Reading the Thread brings together artists, theorists and designers to explore the nature and use of cloth as a means of record and communication.Cloth is constructed from threads and, in acknowledging its qualities of recording or communicating a story, we are reading the threads – the read thread. There is also, however, an East Asian myth that when you are born you are linked by an invisible red thread to your soul mate; no matter what you do, this red ...

Through their metaphorical and material qualities, textiles can be seductive, exciting, intimate and, at times, shocking and disquieting. This book is the first critical examination of the erotically charged relationship between the surface of the skin and the touch of cloth, exploring the ways in which textiles can seduce, conceal and reveal through their interactions with the body.From the beautiful cloth which is quietly suggestive, to bold expressions of deviant sexuality, clot...

- What is an earthquake gown?- Who wore eelskin masher trousers?- What did the word "dudes" mean in the 16th century?A Dictionary of English Costume by C. Willett Cunnington, Phillis Cunnington and Charles Beard was originally published in 1960. A monumental achievement and encyclopaedic in scope, it was a comprehensive catalogue of fashion terms from the mid-medieval period up to 1900. It was reissued and updated several times, for the last time in 1976. For...

The brainchild of bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith, historian Alistair Moffat and artist Andrew Crummy, the Great Tapestry of Scotland is an outstanding celebration of thousands of years of Scottish history and achievement, from the end of the last Ice Age to Dolly the Sheep and Andy Murray's Wimbledon victory in 2013.This book tells the story of this unique undertaking from its original conception and creation by teams of dedicated stitchers to its grand unveiling at the ...

Fashion is a dynamic global industry that plays an important role in the economic, political, cultural, and social lives of an international audience. It spans high art and popular culture, and plays a significant role in material and visual culture. This book introduces fashion's myriad influences and manifestations. Fashion is explored as a creative force, a business, and a means of communication. From Karl Lagerfeld's creative reinventions of Chanel's iconic style to the multicultural r...

This step-by-step guide provides an insight into how to illustrate fashion designs and get your ideas down on paper. It is of interest to any designer, from the complete beginner or someone hoping to improve their skills and establish a career as a fashion illustrator, to professionals wanting to strengthen their visual impact. Using inspiration from past artists and illustrators, readers will learn how to adopt new and different ways of drawing.

Ever since Eve's first blush, clothes have girded, graced and transformed the female physique. Fascinating and insightful, The Corset and the Crinoline is an illustrated history of clothing's attendant underpinnings — especially those that whittled the female waist to its most slender proportions. Reproduced from a rare 1868 fashion publication, each page reveals how the use of wood, whalebone, steel, hoops, and tight laces had a gripping influence on shaping the figures of women ...

Fashion Writing and Criticism provides students with the tools to critique fashion with skill and style. Explaining the history and theory of criticism, this innovative text demonstrates how the tradition of criticism has developed and how this knowledge can be applied to fashion, enabling students to acquire the methods and proper vocabulary to be active critics themselves.Integrating history and theory, this innovative book explains the development of fashion writing, th...

This brief illustrated piece gives the history and lore of the hand fan.

From workaday marigolds to hand-wear custom crafted for the Queen, gloves perform many functions – insulation from the cold, protection from injury, and even ceremonial roles.Gloves have been used since prehistoric times, but in Britain their use as formal and fashion items took off during Elizabeth I's reign, and played a surprisingly significant cultural role well into the nineteenth century. They were often given as precious gifts, used in coronation ceremonies,...

Over the past 40 years, Japanese designers have led the way in aligning fashion with art and ideology, as well as addressing identity and social politics through dress. They have demonstrated that both creative and commercial enterprise is possible in today's international fashion industry, and have refused to compromise their ideals, remaining autonomous and independent in their design, business affairs and distribution methods. The inspirational Miyake, Yamamoto and Kawakubo have gained ...

For at least two centuries, fashion and art have maintained a competitive love-hate relationship. Both fashion and art construct imaginary worlds, and use a language of style to invigorate beliefs, perceptions and ideas.Until now the crossovers of fashion and art have received only scattered treatment and suffered from a dearth of theorization. As an attempt to theorize the area, this collection of new and updated essays is the most well-rounded and authoritative to date. Some of t...