Product Description
This comprehensive new book celebrates over 550 top quality handbags by leading and unknown designers the world over, dating from 1759 to 2004, with detailed information to describe their outstanding qualities. These carefully selected handbags are arranged by their primary materials and chronologically within each chapter, for easy reference and interesting comparisons. Here fine leather, fabric, metal, beaded, skin, and plastic handbags from all over Europe, England, Canada, The United States, and Asia appear in over 600 beautiful color photographs. Examples appear from the design houses of Adele Handbags, Asprey, Bergdorf Goodman, Bonnie Cashin for Coach, Cartier, Chanel, Coblentz, Collins of Texas, deLillo, Elizabeth Arden, Emilio Pucci, Fendi, Givenchy, Gucci, Halston, Hermes, I. Miller, Joret, Judith Lieber, Keiselstein-Cort, Llewellen, Mandalian, Mark Cross, Marvel, Nettie Rosenstein, Patricia of Miami, Pierre Cardin, Raoul Calabro, Rialto, Roger Van S., Ronay, Rosenfeld, sydney love, Tiffany, Tropic, Tyrolean, Virginia Merrill, Viva, Whiting & Davis Co., Wilardy Original, Zandra Rhodes, and many more. An extensive Glossary, informative Resources section, Bibliography, and Index make this book friendly while instructional, securing an important place in the libraries of fashion historians, vintage clothing buffs, antique dealers, and accessories collectors alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

$50 is alot to spend on a nice cover.
As an owner of over 100 handbags, I was very disappointed with this book. Despite its' beautiful cover, most of the bags are very ordinary and many of the most important handbag designers of the last 200 years are overlooked.

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.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

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???
- She has photographed (I am sure at great expense) many plastic purses - yes plastic - not LUCITE OR BAKELITE...- lower quality , poor quality manufacturers and priced them at astronomically high prices....and yet the great bags with the top-best qualitymanufacturer names, are put in the same price catagory , or less, and there are very few unusual shapes, colors and designs that we all seek today.She did not go to the collectors and use their bags so that you can really see what was made back then and why they are so sought after today - justifying the high prices for the unusual colors-stones and shapes made.The cost of this book is not the problem , if you want a fancy coffee table book - - the information is.It lacks more in depth information on the history of his kind of bag.

The best book out there is the Kate Donner book - but don't waste your money on the new one if you have the old one - it is also the same pictures - but again, the prices are out of line and totally not within todays going numbers.If you want a book for pictures buy Donners book - this one is a total waste of money - maybe for the soft cover, but don't buy this hard cover book unless you want a coffee table book.

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.

GREAT PHOTOS AND A VERY INFORMATIVE, GORGEOUS BOOK!
As an avid antique purse collector, I am always looking to learn more about my passionate hobby. Desire successfully expanded my knowledge by providing me with a wide range of information that I had previously been unaware of. Her Glossary taught me so much I did not already know. I love the fact that her book spanned from the very early year 1759 to the present. This is a very comprehensive book with so many gorgeous pictures. If you are a handbag lover, you should not miss owning this gorgeous book! ... Read more

Product Description
A Global and Unique Collection of Hot Emerging Fashion Designers; New Affordable Price and Design.

Beneath the feminine and lacy mystique of Phaidon's new paperback edition of SAMPLE: 100 FASHION DESIGNERS 10 CURATORS is a backstage pass to a global and unique contemporary fashion show.Truly international in scope, SAMPLE presents 100 of the world's most creative and outstanding emerging fashion designers working today, selected by 10 of the most respected figures in the field - including Alexander McQueen, Brana Wolf, Tim Blanks and recent Oscar nominee for costume design, Arianne Phillips.

SAMPLE features exceptional young designers from the four fashion capitals and dozen of other locations around the world from Auckland to Vienna.Designers selected include Lara Bohinc, a Slovenian-born jeweler who is now experimenting with men's jewellery while consulting for Cartier; Osaka-based Cosmic Wonder whose collections of wearable clothing have been presented as mysterious installations in Parisian art galleries; New York-based Costello Tagliapietra, a collection composed only of jersey dresses and Fabia Bercsek, a Sao Paulo designer who samples graphics and holograms into prints reinventing Brazilian street wear with a retro glamour.

