Reviews (11)

Amazing
This book provides answers to unanswered questions and goes into subjects not covered in Fashion School. ;) I would sugest this book to any on in the fashion industry or still in school.It will help you grasp a better understanding of the when, why, and how things are done.

This is a great book for someone starting out
This book is ideal for someone coming into the industry with little to no knowledge. It provides a lot of tips to help one avoid re-inventing the wheel.

The Fashion Designer Survival Guide
my friend, for whose birthday i purchased this book, is delighted and learning so much needed info. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Career/Job    4. Careers - General    5. Careers - Other Specific Fields    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Fashion    8. Fashion designers    9. Fashion merchandising    10. Management    11. New Business Enterprises    12. Business & Economics / General    13. Fashion & beauty industries    14. Fashion design    15. Small businesses & self-employed   

Reviews (5)

Coco Chanel: The French self-made woman
From an orphanage in France to the Ritz hotel in Paris, Coco Chanel created an entire style empire that lives on. A French fasionista version of Eva Peron for the couture world. Coco remains an icon and legend.

A designer of authentic beauty
This is a substantial book in both size and pictorial content.
COCO
Mademoiselle Chanel was quite a woman.She totally invented herself, she was her best creation.This book does a fine job of showing off the clothes that made her famous and also offers many pictures of the singular Coco.The layout of the book is unique and took some getting use to, but it is informative and quite interesting.It is amazing all the men she was reportedly engaged with, she was not what one would call beautiful, but the woman had style and she knew knew how to work powerful men, a priceless talent in her day and unfortunitely to this day.Really a very good book on an amazing woman. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1883-1971    2. Art    3. Artists, Architects, Photographers    4. Beauty & Grooming - Fashion    5. Biography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Chanel, Coco,    8. Fashion    9. Fashion designers    10. France    11. General    12. Pictorial works    13. Women    14. Women fashion designers    15. Art / Fashion   

Reviews (2)

YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE IT!!!
My teacher recommmended that I get this book and I absoulutely love it. Karen Hagen is a great illustrator and gives a variety of ideas of different mediums to use and how to coordinate them all together. This book is also great for those who don't quite know how to draw. There are step by step instructions and the illustrations are great!

Fab!!! Well worth the money!
This book is worth every penny- it is clear and concise and shows you the basics of fashion illustration. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Commercial - Advertising    4. Drawing    5. Fashion    6. Fashion drawing    7. Illustration   

Editorial Review

If you want your notched collars to lie smoothly like Ellen Tracy's, your pants zippers to be as invisibly fused with the inseam pocket as Giorgio Armani's, and your topstitched facings to have the impeccable look of Chanel, Read more

Reviews (15)

Secrets that sould be known to every sewer
Although the pictures are old fashioned, to say the least, the technic and tips of how to manage the smallest details are priceless. And I thought I knew it all after 25 years of sewing. This book is a bible to every sewer.

High fashion...Maybe
I was completely unimpressed with this book.It does contain some interesting sewing techniques, but for the most part she shows you how to copy design features of now out-of-style designer clothing and shares a lot of famous designer trivia (lots of name dropping). There are some useful tips, but for the price of the book, tips are not worth it. The last third of the book is dedicated to drafting patterns from scratch or copying other clothing. The only photos are of the finished garment - no photos of the techniques or steps.Illustrations are adequate, not great.

Great for taking your sewing skills to the next level...
If you have never sewn before or are just starting, this book is not for you.The author assumes someone reading this book has some intermediate sewing skills.The techniques in this book are useful, when you want to go from making a plain old patch/seam pocket to a double welt, bound buttonholes instead of the ghetto machine stitched ones, and there is really good information about facings, interfacing, and lining.
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Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dressmaking    4. Fashion    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Pattern design    7. Patterns    8. Sewing    9. Tailoring    10. Tailoring (Women's)   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (1)

