Fashion Designers A-Z

Remarkable Designs of the 20th and 21st Centuries

1st January 2013 Fashion Designers A-Z is truly a beautiful book – a luscious voyage with designer greats of the 20th and 21st centuries who have changed the fashion landscape. Taschen, the German book company, has published this fascinating and stunning edition. This work is co-authored by Valerie Steele, director and curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, (and an eyewear fan – see Eyestylist 1st April 2012) and Suzy Menkes the doyenne fashion editor and influential fashion critic of the International Herald Tribune. Lavishly illustrated, the book features photos of over 500 garments from the permanent collection at the FIT Museum, with designs by Coco Chanel, Cristobal Balenciaga, Vivienne Westwood, Yves Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen among others, and the text explains the significance of each design, and its importance in fashion history.

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Akris Elegance by Albert Kriemler

The book is available as a series of six Designer Editons, bound in a fabric created by one of six designers who are ‘au courant’ today, including Akris (designed by Albert Kriemler) Stella McCartney, Missoni, Prada, and Diane Von Furstenberg. Albert Kriemler’s design (top photo) features a race car motif pattern for the Akris Edition of 2000 copies, which was created in the spirit of the devil-may-care-elegance of John Frankenheimer’s 1966 movie Grand Prix. Kriemler – whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in the beautiful atmosphere of St. Gallen Switzerland, where the company is based – is a favourite designer of Princess Charlene of Monaco. His designs subtly capture the spirit of modernity and quiet chic, as in the design from the 2011 collections (above ) in printed wool mousseline with a metal chain belt. Fashion Designers A-Z is a one-of-a-kind book – crafted by hand in Italy and individually stamped. It’s a remarkable visualisation of fashion, social history, and a poignant tribute to fashion creators. www.taschen.com www.akris.ch JG

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Article One

Akris image Copyright 2012 The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology