Celebrity-Driven Fashion Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisThe relationship between popular music and fashion has been a culturally significant one since the 1950s, and this book explores how music and musicians play a key role in the shaping of identity, taste and consumption. Using a range of historical and contemporary examples, this book uncovers the way in which fashion and music have worked to shape contemporary attitudes to bodies and identities.Focusing on performers as much as fans, on the mainstream as much as the underground, Fashion and Music provides a lens through which to examine themes of gender, sexuality, ageing and youth, ethnicity, body image, consumer culture, fandom and postmodernity.Trade ReviewThis book is not only entertaining, but also informative. Miller presents a current perspective on various aspects of popular music in one easy to read book, which I plan to use in the classroom. * Jessica Strubel, School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management, University of North Texas *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Fashion, Identity and Music1. Dressing Fans: Music, Clothes and Consumption 2. Gwen Loves Vivienne: Branding, Fashion and Music 3. Witchy Women: Fashioning the Womanly Body of the Female Singer-Songwriter4. White Suited Men: Style and the Marketing of the Boyband 5. Dressing your Age: Fashioning the Ageing Body of Performers and Fans 6. Styling, Race and Nation 7. Spectacle and Sexuality: Clothes, Concerts and the CarnivalesqueConclusion: Image, MusicIndex

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Book SynopsisIn Victorian England, women's accessories were always much more than incidental finishing touches to their elaborate dress. Accessories helped women to fashion their identities.Victorian Fashion Accessories explores how women's use of gloves, parasols, fans and vanity sets revealed their class, gender and colonial aspirations. The colour and fit of a pair of gloves could help a middle-class woman indicate her class aspirations.The sun filtering through a rose-colored parasol would provide a woman of a certain age with the glow of youth. The use of a fan was a socially acceptable means of attracting interest and flirting.Even the choice of vanity set on a woman's bedroom dresser reflected her complicity with colonial expansion. By paying attention to the particular details of women's accessories we discover the beliefs embedded in these artefacts and enhance our understanding of the culture at large. Beaujot's engaging prose illuminates the complex identities of the women who used accessories in the Victorian culture that created and consumed them. Victorian Fashion Accessories is essential reading for students and scholars of, history, gender studies, cultural studies, material culture and fashion studies, as well as anyone interested in the history of dress.Trade ReviewIn addition to explaining the history of how these objects were manufactured and sold, Beaujot offers interesting insights into middle class Victorian social customs, prejudices, hopes and fears. This book will appeal both to academics, especially as an introductory text, and to anyone interested in the Victorian period. * TRC *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Glove and the Making of Middle-Class Womanhood 2. The Language of the Fan: Pushing the Boundaries of Middle-Class Womanhood 3. Underneath the Parasol: Umbrellas as Symbols of Imperialism, Race, Youth and Flirtation 4. The Celluloid Vanity Set and the Search for Authenticity Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn Victorian England, women's accessories were always much more than incidental finishing touches to their elaborate dress. Accessories helped women to fashion their identities.Victorian Fashion Accessories explores how women's use of gloves, parasols, fans and vanity sets revealed their class, gender and colonial aspirations. The colour and fit of a pair of gloves could help a middle-class woman indicate her class aspirations.The sun filtering through a rose-colored parasol would provide a woman of a certain age with the glow of youth. The use of a fan was a socially acceptable means of attracting interest and flirting.Even the choice of vanity set on a woman's bedroom dresser reflected her complicity with colonial expansion. By paying attention to the particular details of women's accessories we discover the beliefs embedded in these artefacts and enhance our understanding of the culture at large. Beaujot's engaging prose illuminates the complex identities of the women who used accessories in the Victorian culture that created and consumed them. Victorian Fashion Accessories is essential reading for students and scholars of, history, gender studies, cultural studies, material culture and fashion studies, as well as anyone interested in the history of dress.