A look into the world of modern fashion design
This book is absolutely fabulous, there's no other way to say it. Whether you're looking for a gift for someone who simply loves fashion, or are someone who loves fabric and the art of fabric manipulation (which is generaly called clothing), this tome is an excellent resource for information on up-and-coming fashion and designers. As a textiles & apparel major I find this book to be a great source of inspiration, but the layout, the wealth of large beautiful photos, and the artistic design of the book itself would make it a great coffee table book. The book is also a great bargain on Amazon, I have seen it for sale in several stores for upwards of $90. If I could give it more than five stars I would! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Commercial - Fashion Design    4. Design - Textile & Costume    5. Fashion    6. Popular Culture - General    7. Art / Fashion    8. Fashion design    9. Individual designers   

Editorial Review

Madeleine Vionnet's greatest distinction as a designer was her discovery of the bias cut. Cutting patterns along the bias forces the fabric to cling to the body and move with it, which created her trademark look of draped, form-conscious clothing. When designer Issey Miyake first saw a Vionnet dress, it was like the first time he saw Read more

Reviews (17)

Fashion Architect
Being an architect (of buildings) I appreciate Madeleine Vionnet's approach to clothing "architecture."It is a pleasure analyzing the patterns and looking at the results in the gowns.Some of the gowns are very contemporary-looking and would be appropriate on today's "red carpet" events.It is a worthy and significant addition to any library

Designer skilled beyond belief
I have always admired photos of Vionnet's gowns.Not until I read this book did I have the slightest inkling of the genius in her work.She was truly an architect of clothing for the body.The book shows photos of each garment accompanied by pattern illustrations to show how the garment was constructed.Pure amazement.A wonderful book to give to anyone working with fabric, from fiber artists to homemakers.
Inspiring!
Though I have not read this book through I have paged through completely and it is a wonder visually.It has amazing photos along with patterns and history of many of Vionnet's creations.This book can be enjoyed by pattern makers, designers, history buffs and clothes horses.
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Biography    4. Commercial - Fashion Design    5. Dressmaking    6. Fashion    7. Fashion design    8. France    9. History    10. Patterns    11. Vionnet, Madeleine    12. Women costume designers    13. Biography: general    14. Photography / General   

Reviews (4)

MYBOOK
I THINK I WANT TO BE A FASHION DESIGNER IS A GREAT BOOK TO READ SO THAT I CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT DESIGNING.I CANT WAIT TO READ IT AGAIN. I LEARNED TO NEVER GIVE UP ON AN IDEA.YOU WILL NEVER KNOW IF YOU WILL MAKE IT OR NOT IF YOU DON'T TRY.I LEARNED MANNEQUINS ARE FOR CLOTHING THAT I DESIGN.IF THERE IS A MISTAKE ON THE DRESS, IT IS A PRACTICE DRESS.IF I MAKE IT RIGHT THE NEXT TIME, IT IS A DRESS THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO DESIGN FOR MANY MANY TIMES.

Really nice book!
This is a really nice book.Lots of glossy color photos of star designers add to the enjoyment of reading this book.It's great for little or big girls interested in fashion.I especially liked the story of the little girl who made up a new kind of mitten.She's been very successful with her efforts.It shows that not everyone has to go to design school to be a success in the field.

great color pictures
This book is a great way to see how fashion works and all the things that is in the job the pictures are great if youre thinking about being a fashion designer than you need to buy this ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art - Fashion    2. Careers    3. Children's 9-12 - Careers    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    5. Children: Grades 3-4    6. Fashion design    7. Fashion designers    8. Juvenile literature    9. Vocational guidance    10. Juvenile Nonfiction / School & Education   

Reviews (1)

Dior
Francoise Giroud's book about Christian Dior is one of the best studies of the great couturier and his fashion house.The text is highly informative and there are plentiful illustrations and photos (color and black and white) of Dior's creations, clients, friends, homes, etc, in short everything that was part of his life.There is also information about the designers who worked for the house after Dior's death, Yves Saint-Laurent and Marc Bohan.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Dior, Christian    3. Fashion    4. Fashion design    5. Fashion designers    6. France    7. Health/Fitness    8. Paris    9. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (9)

A huge disappointment to genuine fashionistas
I couldn't disagree more heartily with those who recommended this book as a "beautiful coffee table book." At this price and with this subject matter this could have been a truly amazing look at the history of the House of Chanel and it's transition from the early years of Coco to the present leadershiop of Karl Lagerfeld. The text is mediocre and the photos are terrible. The general visual quality of the book is absolutely reprehensible.The dresses are all reproduced in a poor quality "Liz Taylor in the White Diamonds commercial" fake fuzzy lens. There is not one really great photo of an actual garment in this entire book. As someone who saw the actual exhibit the book is based on, I feel the Metropolitan really missed on this one. The exhibit itself was magnificent, this poorly concieved book is a complete dud. Save your money for one of the many other books detailing the life and work of Coco Chanel.

