The Great Fashion Designers

Brenda Polan is a fashion writer, editor, lecturer and academic. She was fashion editor and women's page editor of The Guardian in the 1980s and has written for all Britain's major newspapers and many magazines. She was formerly the programme director (Media) at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London.Roger Tredre is the course leader for the MA in fashion communication at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. He worked in newspaper fashion journalism in the 1990s and was the first editor-in-chief of WGSN, the online fashion trends and research business.

Over the last 180 years designers have propelled fashion from an elite craft into a cornerstone of popular culture. This brilliantly written guide to the lives and collections of 55 iconic fashion designers draws on the latest academic research and the best of fashion journalism, including the authors' own interviews with designers. Beginning with 19th century couturier Charles Frederick Worth and concluding with the star names of the 2010s, Polan and Tredre detail each designer's working methods and career highlights to capture the spirit of their times.This beautifully illustrated revised edition features five new designer profiles: Hedi Slimane, Raf Simons, Phoebe Philo, Alessandro Michele and Demna Gvasalia. It's also been updated throughout to reflect a fashion world in constant ferment, with designers swapping jobs and fashion houses at unprecedented speed. The industry has expanded into a global phenomenon - and designers have emerged as true celebrities; The Great Fashion Designers explores their passion and flair to show us fashion at its most inspirational.

A lavishly illustrated guide to the lives and achievements of 55 of the most influential fashion designers of the last 180 years.

Written by two distinguished journalists and academics with over 40 years of experience to share with the next generation of fashion lovers and historians.

AcknowledgementsForewordIntroduction PART 1 EARLY DAYSIntroduction, Charles Frederick Worth, Callot Soeurs, Jeanne Paquin, Paul Poiret, Mariano FortunyPART 2 1910s-1930sIntroduction, Jeanne Lanvin, Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel, Jean Patou, Madeleine Vionnet, Elsa Schiaparelli, Mainbocher, Adrian, Salvatore Ferragamo, Madame Alix GrèsPART 3 1940-1950sIntroduction, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Christian Dior, Charles James, Claire McCardell, Hubert de Givenchy, Norman Norell, Pierre Cardin, Mary Quant, Rudi GernreichPART 4 1960s-1970sIntroduction, Yves Saint Laurent, André Courrèges, Valentino, Karl Lagerfeld, Halston, Kenzo, Ralph Lauren, Issey Miyake, Geoffrey Beene, Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani PART 5 1980sIntroduction, Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto, Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith, Azzedine Alaïa, Gianni Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, Dolce & Gabbana, John Galliano, Donna Karan PART 6 1990s Introduction, Miuccia Prada, Martin Margiela, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Alexander McQueen, Nicolas GhesquièrePART 7 2000s-2010sIntroduction, Raf Simons, Hedi Slimane, Phoebe Philo, Alessandro Michele, Demna Gvasalia Bibliography