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Glove and the Making of Middle-Class Womanhood 2. The Language of the Fan: Pushing the Boundaries of Middle-Class Womanhood 3. Underneath the Parasol: Umbrellas as Symbols of Imperialism, Race, Youth and Flirtation 4. The Celluloid Vanity Set and the Search for Authenticity Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisFashion in India is distinctly unique, in its aesthetics, systems, designers and influences. Indian Fashion is the first study of its kind to examine the social, political, global and local elements that give shape to this multifaceted center. Spanning India’s long historical contribution to global fashion to the emergence of today’s vibrant local fashion scene, Sandhu provides a comprehensive overview of the Indian fashion world. From elite high-end to street style of the masses, the book explores the complex realities of Indian dress through key issues such as identity, class, youth and media. This ground-breaking book does not simply apply western fashion theory to an Indian context, but allows for a holistic understanding of how fashion is created, worn, displayed and viewed in India. Accessibly written, Indian Fashion will be a fantastic resource for students of fashion, cultural studies and anthropology.Trade Review[This] is an excellent entry-level book to the subject. * Costume *At its heart, Indian Fashion’s narrative emphasizes the role of dress in the promotion of national identity, culture and tradition, and also in the embodiment of personal identity, resistance and modernity. In doing so, it establishes India as a unique global powerhouse, where luxury, couture, craft and casual are conspicuously consumed, mixed and matched to articulate a distinctly modern – yet also distinctly Indian – style identity. * Fashion, Society & Popular Culture *Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction: Indian Fashion Chapter 2: A Brief History of Dress, Difference and Fashion Change in India Chapter 3: Contemporary Fashion Practice in Urban India Chapter 4: Reel to Real Life: Re-Fashioning India from Bollywood to Street Chapter 5: Desi-Chic: The Image and Ideals of Fashion in Indian Magazines Chapter 6: Darzi to "Designer": Crafting Couture and High-Fashion for India Chapter 7: Conclusion: "Wrapping it Up" Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisFor at least two centuries, fashion and art have maintained a competitive love-hate relationship. Both fashion and art construct imaginary worlds, and use a language of style to invigorate beliefs, perceptions and ideas. Until now the crossovers of fashion and art have received only scattered treatment and suffered from a dearth of theorization. As an attempt to theorize the area, this collection of new and updated essays is the most well-rounded and authoritative to date. Some of the world's foremost scholars in the field are assembled here to explore the art-fashion nexus in numerous ways: from aesthetics and performance to masquerade and media. Original and inspiring, this book will not only secure ‘art-fashion' as a discrete area of study, but also suggest new critical pathways for exploring their continuing cross-pollination. Fashion and Art is essential reading for students and scholars of fashion, art history and theory, cultural studies and related fields.Trade ReviewFinally a book on the complex relationship between art and fashion adopts a different approach. Instead of the usual attempts to decide where the boundary lines might be drawn , this anthology examines the areas where art and fashion meet. These essays are not only vital for scholars and students within both disciplines - for anyone and everyone, this is a highly enjoyable book. * Pamela Church Gibson, Reader in Cultural and Historical Studies, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, London *A book that both traces, and participates in, the decay of the idea that Fashion is the superficial Other of Art. Between the covers of this book lies all the evidence one might need about the sustained collaboration between modernist artists and fashion designers. Through a wealth of historical detail and conceptual sophistication this book tells a fascinating story whose relevance will lie far beyond Fashion Studies. * Michael Carter *There have been previous books written on Fashion and Art, but none is of this standard. In its reach and sophistication, this book is a stand-alone in its field. For many years, fashion and art have been points of discussion and debate, and the subject of isolated disciplinary studies. Geczy and Karaminas and the key authors assembled here have done us a great service in elevating this topic to an area of serious interdisciplinary study, giving it coherence and circumscription. Fashion and Art is a landmark book for whose appearance couldn't be more timely. * Joseph H. Hancock II. Drexel University, Philadelphia. *A much awaited and exciting collection... bringing together some of the most prominent scholars and curators working within fashion (studies) and art (history), Fashion and Art boldly problematises the conflicting, yet symbiotic relations between art and fashion. * Louise Wallenberg, Director, Centre for Fashion Studies at Stockholm University, Sweden *Using thickly described and critically analyzed case materials, the authors in this edited volume break new ground in the ongoing debate regarding fashion and art. From euromodernities to contemporary, global "fashionscapes," this volume sheds refreshing light on the ambiguities, anxieties, and aesthetic pleasures associated with the fashion-art relationship. * Susan B. Kaiser, Chair of the Division of Textiles and Clothing at the University of California, Davis *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Adam Geczy and Vicki Karaminas 1. Fashion: Valerie Steele, The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, USA 