FABULOUS BOOK
Well worth your money.Beautifully done.Not only is it a lovely coffee table book, it is a book you will look at many times.

A Complete Delight
The book is filled with detailed images of beautiful couture garments. A must have for anyone interested in fashion. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1883-1971    2. 20th century    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Artists, Architects, Photographers    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Chanel, Coco,    8. Exhibitions    9. Fashion    10. Fashion design    11. France    12. General    13. History    14. Rich & Famous    15. Women    16. Women fashion designers    17. Art / General    18. Biography: general   

Reviews (4)

Disappointed
I ordered this book because of it's 5-star rating.When it arrived, I found the purses to be more artsy/craftsy where I was expecting something upscale and designer-like.My fault, the cover photos should have given me a clue.Anyway, I was disappointed and ended up returning the book.

Great ideas from simple to intricate
This book had purses for everyone, sewers and non-sewers, old and young, small and large.The purses are hip and the patterns are easy to understand.I already had some of the patterns but they even presented them in a better way with great step-by-step COLOR photos.

Fabulous!
I never bother with reviews, but this book was so wonderful that I couldn't help myself.It was inspiring, full of wonderful, clearly photographed instructions, and left this non-sewer feeling as if I could really pull these off.
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Subjects:  1. Art Needlework    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Fashion    5. Handbags    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Needlework - General    8. Dressmaking & tailoring   

Reviews (8)

One of the BEST!!
I don't think that I can say anymore than whats alreasy been said about how ABSOLUTELY GREAT this book is. Excellent
A great book for more advanced Designers, show you different presentations of portfolio...Great but I wish that the pictures were in colors not in B&W.

~Did What I Needed It To Do~
I purchased this book to help me with my portfolio layout for acceptance to the Fashion Institute of Technology.Although I needed to follow FITs guidelines, I feel that I gained a lot of great knowledge and excellent ideas and inspiration by referencing this book before submitting my portfolio to FIT.I am proud to say that I was accepted and will now be referencing the book to put together my portfolio for interviews in the industry. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Design - General    4. Fashion    5. Fashion design    6. Fashion designers    7. Fashion drawing    8. Marketing    9. Fashion & beauty industries    10. Textile arts   

Subjects:  1. Art Needlework    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Fashion    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Needlework - Embroidery    7. Embroidery   

Reviews (6)

The Fashion and Fantasy of Bob Mackie
Wonderful book!Such gorgeous pictures and I loved the Bob Mackie story too.My only complaint is that it just wasn't long enough.....hoping for a sequel.

Deliriously happy at [any price!]
I bought Unmistakably Mackie after drooling over the book for nearly a year. It is beautiful, it is entertaining, it is over the top, it is history. It is also a fine education in costume design and fashion illustration. Unmistakably Mackie -- if you love fashion...you'll love Bob
WOW! WOW! WOW!Unmistakably Mackie is a fabulous fashion book!This is by far my favorite book!The photography is stunning.The creative type layouts are imaginative.The sketches are wonderful.Anyone interested incostume &/or fashion design will LOVE this book writen by Frank DeCaro("Style over Substance" columnist for the NY Times).Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Commercial - Fashion Design    5. Costume    6. Fashion    7. Fashion design    8. Fashion designers    9. History    10. Mackie, Bob    11. Motion picture actors and actresses    12. Pictorial works    13. United States    14. Photography / Fashion   

Reviews (15)

Fabulous
I absolutely loved this book.Du Plessix Gray describes her parents' lives with insight, intelligence, honesty and humor.She offers us a behind-the-scenes look into a world that its inhabitants were obsessed with keeping hidden from view.The degree to which her parents' lives intersected with the history of the twentieth century is amazing.Unlike most memoirs, Du Plessix Gray delves into the historical context of her parents' lives.The pace never lags; I was enthralled from the first page to the last.