This new edition follows the creative inspiration of its hardback original predecessor, whose pleated-paper cover and varying page dimension has made it a much sought after collector's item. Edited by fashion writer Bronwyn Cosgrave and designed by Julia Hasting, the book has a delicate lace-embossed cover that speaks to the inherent femininity of fashion and design. SAMPLE's unique content reveals rare and archival material, including formative design sketches, computer renderings and candid backstage photographs.Fashion designers contributed extensive original material to the projects, from Missoni fabric swatches to Christopher Bailey's hand-drawn sketches just for this book.

With 1,000 color illustrations, SAMPLE illustrates the processes behind seasonal collections, as well as showcases final pieces from the realms of men's wear, woman's wear, shoes, hats and accessories.Concise, descriptive texts by the curators explain the designers' work and the characteristics that make their fashion truly groundbreaking.

SAMPLE paperback edition is an affordable and unique collectors' item for the style-conscious as well as an indispensable reference tool for anyone with an interest in fashion today.Amazon.com Review
Images from Sample

... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

stylish exquisite
Alleen de omslag al: maagdelijk wit en in vijftien ongelijke vouwen geplisseerd, kledingelastiekje met een labeltje - 100 Fashion Designers, 010 Curators - eromheen. Binnenin blijken de katernen schots en scheef te zijn afgesneden.
Dat belooft wat.
Voor dit luxueuze modeboek Samples vroeg uitgeefster Phaidon tien vooraanstaande internationale modecritici en -ontwerpers elk tien ontwerpers (vaak duo-samenwerkingen) te selecteren, waarvan zij verwachten dat ze tussen nu en vijf jaar het modebeeld bepalen. Niet alleen jong en ernstig hip, ook 40-plussers die gezichts-en imagobepalende ontwerpen maakten voor Burberry (Christopher Bailey) en Prada Uomo (Neill Barrett).
Net als Bailey en Barrett werken de Amerikanen Robert Tagliapietra en Jeffrey Costello in vroeg 20e eeuwse traditie. Ze inspireren zich op Mme Grès' gedrapeerde japonnen maar voeren hun ontwerpen in hedendaagse soepele breisels uit.
Het duo vulde zelf hun twee spreads met nogal gortdroge schetsjes en foto's. Anderen presenteren zich met overbelichte polairoidjes, arty videostills en moodboards (om stijlen en hun gebruikers te visualiseren). Uiteraard ontbreekt de reguliere, gelikte modefotografie niet.
Dit maakt onderling vergelijken lastig. Eén stijl valt er niet uit te distilleren.
De samensteller rept van een "global-local" tendens waarin ontwerpers nu teruggrijpen naar folkloristische kleding, zoals rond 1990 al gebeurde. Bladerend merk je dat men vooral exuberant-decoratieve stijlen en motieven uit de jaren twintig of zeventig recyclet.
Japanse couturiers met de meest idiote namen - Multiple Marmelade, Theatre Products, A Bathing Ape, Cosmic Wonder, Potto - durven het meest. Zij weten zich immers geruggesteund door een koopkrachtige thuismarkt. Typisch Tokio-hip zijn de schijnbaar letterlijk uitvergrote meisjespoppenkleertjes van het ontwerptrio Baby, The Stars Shine Bright (...)
Ook geselecteerd zijn de nodige hoog gehakte open muiltjes, sieraden en accescoires. Shaun Leane maakt die bijvoorbeeld voor Alexander McQueen, die hem ook selecteerde. Een dame in verknipte flamenco-jurk lijkt zichzelf aan meegedragen speren te spiesen. Je moet denken aan die Chinese generaals met vlaggen op hun rug, uit de traditionele Peking opera. Bizar is een aluminium ruggengraat over een lurex pak
De "selectiecommissie" keek verder dan alleen de modesteden Londen, Parijs, Milaan en New York en signaleerde ook wat gebeurt in Melbourne, Majorca, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Dakar (Oumou Sy) en het Arnhemse Spijkerkwartier, centrum van Dutch Fashiondesign. Hier selecteerde de Belgische modeontwerper/docent Walter Van Beirendonck het duo G+N (Gerrit Uittenboogaard en Natasja Martens). Van Beirendonck looft hun draagbare en frisse combinatie van geometrie met vervreemdende details: een soort kaasgatenkraag bijvoorbeeld. Verder koos hij het cartoonesk gedecoreerde werk van Bas Kosters.
In Rio verwerkt Isabel Capeto lokale stoffen met etnische motieven tot een soort neo-folkloristische kleding met seventies-uitstraling. Wat het meest beklijft uit deze keuze is allereerst de geraffineerd vervormde, klassieke motieven op gedeconstrueerde pakken van Under Cover uit Tokio. Verder overtuigen "onze" Viktor & Rolf met een grandioosevenwicht tussen concept en traditie.
Dat momenteel andere dingen in de wereld spelen, blijkt alleen bij de Belg Raf Simons. Een man in parachutistenpak met militaire tres, pakje Marlboro in een mouwzakje, verbergt zijn hoofd onder een zwarte Bedoeienen-sluier. Dat ontregelende, hybride beeld laat je niet los.