2. Art: Nancy Troy, Stanford University, USA 3. Aesthetics: Llewellyn Negrin, University of Tasmania, Australia 4. Modernity: Adam Geczy, Sydney College of the Arts, Australia 5. Conceptual: Hazel Clark, Parsons the New School of Design, USA 6. Body: Joanne Eicher, University of Minnesota, USA 7. Beauty: Morag Martin, State University of New York, USA 8. Boundaries: Diana Crane, University of Pennsylvania, USA 9. Authenticity: Efrat Tseëlon, Leeds University, UK 10. Performance: Herbert Blau, University of Washington, USA 11. Dressing up: Mary Gluck, Brown University, USA 12. Clothing: Margaret Maynard, University of Queensland, Australia 13. Patronage: Nicky Ryan, University of the Arts, London, UK 14. Painting: Aileen Ribeiro, University of London, UK 15. Image: Vicki Karaminas, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia 16. Exhibition: Alistair O'Neil, Central St Martins, London, UK 17. Curatorial: Barbara Heinemann, Goldstein Museum of Design, University of Minnesota, USA Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWhat do you use every day that is small and large, worthless and beyond price? It's easily found in the gutter, yet you may never be able to replace it. You are always losing it but it faithfully protects you; sexy and uptight, it is knitted in to your affections or it may give you nightmares. It has led to conflict, fostered and repressed political and religious change and epitomizes the great aesthetic movements. It's Eurocentric, and is found all over the world. On the Button is an inventive and unusual exploration of the cultural history of the button, illustrated with a multiplicity of buttons in black and white and colour. It tells tales of a huge variety of the button's forms and functions, its sometimes uncompromising glamour, its stronghold in fashion and literature, its place in the visual arts, its association with crime and death, its tender call to nostalgia and the sentimental. There have been works addressed to the button collector and general cultural histories. On the Button links the two, revealing why we are so attracted to buttons, and how they punch way above their weight.Trade Review'Nina Edwards knows everything you might want to know about buttons, and much more that you have never imagined. Her book is a tour de force, and full of interesting stories.' - Alison Lurie, novelist and author of 'The Language of Clothes'Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. As a notion 2. Why we collect 3. The Enlightenment button 4. Gentlemen prefer buttons 5. Commerce and cuteness 6. War and grief 7. Culture and creed 8. Sex, love and buttons 9. Arts and crafts 10. Dash my buttons! Glossary Bibliography Websites End notes

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Book SynopsisA guide to figurative stitching in textile art, with techniques and tips. Figurative stitch is soaring in popularity. In this guide, textile artist Rosie James shares ideas and techniques on using the sewing machine's needle and thread almost as a pencil. The book covers: How to set up your machine; How to tackle drawing (with exercises that will help even those who are afraid to put pen to paper); Transferring drawing to cloth, working with transparency, different surfaces and adding fabrics and colour; Photography, with details on using photographs in textiles; Putting it all together with layering images, playing with scale, repetition and composition. Tips and advise throughout will show textile artists how to expand their repertoire and how to use figurative stitch to really showcase their creativity. Illustrated throughout with stitch drawings by Rosie James and other leading artists, this is a welcome paperback edition that will inspire both professionals and those new to stitching.Trade ReviewFor anyone who admires the abilities of Rosie James and other artists in drawing figures with stitch, this book is a fascination. -- Wokshop on the Web * Wokshop on the Web *One of our favourite books this year -- Embroidery Magazine * Embroidery Magazine *This book is well laid-out and anyone could pick it up and have a go. The book has a velvet-soft tactile cover that makes it a little bit special. -- Craft Focus * Craft Focus *

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Book SynopsisWhat motivates people to dress in a manner that marks them out as different to the conventional norm? Is it true that, with dress, 'anything goes' in our mix-and-match postmodern culture? Have easily recognizable, authentic subcultures imploded in a glut of ironic revivals and stylistic fragmentation? Does this supposed 'post-subcultural' generation actively celebrate ephemerality, transience and disposability, merely casting off and trying on one alternative identity after another in an ever-accelerating fashion frenzy? This exciting book is a considered sociological examination of such questions. By listening to the voices of the subcultural stylists themselves - their subjective perceptions of their style and the ideas that lie behind them - the author provides original insights into issues of subjectivity and identity. Situating an empirical case study within a wider consideration of postmodernism and cultural change, the author rejects cultural studies perspectives that attempt to 'read' subcultures as texts. Drawing on extensive interviews with people who dress in what might be deemed a stylistically unconventional manner, he seeks instead to establish whether contemporary subcultures display modern or postmodern sensibilities and forms. He argues persuasively that they do both - a stress on postmodern hyperindividualism, fluidity and fragmentation runs alongside a modernist emphasis on authenticity and underlying essence. He concludes that a Romantic libertarianism has permeated working-class culture and that the distinction between 'individualistic' middle-class countercultures and 'collectivist' working-class subcultures has been over-emphasized.Trade Review'Highly recommended for academic libraries.' Library Journal 'Interview excerpts provide powerful illustrations of some of the points made on identification and dress style, and the book is also commendably thorough in its fieldwork details; the interview schedule in particular makes it a book that could be recommended as background reading to students on research methods courses as well.' Times Higher Education Supplement

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Book SynopsisTextiles are central to our lives and are at the heart of the world's largest industries. In recent years there has been a dynamic shift in attitudes toward textiles, fuelled in part by explosive developments in technology. While textiles have always retained roots in craft and industry, the discipline now embraces a much wider range of practices. Innovations in the industry demand a fresh approach to the subject, which this comprehensive introduction ably supplies. Taking as their starting point the very meaning of textiles, Gale and Kaur go on to show the astonishing range of opportunities for careers in the field, from the creative (artists, craftspeople and designers) to the social and industrial, to the commercial and associated practices (buyers, journalists, researchers and scientists). The Textile Book takes us behind the scenes with professionals to reveal what various jobs involve, what influences decision makers, and how their decisions affect what we buy next season. What happens to clothes before they reach the shops? What determines the 'must have' item? How can recycled bottles be transformed into silk-like yarns? These and many other questions are explored to show the diversity that makes up the contemporary global textile scene. Woven, printed, embroidered, knitted -- textiles are pivotal to the everyday experience of people in all parts of the world. This wide-ranging and informative book conveys the excitement and new challenges textiles represent and is essential reading for anyone working with, studying or simply interested in textiles.Trade Review'Although the authors planned this book as a text/reference book, I recommend reading every page ... a valuable authority that provides an historical and global view of the past, present, and future of textiles.' Handwoven 'Essential reading for anyone considering a career in textiles.' Embroidery Magazine 'The Textile book takes a compelling and very broad look at a myriad of aspects of fabrics and the humans using them...the authors seem to have tapped not only solid history, but a good deal of the most up-to-date information, including 'smart fabrics'...this subject, and its treatment in this book, is food for a lot of thought, discussion, and research.' Costume Journal 'Those studying textiles and the general public should find this book very useful.' Choice 'Upper division or graduate students as well as professionals in our field would certainly benefit from the content information of The Textile Book. More importantly, those in the textile community who read it, will be encouraged to engage in broad discourse that the subject deserves in order to better ensure the subject's future as an academic discipline.' Nancy Lyons, South Dakota State UniversityTable of ContentsContents Preface vii Part I Overviews 1What is Textiles?1 This Book3 2The Cultural Place of Textiles7 Gentility and Gender7 The Inner Spirit13 Capitalism and Communism16 Lifestyle23 3Perceptions of Fabric30 New Fabrics, New Aesthetics31 Fundamental Skills and the Evolution of Textile Practice33 The Influence of Skill35 The Influence of Science and Engineering38 Re-evaluation42 Part II The Creative 4The Textile Designer45 Design Practice49 Global Comparisons of Textile Design53 Futures61 5The Designer-Maker63 The Origins of Designer-Makers66 Employment67 Market68 Business71 Case Study: Lindsay Bloxam75 Personal Issues76 Establishing a Business78 Selling Stuff80 The Broader View82 6The Craftsperson85 Comparing Makers89 The Importance of Process-Led Practice93 A Role in the Modern World94 The Appeal of the Handmade98 Supporting Organizations99 7The Textile Artist102 Textile Art, Craft or Design?104 The Reason of Textile Art108 Issues of Content111 Ownership115 Part III The Social and Industrial Context 8Global Textile Traditions119 Regional Exchanges120 Patronage123 Ritual, Symbolism and Stories125 Weave127 Embroidery129 Print and Dye131 Contemporary Uses of Traditional Textiles134 Recent Textile Traditions136 9Ecology139 Pollution, Politics and Ecology139 The Role of Organizations and Agencies143 Government Policies and Organizations148 Eco or Green Design153 Case Study: Corporate Environmental Policies157 10Industry161 The Industrial Story162 Power and Influence170 The Future174 11The Role of Trends and Forecasting180 The Textile Industries and Forecasting183 The Forecasting Gurus and their Roles188 Part IV Related Disciplines and Studies 12The Buyer194 The Buyers Role195 Issues Affecting Buying Decisions196 Buying Textiles and Design-Led Textile Products200 The Suppliers Concerns203 International Issues204 The Future207 13Journalism212 The Media Industry212 Lifestyle and Textile Journalism215 Courting Fame220 The Internet223 14Science226 A Scientific History227 The Basics230 The Science Design Gap233 The Stuff of Fiction236 Future Issues241 15Research245 Archaeology and Anthropology245 Textiles, Cultural Identity and the Culture Industry 250 Museums and Collections255 Contemporary Textiles and Critical Studies 259 Bibliography263 Index27

