"The term 'costume jewelry' was coined in the twentieth century for the use of non-precious metals and jewels for human adornment. This illustrated book surveys the exquisite range of costume jewelry produced by haute couture fashion houses, a subject until now overlooked by both historians and fashion cognoscenti alike. It showcases the extraordinary diversity and exceptional craftsmanship of the jewelry in hundreds of beautifully reproduced pieces from such fashion houses as Chanel, Courreges, Yves Saint Laurent and Lanvin."--BOOK JACKET.
More than 150,000 people work in haute couture. Many of them labour behind the scenes, applying their talents in ateliers devoted to creativity and meticulous attention to detail. This beautiful book takes the reader behind the fashion scenes, allowing the best haute couture designers, embroiderers, leather craftsmen, lacemakers, perfumiers and jewelers to share their work. The books specially taken photographs show step-by-step the complex processes behind the creation of each piece of clothing or jewelry, while many other stunning pictures capture the beauty of the fabrics, materials, dresses and ornaments.
Published to accompany an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute, December 1995-March 1996. A lovely presentation of designs that exemplify the rise of haute couture--that is, fashion driven by the artistic expression of the designer rather than by the dictates of clients. The thoroughly captioned selections represent the history of haute couture from its beginings in mid-19th century Paris to the present-day creations of major designers. Tailoring and dressmaking techniques as well as the decoration produced by embroiderers, beaders, lace makers, feather workers, and other craftspeople are discussed in the explanatory text. No bibliography. Distributed by Abrams. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
This sumptuously illustrated book surveys the exquisite range of costume jewelry produced by haute couture fashion houses, a subject until now overlooked by historians and fashion cognoscenti alike. The term “costume jewelry” was coined in the twentieth century for the use of non-precious metals and jewels for human adornment. This book showcases the extraordinary diversity and exceptional craftsmanship of this jewelry in hundreds of beautifully reproduced pieces from such fashion houses as Chanel, Balenciaga, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Lanvin, Schiaparelli, and Givenchy. “A time capsule of creativity.” ~ Dallas Morning News
Tracing the evolution of fashion-from the early draped fabrics of ancient times to the catwalk couture of today, Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style is a stunningly illustrated guide to more than three thousand years of shifting trends and innovative developments in the world of clothing. With a wealth of breathtaking spreads-from ancient Egyptian dress to Space Age Fashion and Grunge-and information on icons like Marie Antoinette, Clara Bow, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Alexander McQueen, Fashion will captivate anyone interested in style-whether it's the fashion-mad teen in Tokyo, the wannabe designer in college, or the fashionista intrigued by the violent origins of the stiletto and the birth of bling.
Examines costume jewelry, covers all the major designers and styles from the 1920s to the present day, and documents the influence of changing fashion, social developments, and materials on jewelry design.
The first illustrated monograph dedicated to the history of the House of Worth, the world’s pioneering haute couture label Arriving in Paris in 1845, at the age of twenty and with only a few francs in his pocket, Charles Frederick Worth would go on to build the most prominent, innovative, and successful fashion house of the century. He was inspired by a love of fine art, luxurious fabrics, and his vision of the female ideal, and was the first to set out to dictate new styles and silhouettes to his elite clientele— not the other way around. He hosted them in his rue de la Paix salons, which included groundbreaking sportswear and maternity departments as well as silk, velvet, and brocade rooms, and a special salon with closed shutters and gas lighting designed to allow clients to try on ball gowns in lighting conditions precisely matched to those of the event at which they would be worn. Organized chronologically and illustrated with striking ensembles, paintings, and documents sourced from both private family archives and the best fashion collections from museums around the world, The House of Worth is an inspiring tribute to the house that started it all.
- Definitive, comprehensive overview of costume jewelry- Follows the evolution of costume jewelry from bourgeois France to the present day- Lavishly illustrated reference book - a must-buy for jewelry enthusiasts and fashion historians- Includes a remarkable range of designers including Lalique, Fouquet, Dior, Balenciaga, Versace and many moreINFORMATION SHEET Costume jewelry is commonly understood to mean fashionable yet affordable adornments made from non-precious material. Originating in in mid-1700s France with the rise of the bourgeoise, the earliest 'costume jewelry' mimicked fine jewelry styles. Since then, costume jewelry has always been evolving. From Victorian sentimentalism to the mass-produced ornaments available today, costume jewelry has developed into an artform in its own right. An encyclopedic study of its history is long overdue. Flush with expert information, identification tips and historical anecdotes, Adorning Fashion explores the development of costume jewelry across the past four centuries. The styles of each era - Victorian, Edwardian, Arts & Crafts, Jugenstil, Art Nouveau, and each decade of the twentieth century - are given individual attention. Production methods are also explained in depth. Alloys and gilded electroplating can mimic silver and gold, while the refraction index of treated glass can, to the untrained eye, be mistaken for diamond. Adorning Fashion discusses the contributions of a remarkable roster of designers and innovators, including Kokichi Mikimoto, Arthur L. Liberty, Carlo Giuliano, René Lalique, Elizabeth Bonté, the Castellani brothers, Jean Fouquet, Jean Després, Fulco di Verdura, Jean Schlumberger, Salvador Dalí, Miriam Haskell, Lina Baretti, Countess Cissy Zoltowska, Line Vautrin, Kenneth Jay Lane, Francisco Rebajes, Diane Love, Christian Dior, Balenciaga, Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels, Paco Rabanne, Yves Saint Laurent, Napier, Haskell, Trifari, Brania, Bulgari, Versace and more.