disappointed by cover
I have seen this book in stores and love it, however when i ordered it it arrived without the beautiful cover its famous for and which i expected from the product description it would have. The content, i presume, is still the same and therefore makes it a great reference book but i was very disappointed it didn't have the beautiful white pleated paper cover.

book
My Mother in Law said she really liked the book.It was a gift so I didn't actually see it myself.

Secret Treasure
I accidentally discovered this book in my college's library and just had to have my own copy! I bought the paperback version and it's a lot more comfortable and manageable than the hardcover (which has various page widths that are hard to turn and looks chopped up), and costs much less too! Some of the designers featured are very bizarre and unpractical but still very inspirational!

The book not only features clothing from international designers from all sorts of various places (including Asia, South America, etc) but it also features jewelry, shoes, accessories, and ...spear designs. Definitely a must have.

decoration
It presents recent collections from interesting designers from all over the world. It serves as a good introduction to some of them, so afterwards you can get to know each one's collection better. Good reviews, very nice images. And apart from that, a very nice book to use as a decoration for your office. : ) ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Following the evolution of fashion from the beginning of the twentieth century to its culmination, this volume takes in all the diversions, influxes and crossroads along the way. A decade by decade account of all the prevailing fashion for the period and its most influential designers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Fabulous for Students
This book is fantastic simply for the amount of information it contains, both about designers and info about the particular decade of fashion. Just buy it, especially if u r a student on a limited budget.

THE book of 20th Century fashion
This is the book on fashion - if you only want to buy one book about fashion in the twentieth century, this is the one to buy. Even if you have many books already, buy this anyway. The pictures are fantastic - a great mix of the classics (Dovima and the Elephants is of course included) and some you may not have seen before - and the prose is great, not too flowery but still capturing the art and drama that is fashion. Organised chronologically by decade, this book includes not just an overview of each era, but also informative sections on most of the major designers, including some of the oft-forgotten pioneers such as Lanvin, Fortuny, McCardell and Capucci. There are also articles on various aspects of the fashion industry, from how the clothes are made the idols of each era, costumes in the movies and many more. A beautiful book to look at as well as one of the most informative non-scholarly, this is a fantastic book for any fashionista, whether a total devotee or someone just new to the charms of fashion.he

If you only buy one, buy this one
One reviewer said if you have "Couture" dont buy this.Remember Couture is 20 years out-of-date and mostly black and white.This is the book for every fashion student who wants to know each decade's celebrities, looks, designers, etc.It is the whole course in a nutshell (well rather a big heavy nutshell) but still, if you only buy one, buy this one.

