A few years ago, my editor gave me a Christmas present that had started my love affair with fashion books. It was Nina Garcia’s The Little Black Book of Style. It was an easy read and was made more interesting by the pretty illustrations by artist Ruben Toledo.
As I had moved to Milan for fashion school, it was necessary for me to have a grasp on the history of fashion, art and business that would help strengthen my foundation in design. My travels to London, Paris and Barcelona gave me access to an array of relevant information and resources. I would enter book stores, museums and even scour flea markets flipping through books that would appeal to me most. In time, I had slowly built my own small collection ranging from French period fashion to biographies of style icons Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy, and Princess Diana.
What I learned in school is that research was vital in developing one’s creative process. Fashion books can be found as huge sources of inspiration. It would be a shame (and I’m referring to books one and two) for me not to share some of the books I’ve collected with designers, stylists and other people who are eager to learn more about fashion. In this crazy world of fashion we live in, it’s always best to keep up with the times and be extremely attuned to historical, cultural and societal changes.
Anyway, here are some books that you might find interesting. You can find them online or in stores like Fully Booked and Power Books. Take your pick!
Form, Fit And Fashion by Jay Calderin
Arguably the bible of fashion books, Form, Fit and Fashion talks about both the art and business of fashion. It is a guide for aspiring designers, showing them how to build a collection from start to finish as well as how to properly communicate it. This book tackles what shapes fashion today and enumerates six important phases in the cycle of fashion: research, editing,designing, constructing, connecting and evolving.
Fashion Since 1900: The Complete Sourcebook by John Peacock
This book gives you a better understanding of fashion’s rich history. It shows the development of women’s fashion harking back from the early 1900s up until the 21st century. It is a great source book for fashion designers as it showcases 1,250 color illustrations of different styles and silhouettes of the past in detail, covering underwear, day wear, evening wear, bridal wear and haute couture.
Fashion Now 2 edited by Terry Jones and Susie Rushton
A selection of i-D’s best and brightest designers from all over this world, Fashion Now 2 presents 160 biographies of the biggest players and promising names in the fashion industry such as Anna Molinari, Carola Euler, Jean Colonna and Martine Sitbon. It also features interviews describing their work, philosophy, influences, inspirations, goals and lessons they have learned along the way.
Shopping For Vintage by Funmi Odulate
Shopping for Vintage gives you all the information you need to know about vintage fashion. It recognizes many influential designers like Charles Frederick Worth, Jean Patou, Madeleine Vionnet and the like, and studies their unique style, design and legacy. This book allows you to recognize key pieces that have something of value and that will be of value in the future. Best of all, it gives the seasoned shopper tips where to find clothing and accessories for a bargain with a complete listing of addresses and numbers of vintage outlets (and even price points) from Asia, North America, and Europe.
Prada Milano Dal 1913
The priciest among all of the five books I’ve mentioned, this book shares how Prada, over the course of a century in business, has become the global brand it is today. Known for its bold innovation, creativity and unrivaled craftmanship, it retraces its roots from its very first luxury store at the Galleria Vittoria Emannuele II in Milan to outposts in 78 countries. It also gives you a peek at its past collections of shoes, bags and clothes, as well as highly-praised campaigns and unique exhibitions, all in print.