Insipid People, Insipid Book
I wish life could give me back the 4 days of my life wasted reading this trash. Why anyone should be interested in these people is a complete mystery to me. They are vain, shallow, self-absorbed, artless and tasteless faux aristocratic social climbers with no redeeming value other than to be at the right place at the right time armed with a well-honed ability to suck up to those in power.
The Double Edge of Intimacy
Francine du Plessix Gray's Them is a powerful family memoir set against the backdrops of the Russian Revolution and World War II.Surviving either of these cataclysms would be dramatic enough, but du Plessix Gray's mother, Tatiana Yacolevna, and step father, Alexander Liberman successfully negotiate both to become fashion icons in post-war New York.Tatiana's chaste love affair with Soviet poetry great V. Mayakovsky and the heroic death of her first husband in the French resistance add grand backdrop against which Them plays out.
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Subjects:  1. 1906-1991    2. 1912-    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography And Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Child Care/Parenting    9. Emigration And Immigration    10. IAkovleva, Tatiana,    11. Immigrants    12. Liberman, Alexander,    13. New York    14. New York (State)    15. Parental Memoirs    16. Personal Memoirs    17. Rich & Famous    18. Russians    19. Women    20. Women fashion designers    21. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Reviews (5)

Chanel Bio is everything it should be.
I found it strange that some readers gave negative or highly critical reviews of this biography.Someone even commented on the difficulty in reading the French names!It's a little late to change Chanel's nationality and thank God!This biography is successful on a number of levels but primarily two: it recounts the fascinating life, in great detail, of the late Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel and it puts her professional contribution to the world in context.On a personal level, her life-story reads as a Dickens novel.Her's is a truly "rags-to-riches" story.Chanel was a woman who created a life and a legend against the odds.She was one of those rare and stunning creatures rising from practically nothing to become a household name.Her family was destitute.Her father abandoned her at an orphanage.Her attempts in music and theatre came to nothing.Her sewing skills were atrocious!Only after a young gentleman named Balsan recognized her talent through her unconventional beauty did her true potential begin to emerge.Chanel knew all of the greatest people of her age: Stravinsky, Cocteau, Dali, Misia Sert, and the Duke of Westminster, among others.Many of these people she knew intimately.How tragic that even after these acquaintances and global successes as a designer, Chanel never really found success in love.Professionally, the impact of her designs are still with us today and influencing generations of new designers and artists.From a perspective of fashion, Chanel almost single-handedly pulled the 19th century world into the modern age by pulling women out of corsets and sliding them into pants.The "little black dress" and classic Chanel suit are not only articles of clothing, they are timeless works of art.Madsen has succeeded in writing a biography that does not fall short as other books on Chanel have in the past.His biography begins BEFORE her birth and continues on AFTER her death.He explores her roots and discusses the ongoing impact of her life, while filling in all the opulent details in between.If you want to know who Chanel was and why she is still so important today, pick up this book.Now if they would only do a feature film treatment!

Chanel book review
I agree with the other 2 reviewers.This book is very difficult to follow and the author jumps from character to character and topic to topic too frequently.The pictures are nice, but I feel the author could have done a better job at creating more excitement and interest for the reader.

Not Captivating!
I did not enjoy this book and wished I did my own research on a better author to portray Coco Chanel. It was lengthy in boring details and never developed a true feeling for the subject matter. Coco lead an extremely captivating life - so I find it difficult to believe that someone could write such a book lacking in depth! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Artists, Architects, Photographers    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Fashion design    6. Fashion designers    7. France    8. Women fashion designers   

Reviews (4)

Costume Design in the Movies: An illistrated guide to the work of 157 great designers
I love fashion & many great designs were done by the designers for the old movie studios. It was interesting reading about how designers came up with ideas of an outfit to cover flaws or accent a movie star (i.e. Barbara Stanwycks low butt, Crawfords shoulder pads).

Fantastic Book For Classic Movie Lovers
One of my favorite things about watching classic films is seeing all the amazing fashions! This book is a great collection of photos of classic stars wearing classic costumes. Lots of stars are in here including Bette Davis, Norma Shearer, Carole Landis, Lana Turner, Joan Crawford, and Irene Dunne. You will learn who designed each outfit and there is a little biographical information about the designers too.