Text Book Worthy
"Fashion" by Seeling is the best book out on the market today when it comes to a survey of 20th century fashion.It is full of fabulous photographs, great historical data, and lists a plethora of designers including more current ones that "Couture" does not.This book is being used as the course textbook for the class "The Great Designers" at Marymount University in Arlington, VA.Thank you to Seeling for providing us with such a great "jumping off" point for our class discussions!

Good Review
Excellent photographic journey of 20th century style -- not only clothing, but hair and make-up as well.Very similar to COUTURE: THE GREAT DESIGNERS by Caroline Milbank and includes many of the same photos and drawings. FASHION is about 200 pages longer than COUTURE, however, and thereforeincludes more information, plus is somewhat less costly.If you alreadyhave COUTURE, you already have FASHION -- no need to buy both unless it'san area of detailed research. ... Read more

Product Description
Polyester: The Indestructible Fashion is a picture book which explores the art of prints in collectible and wearable polyester clothing from the 1970s. Over 330 creative photographs of men's and women's clothing were taken in high-energy, urban settings to present this dynamic clothing that projects energy of its own. Today, in the late 1990s, the younger generation has embraced polyester once again! Not only are today's fashion designers clamoring to redesign the styles from the past, but the market is growing, too, for the exciting, one-of-a-kind, vintage pieces. This is truly a style of fashion that will not fade. The author has produced fashion shows in Philadelphia from his extensive collection of polyester clothing. He is a physical education teacher, artist, and part-time student at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Where does Schiffer find these people?
I have been finding it hard to take any fashion book from this publisher seriously. I can count on Schiffer for books by amateurs written by beginners, of which I am neither. Buyer beware. ... Read more

Product Description
Producing a book on fashion in the 1980s is not merely a question of immortalizingone of the most feverish periods of invention, creativity, and variety in our recent history. It also means providing a window on the increasingly pervasive advance of show-business society, and on the origins of the designer "total living" environment in which we are now permanently submerged. Ralph Lauren pillowcases, anyone? How about a sip of Absolut from my Calvin Klein Home champagne glasses?
Excess: Fashion and the Underground in the 80s chronicles the achievements of the fashion establishment in Italy and the rest of the world via its protagonists and trends. It considers the who, what, where, when, and why of an industry that has become an economic phenomenon, with enormous influence on global culture and communication. It catalogues a world in which fashions by Armani, Versace, Valentino, Gianfranco Ferré, Fendi, Missoni, Moschino, Dolce & Gabbana, Fiorucci, Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Katherine Hamnett, Azzedine Alaïa, Calvin Klein, and John Galliano appear in magazines like Vogue, Elle, Donna, Mondo Uomo, Harper's Bazaar, The Face, i-D, Interview, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Visionaire. It features work by 80s hotshot artists like Helmut Newton, Bruce Weber, Cindy Sherman, Nan Goldin, Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer, Robert Mapplethorpe, Barbara Kruger, Gilbert & George, Pierre et Gilles, and Leigh Bowery.
Empirically organized as an index, Excess offers an indispensable point of reference for fashionistas, critics, and students. Rather than operating chronologically, it functions thematically, under such categories as Career Women, Sexy Women, American Gigolo, Night Clubbing, Wild Boys, Yuppies, and Graffiti. A special section curated by Peter de Potter is dedicated to the Neo ‘80s, featuring fashions by Jeremy Scott, Louis Vuitton, Berhard Willhelm, Balenciaga, Veronique Branquinho, and Bottega Veneta, as seen in the pages of Butt, Dazed & Confused, SleazeNation, Spin, Self Service, and Another Magazine. Additionally included are a series of appendices--equally balanced between mainstream and underground--which catalogue the new professions, new words, and new fashions.

Edited by Maria Luisa Frisa and Stefano Tonchi. Essays by Stefano Tonchi, Ingrid Sischy, Guy Trebay and Peter De Potter.

Paperback, 6.75 x 9.25 in./446 pgs / 700 color. ... Read more

Product Description
The new standard work on fashion, lavishly illustrated with more than 1,000 full color photos!

