20th-Century Fashion in Detail

Claire Wilcox, Valerie D. Mendes, Oriole Cullen, Jenny Lister, Sonnet Stanfill

Featuring a new format, design, and garments, this revised and expanded guide is an inspiring resource for those fascinated by modern fashion and the world of haute couture. 

20th-Century Fashion in Detail reveals the elaborate embroidery, intricate pleats, and daring cuts that make up some of the most beautiful garments in the twentieth- century fashion collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, one of the world’s top fashion and design museums. Authors Claire Wilcox and Valerie D. Mendes, leading fashion experts from the V&A, have written a book that will be an invaluable resource for students, collectors, and designers.

Including exquisite haute-couture pieces, from sequined Chanel ensembles to embellished Dior evening gowns, this revised and expanded edition features more than 30 new garments. Each piece is accompanied by detail photography and line drawings showing its complete construction. An extraordinary exploration of the techniques used by couturiers, 20th-Century Fashion in Detail will delight all followers of fashion. 

Reviews

A goldmine of inspiration.

— Threads

Contributors

Claire Wilcox

Author

Claire Wilcox is Senior Curator of Fashion at the V&A and Professor in Fashion Curation at the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London.

Valerie D. Mendes

Author

Valerie D. Mendes, formerly Head of Fashion and Textiles at the V&A, has curated exhibitions on Zika Ascher, Pierre Cardin, John French, and Salvatore Ferragamo. She is the author of numerous books including The House of Worth: Portrait of an Archive (with Amy de la Haye).

Oriole Cullen

Author

Oriole Cullen is a Curator of Fashion at the V&A.

Jenny Lister

Author

Jenny Lister is a curator of Fashion and Textiles at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Sonnet Stanfill

Author

Sonnet Stanfill is a Curator of Fashion at the V&A.