Simply fabulous!
I am a costume designer and have had this book in my research collection for about 10 years.It is one of my top favorites.I have turned to this book for inspiration countless times. They just don't make clothing like this anymore!The hair and makeup styles are also well represented. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Costume    3. Design - Textile & Costume    4. Fashion design    5. Fashion designers    6. Film & Video - History & Criticism    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. Textiles & Costume    9. Performing Arts / General   

Reviews (4)

Great research
i used this book to help me with a research paper on fashions reflections of society's morals. i loved the format and it was so useful. i learned so much and appreciated the truthfulness.

Elegance, Imagination, Attitude - We've Come So Far!
VOGUE was launched in New York on December 17, 1892. This outstanding book chronicles more than just a century of fashion. Written with in-depth focus, this gorgeous book hits on the pulse of the attitudes, societal values, and social elegance that the designer's portrayed, as well as how American culture was reinvented decade after decade. This is one outstanding book, and shows just how far we've come. Special thanks to Linda Watson for an outstanding job in bringing the 20th century to life. Simply FANTASTIC!

biographies of 245 international fashion designers
Vogue Twentieth Century Fashion - 100 Years of Style by Decade and Designer is another superb book, which we recommend. Written by Linda Watson it is very informative and also has the status of a coffee table book. The book contains the biographies of 245 international fashion designers and couturiers. It starts off with a description about the various fashion decades of the 20th Century. Entertaining are the quotes from old Vogue magazines about the latest fashion trends. The oldest Vogue, which is quoted is from 19 August 1909. Needless to say that there are many pictures and photos on each page. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Beauty & Grooming - General    5. Commercial - Fashion Design    6. Fashion    7. Fashion designers    8. History    9. Subjects & Themes - Fashion    10. Art / Fashion    11. Clothing and dress - History    12. Fashion - History    13. Fashion designers - History   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Blass, Bill    4. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum    5. Commercial - Fashion Design    6. Costume design    7. Exhibitions    8. Fashion    9. Fashion designers    10. Individual Artist    11. Pictorial works    12. United States    13. Art / Fashion    14. Fashion design    15. Individual artists    16. Individual designers    17. USA   

Reviews (9)

Very highly recommended for any collection strong in both fashion history and books on collectibles
Eye-catching from the start, HANDBAG CHIC: 200 YEARS OF DESIGNER FASHION features a good chain on the side to provide the illusion of a handbag book: open it up and you'll find the eye-catching strategy continues with full-page color photos of handbags which are unique creations indeed. Descriptions beside each photo include maker, year, materials used, and the latest price. From needlepoint bags to decoupage lunchbox handbags, beaded bags, metal clutches and more, nearly every kind of designer bag holds a place. Very highly recommended for any collection strong in both fashion history and books on collectibles.
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS BAG BOOK-GOOD PICTURES-BAD PRICE GUIDE!
I am really amazed - UPSET AND MISTIFIEDat this author and her lack of knowledge on the quality of the VINTAGE-(BACK SECTION OF BOOK) LUCITE~BAKELITE handbags in her book-THE PRICES ARE TOTALLY OUT OF LINE!HIGH ON THE CHEAP-LOW ON THE BEST???
Handbag Chic
HANDBAG CHIC is a wonderful book!It is very informative with many high quality purses ranging from a rare, early Theorem purse to beautiful 20th century needle worked and leather examples. The circa 1840 painted straw purse had me green with envy.The cover is imaginatively designed as a purse, complete with a chain handle on the spine!The photography is of a very high quality, making details easy to see.I consider this a great addition to my collection of books on purses and a must have for purse and couture collectors everywhere. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Textiles & Costume   

Reviews (1)

A must-have in any fashion and art lover's personal library.
Once again, another Stephen Gan masterpiece! Visionnaire 2000 works as a wondrous visual delight for anyone who adores the fashion world, art, and design in general. The format (text and visuals) is neat and appealing, andthe photography memorable. As a sort of modern-day encyclopedia offashion's most eccentric and notable renegades, this colorful documentaryis both inspirational and entertaining. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Commercial - Fashion Design    4. Fashion    5. Fashion design    6. Fashion designers    7. Photo Essays    8. Pictorial works    9. Non-Classifiable