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Book SynopsisWhen Hong Kong entrepreneur David Tang opened his Shanghai Tang boutique on New York's Madison Avenue, it was not an isolated example of the globalization of Asian fashion. Further evidence is written on the labels in our closets, and paraded in the form of salwaar-kameez and silk sarongs by the rich and famous of London. The phenomenon merits scrutiny. This vanguard attempt points to the colonial era as the origin of fashion globalization, and describes its development as paralleling the gradual take-over of Asian daily wear by Western dress. From indigenous Batak weavers to Hong Kong designers, and from Indonesian businesswomen's power suits to Korean feminists' national costume, this book explores the sartorial interface of East and West.The globalization of Asian dress needs to be understood as part of an ongoing Orientalism that construes Asia as a feminine Other to the masculine West. The conventional Orientalist definition of fashion as an exclusively Western phenomenon has proved self-fulfilling in both East and West so that the conceptual boundary between the two is continually reasserted by design. Paying close attention to Asians' decisions about what clothing to make, sell, buy, and wear, the case studies in this book challenge Orientalist stereotypes of Asian style as passive and traditional and highlight how these actions are often made invisible by global cultural, rhetorical, and material practices that feminize Asia and the fashion world. This timely book will be of interest to dress and fashion theorists, anthropologists, sociologists, historians, art historians and all those interested in globalization, Orientalism and their effects.Trade Review'This is a very good book that will be read with great appreciation by people who understand the importance of fashion in the web of human society.'Fashion Theory 'This book will be useful to readers (or fashion theorists) who are interested in understanding globalization of Asian dress from anthropological, sociological, political and historical perspectives.'Myoung Kim, University of Wisconsin, in International Textile and Apparel Association newsletter (Jan 06)Table of ContentsContents Notes on Contributorsvii Acknowledgmentsix Introduction: The Globalization of Asian Dress: Re-Orienting Fashion or Re-Orientalizing Asia?1 Carla Jones and Ann Marie Leshkowich 1Three Scenarios from Batak Clothing History: Designing Participation in the Global Fashion Trajectory49 Sandra Niessen 2The Ao Dai Goes Global: How International Influences and Female Entrepreneurs Have Shaped Vietnam's "National Costume"79 Ann Marie Leshkowich 3Korean Alterations: Nationalism, Social Consciousness, and "Traditional" Clothing 117 Rebecca Ruhlen 4Designing Diasporic Markets: Asian Fashion Entrepreneurs in London139 Parminder Bhachu 5National Colors: Ethnic Minorities in Vietnamese Public Imagery159 Hjorleifur R. Jonsson and Nora A. Taylor 6Dress for Sukses: Fashioning Femininity and Nationality in Urban Indonesia185 Carla Jones 7Fashion-Nation: A Japanese Globalization Experience and a Hong Kong Dilemma215 Lise Skov Afterword: Re-Orienting Fashion Theory243 Sandra Niessen Index267

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Book SynopsisWith an afterword by Roger Griffin.Fashion is often thought of as a matter of personal taste, completely unconnected with the public domain of political life and citizenship. Overturning this perspective, this absorbing book reveals that, from the French Revolution to post-revolutionary China, fashion has played a significant role in political participation and protest. Fashioning the Body Politic challenges the perception of helpless fashion victims, subject to manipulation by consumerism and the fashion industry, and shows how, in a range of historical and national contexts, certain styles of dress and display were significant for both men and women's political participation and the formation of their identities as citizens.How did 'dressing up' in a variety of ways allow suffragette women to perform unconventional forms of political protest? In what ways did the uniforms of scouts and guides function to erect gender, racial and religious boundaries? Following the ban on traditional clothing in Imperial Russia, how did Russians appropriate European fashions and ethnic costumes to fashion new identities for themselves? Using these and a wealth of other case studies, Fashioning the Body Politic offers a fresh perspective on the relationship between men, women and fashion and shows that the political domain has always been permeated with the cultural practices of dress, display and bodily performance.