The word fashion connotes glamour, creativity, and the expression of a certain attitude toward life. This book is devoted to the legendary world of fashion, from its origins in the late nineteenth century to the present. Which social, historical, and cultural developments coalesced to allow fashion to become what it is today? Which designers had especially significant impact on their fashion era with extensive portraits of the ground-breaking fashion icons and countless expressive photographs. The result is a comprehensive portrayal of the rapid development of fashion from the liberation of women from the corset all the way to the minimalist and luxurious, playful and sober, conservative and revolutionary creations of modern designers. ... Read more

Product Description
Technological factors are becoming increasingly important in fashion design because of the far-ranging decisions which the designer has to make involving cutting, fusibles, sewing, pressing, finishing and quality at the sampling stage. Today, the designer has to understand the basics of the technologies involved in order to make informed decisions, which will affect the feasibility and costs of his designs and serve his employers interests best. This handbook is designed to provide students and professionals with the fundamental principles of clothing technology in relation to their own work of design, pattern cutting and supervision of a sample making section. ... Read more

Product Description
In this book Francesca Alfano Miglietti offers a collection of everything that has created scandal, enthusiasm, excitement and a sense of participation in fashion, and examines the construction and de-construction of our bodies and our identities, beginning with what we wear and the relationship our clothes have with all that is contemporary. In 44 interviews, previously published in the Italian art magazine Virus, designers and photographers define their concept of fashion. The simple yet extravagant style of Ann Demeulemeester, the multiethnic contaminations of Romeo Gigli, the nihilist and aggressive look of Alexander McQueen, the erotic and ironic play of Anna Molinari, the irreverence and unpredictability of Jean-Paul Gaultier, the audacity of the queen of fashion Vivienne Westwood, and more are discussed and illustrated in this highly-readable and visually delightful book. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Focuses on fashion design from idea to the retail store. ... Read more

Product Description
38 Profiles of Afro-American designers and textile artist from 1850 to the present. @ designers are from jamaica, W.I., 1 is from Ghana. Featuring Ann Lowe who designed Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress, and Elizabeth Keckley, who designed for Mary Lincoln. others are profiled domonstrating their srtruggles & contribution to the world of fashion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Positively unique
This book stands out as something original. I enjoyed being exposed to the breadth of African American designer profiles. The people chronicled in the book deserve exposure for they are reflective of the true American spirit of individual creativity, entrepreneurship and joy of being involved in fabric, dressmaking, costume and fashion. I loved the book so much I had to gift it when I was through , it is a beautiful slice of history -

Outstanding historical perspective
Outstanding historical perspective.Well written.A book worthy of being gifted.Will be appreciated by anyone with an interest in the arts and design. ... Read more

Product Description
8.25" x 11" printed hardcover. Fashion crocheting patterns. ... Read more

Product Description
Garb: A Reader on Fashion and Culture investigates the complexity of postmodern attitudes toward dress, fashion, identity and culture through a broad range of perspectives and theoretical approaches. Diverse essays show the richness of the field, as authors from various disciplines explore the significance of fashion and fashion visual culture in the contemporary world. Four hours of filmed interviews accompany the reader and include personal stories from emerging designers and seasoned professionals.  GARB essays and interviews address contemporary topics such as: Gender, Identity, Consumption, Style and Visual Culture. Includes essays from professionals or academics in Art History, Literature, Fashion Illustration, Folklore, English and more.  Offers a broad range of perspectives that encourage readers to think beyond their specific fields and reflect on the relationship between dress, fashion, identity and culture. Four hours of filmed interviews support the essays and include conversations withemerging designers and seasoned professionals. Includes provocative insights into the field as designers comment on the future of fashion, the increasing globalization of the industry, and the price that many are willing to pay to maintain their artistic independence. Provides a forum for sharing complex personal histories and ideas and offers readers career-advice and real-world experiences from those working in the field. Professionals and those new to the fashion industry. ... Read more