Cool Fashion Books?

[H-R]

This looks interesting:

http://thefashioninformer.typepad.com/informer/2011/08/historian-elyssa-dimant-takes-on-minimalism-and-fashion-.html

[Kirky]

read Yohji Yamamoto magazine before...really interesting

but don't know what this book might be about...

i remember there's a Yohji Yamamoto biography movie right?

where can i watch it?

[michael_kard]

I'd like a recommendation for a book that gives a good overview of the (relatively) recent developments in fashion-design (i.e. the shift in the '80s etc.), with a theoretical discussion of it. For instance, it would be interesting if it discussed the parallels between these developments in fashion design with those in other arts, or if it had a philosophical perspective on them, etc. Is any of the books so far recommended in this thread maybe of this kind?

I would be very interested in something like that as well.

[Kirky]

I would be very interested in something like that as well.

Me too. pm me if you actually find one

thanks a lot

[Faust]

I'd like a recommendation for a book that gives a good overview of the (relatively) recent developments in fashion-design (i.e. the shift in the '80s etc.), with a theoretical discussion of it. For instance, it would be interesting if it discussed the parallels between these developments in fashion design with those in other arts, or if it had a philosophical perspective on them, etc. Is any of the books so far recommended in this thread maybe of this kind?

Doesn't exist as far as I know, but would be interesting, of course. Maybe Laika would know. But she's MIA.

[Faust]

It surely can be the case because fashion is not really a subject of academic study. It's either costume history or cultural studies and neither really fits the mold of what you are looking for.

[Faust]

/\ Totally!!!

[Shucks]

(click for link)

bought this without looking properly at it, thinking it was the other (older) book on minimalism and fashion by elyssa dimant. this one is great though! no regrets buying it. it's kind of a more historical overview of the development of minimalism in fashion, discussing specific items from many different designers to exemplify each of the book's themes. i thought it was well written and the quality of images is also pretty high.

highly recommended, especially at the discounted price on amazon.

[syed]

It surely can be the case because fashion is not really a subject of academic study. It's either costume history or cultural studies and neither really fits the mold of what you are looking for.

I would say that is where history of dress comes into play, even if it is still a relatively young discipline (pretty much started with Wilson's Adorned In Dreams). Costume history tends to focus on dress solely as artefact, it is pretty much the old school history of art approach (I mean in the sense of classification and cataloguing). Cultural studies tends to focus less on clothes and more on social/cultural issues (as the name suggests), and the fashion system rather than the actual fashion. Material studies focuses on the garments and their production, with some cultural studies, but ignores much of the designer and wearer. History of design is good in terms of wider comparisons, but often they relegate fashion in terms of design worthy of academics as so many are prone to do.

I'd say history of dress is what you're after, in that it has a far more multidisciplinary and critical approach. I think that type of book would be a very adventurous project, that would risk being too vague, or else prone to the rather generalized arguments of your standard history of art survey. History of art unfortunately still tends to look a little down upon dress history - most books seem to start with a passage justifying fashion as a legitimate subject.

I think Fashion Theory is a good journal in terms of who and what they publish, so that could be something to look into. It has academics from a broad range of disciplines discussing contemporary designers and issues alongside studies of traditional costume - whether it be a study of muslim dress in contemporary Britain or the role of the fashion museum: fashion mausoleum or a space where contemporary comment can be made.

Oh and Berg's Dress, Body and Culture series is awesome (I think a lot have already been recommended e.g. Kawamura's The Japanese Revolution in Paris Fashion).

[Kirky]

Also, this could be a great topic for a special issue of SZ magazine :)

There's actually a SZ magazine?!

sry i'm too new to this community but i'm so so willing to purchase one!!

does it get released every 6 months or something?

want it bad

[Faust]

Yeah, I was wondering where academics teaching at fashion academies publish their articles, will look into this one, thanks for the tip.

Yes, this is pretty much the only game in town. I will say this though - I find very few academics write well about fashion. Valerie Steele, who edits Fashion Theory (and... well, don't want to give much away ;-)) is by far the best one. Caroline Evans is good. Elizabeth Wilson is fine, although I find Adorned in Dreams terribly outdated. But the likes of Kawamura and Breward, to name a few out of many, make me want to .

[Faust]

There's actually a SZ magazine?!

sry i'm too new to this community but i'm so so willing to purchase one!!

does it get released every 6 months or something?

want it bad

There is a big banner across every subforum - do you not see it?

[TheThief]

There's actually a SZ magazine?!

sry i'm too new to this community but i'm so so willing to purchase one!!

does it get released every 6 months or something?

want it bad

http://www.sz-mag.com/

If you go to the 'market' section, you can order one. Just make sure you use the international ordering option.

[Shucks]

Thanks for sharing this Shucks, the book might give some nice overviews, but I don't get why - as the summary states:
- why thefuck talking about Zara? I mean why would such a company be important for anything in fashion design? Maybe they were sponsors of the book or something :-/

there is no mention of zara in the book as far as i can tell - it DOES discuss COS and uniqlo / jil sander, in a section on minimalism entering the mainstream - a section which is completely justified in my opinion and quite well written by the way.... in a historical analysis of the development of styles and trends it is both interesting and important to consider diffusion into the mainstream and its effects, no?

this book's not just some generic summation of obvious minimalist brands - i wouldn't recommend it here unless i thought it was good enough for sz. harriet walker most definitely knows her shit and traces the development of minimalism in a very specific and relevant way, i think, both looking at the big players and more niche design.

give it a look-thru if you get the chance.



PS. second that on valerie steele - everything i've read and bought by her has been absolutely excellent.

[syed]

But the likes of Kawamura and Breward, to name a few out of many, make me want to .

A hundred times over But I try to read everything regardless, glutton for punishment.