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Book SynopsisGoths represent one of the most arresting, distinctive and enduring subcultures of recent times. The dedication of those involved to a lifestyle which, from the outside, may appear dark and sinister, has spawned reactions ranging from admiration to alarm. Until now, no one has conducted a full-scale ethnographic study of this fascinating subcultural group. Based on extensive research by an 'insider', this is the first. Immersing us in the potent mix of identities, practices and values that make up the goth scene, the author takes us behind the faade of the goth mystique. From dress and musical tastes to social habits and the use of the internet, Hodkinson details the inner workings of this intriguing group. Defying postmodern theories that claim media and commerce break down substantive cultural groupings, Hodkinson shows how both have been used by goths to retain, and even strengthen, their group identity. Hodkinson provides a comprehensive reworking of subcultural theory, making a key contribution to the disciplines of sociology, cultural studies, youth studies, media studies, and popular music studies. Readable and accessible, this groundbreaking book presents a unique chance to engage with a contemporary, spectacular culture.Trade Review'I would recommend it as a valuable text that should be included on undergraduate reading lists for courses dealing with fan, music and popular cultures.'Garry Crawford, BSA'While most of us might have moved swiftly on and started wearing baggy jeans, there remains an enormous goth subculture, which Hodkinson, proud to count himself a part of it, analyses stylishly in this 'ethnographic study'.'The Guardian'Engaging.'The Daily Telegraph'A scholarly yet accessible text [that] successfully conveys what it means to be a Goth.'Sonic Seducer'The first major anthropological study of UK Goths is a priceless work. [It is a] fascinating read that I found very difficult to put down.'KaleidoscopeTable of Contents1From Participant to Researcher 2 Reworking Subculture 3Goth as a Subcultural Style 4Insiders and Outsiders 5Events, Friendships and Commitment 6Selling Goth? The Producers of Subcultures 7Buying Goth: Subcultural Shopping 8Communicating Goth: 'Traditional' Media 9Communicating Goth: On-line Media 10Concluding Thoughts Appendix: Quantitative Questionnaire Results Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWith so much focus on contemporary theory, it is easy to forget that the serious analysis of clothing and fashion has a long history. In fact, they have been the subject of intense cultural debate since the nineteenth century. Fashion Classics provides an interpretative overview of the groundbreaking and often idiosyncratic writings of eight theorists whose work has profoundly influenced the conceptual and theoretical basis of our contemporary understanding of clothes and the fashion system. Carter fully revives early fashion theorists -- some canonical and others less well known -- and examines them in light of more recent work. From Carlyles fantastical character Professor Teufelsdrockh, through the first Freudian analysis of clothes by J.C. Flugel, the pioneering work of Spencer, Veblen, Simmel, Kroeber, Laver and finally Barthes monumental work on the modern fashion system, this book explores and explains the foundations of fashion theory. Not only does it provide an historical outline of Western conceptions of clothes and fashion, but it also highlights how ideas intermix and build on one another. Carters lively narrative clearly shows that views on fashion have always been impassioned perhaps most notably Carlyles notorious attack on Dandyism and Veblens suggestion that clothes should be made out of old newspaper. This book also makes sense of complex theory and is essential reading for anyone seeking an overview of the history of fashion theory.Trade Review'Michael Carter has fashioned, with clarity and wit, not only an important historical account of fashion classics, but an entertaining narrative that illuminates the cultural currents of two centuries. It should make us think more than twice about what we wear and how we describe it. For myself, this is a book that I will constantly refer to - for pleasure as well as enlightenment.'Studies in English LiteratureTable of Contents1. Thomas Carlyle and Sartor Resartus 2. Herbert Spencer's Sartorial Protestantism 3. Thorstein Veblen's Leisure Class 4. Georg Simmel: Clothes and Fashion 5. Alfred Kroeber and the Great Secular Wave 6. J. C. Flgel and the Nude Future 7. James Laver, the Reluctant Expert 8. Roland Barthes and the End of the Nineteenth Century Appendix: Questionnaire Issued by J.C. Flgel in 1929 Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisDress is everywhere imbued with symbols that reflect different meanings in different contexts. This compelling book convincingly demonstrates how clothing is analogous to a working language and is similarly underpinned by deeper meanings and philosophies.From tattoos and mini-skirts, to skin decoration, makeup and hair, Calefato unpicks the multiple functions of modern dress. Exploring intriguing commonalities - for example, between tattooed Egyptian mummies of 2000 BC and modern subcultural styles - Calefato considers the psychological, cultural, spiritual and symbolic significances at play in what she aptly labels 'body cartography'. What we wear is a vehicle for the (often contentious) expression of politics, gender and identity, placing clothing at the root of a complex set of messages, many of which are paradoxical. Clothing may, for example, liberate through the pleasures of masquerade and at the same time 'cage' or control the body. The Clothed Body shows how semiotics can provide a convincing template for understanding dress in a wide range of contexts and will be essential reading for anyone interested in the meaning of what we wear.Trade Review'If you like semitoics, you will love this...The author provides vivid examples to ponder from history, from popular culture, especially from film, and from her own personal experience and observation.'Textiles MagazineTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 DRESS, LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION CHAPTER 2 DRESS AND SOCIAL IDENTITY CHAPTER 3 STYLE AND STYLES BETWEEN FASHION AND THE GROTESQUE CHAPTER 4 TASTE BETWEEN COMMON SENSE AND RECEIVED MEANING CHAPTER 5 WRITING THE BODY CHAPTER 6 MENS BODIES, WOMENS BODIES CHAPTER 7 EVERYDAY MODELS CHAPTER 8 THE FACE AND THE GAZE CHAPTER 9 DEGREE ZERO OF FASHION AND THE BODY: THE MODEL, THE NUDE, AND THE DOLL CHAPTER 10 FASHION AND THE WORLD CHAPTER 11 FASHION AND CINEMA CHAPTER 12 WEARING BLACK CHAPTER 13 FASHION AND MUSIC CHAPTER 14 TIME CHAPTER 15 FASHION INTERTEXTS CHAPTER 16 OBJECTS

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Book SynopsisDespite recent challenges from New York, London and Milan, Paris is renowned as the greatest fashion capital in the world. Its distinctive categorization of haute couture, demi-couture, and prt--porter reflects a highly structured and tightly controlled system that non-western designers have had difficulty penetrating. Yet a number of the most influential Japanese designers have broken into this scene and made a major impact. How? Paris couturiers and designers operate a gate-keeping system that is not only exclusive and rigorous but highly demanding. But, Kawamura asks, does the system facilitate or inhibit new forms of creativity? She shows how traditional French fashion has been both disturbed and strengthened by the addition of outside forces such as Kenzo Takada, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo and Hanae Mori. At the same time she considers many other key questions the contemporary fashion industry should be asking itself. Has it, for example, become primarily preoccupied with the commercial projection of product images rather than with the clothing itself? And what direction will French fashion take without Saint Laurent, Miyake and Kenzo? This insightful book provides the first in-depth study of the Japanese revolution in Paris fashion and raises provocative questions for the future of the industry.Table of ContentsContents: Part 1: Fashion Culture and France -- Fashion Dominance in France: History and Institutions -- The Modern Fashion System in France -- The Global Diffusion Mechanism of Fashion: Past and Present -- Social and Technical Differences among Haute Couture, Demi-Couture and Pret-a-Porter Part 2: Interdependence between Japanese Designers and the French Fashion System -- The Japanese Fashion Phenomenon in Paris since 1970 -- Type 1: Kenzo. Complete Assimilation into the French Fashion System -- Type 2: Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto. Construction of the Avant-Garde Japanese Fashion -- Type 3: Hanae Mori. Attainment of the Ultimate Designer Status in Paris Conclusion: Paris as the Battlefield of Fashion

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Book Synopsis A visual celebration of the evolution of style and fashion in San Francisco from 1906 to today, featuring some of the world’s most beloved designers, such as Cristóbal Balenciaga, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, and many more.   The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) are home to one of the most significant collections of 20th- and 21st-century women’s fashion in the United States, and this book shares a particular segment of that collection: San Francisco style from 1906 to today, showcasing approximately 100 garments featured in a major exhibition.  San Francisco Style starts in 1906, when the devastating earthquake forced people to rebuild their lives from the ground up. The city’s desire to redefine itself and assert an international status in the wake of disaster manifested in the dress codes of its prominent women. The early collections in this book reflect San

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