Reviews for Fashion Production Terms

The average rating for Fashion Production Terms based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-09-14 00:00:00 Lara Michell A fascinating story of, well, "the survival of Haute Couture" through the use of mannequins and exquisite fashion. There are names everywhere such as Cocteau, who directed the first film version of "Beauty and the Beast". From the idea to the construction of the wire mannequins to the design of the clothing to the inventive settings to the tours of the "Dolls", this is one unique read. I'd give this five stars, but often I couldn't grasp the size of the dolls nor the size of the sets: even though the photographs are beautiful, there are very few long shots revealing sizes in context of, say, a museum show. I just couldn't get a feeling for what one might experience at said museum. Maybe that's the point: to get readers to the shows, but for me I may never have the opportunity to see a show and thus never grasp the entire visual concept.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-06-16 00:00:00 Marvin Oman Most of us have never considered the impact World War II had on French culture, much less the haute couture houses of Paris, but this book brings it to life. Struggling through material shortages, fighting with the Germans for more rations, and flaunting the style they had despite their plight created a fashion show, in miniature, that toured the world and helped fund couture's revival. (Keep in mind the couture houses were employing thousands of people to create their collections, which then inspired thousands more dressmakers to recreate their looks.) The story of rediscovering and restoring the dolls and their backdrops is as wonderful as the story of their creation. Created just before Dior broke onto the scene with the New Look, these models depict both the fashion of the future and the fashion of moment. For those dying to examine them in more detail, this oversize book brings them right to your nose or you can visit the Maryhill Museum of Art and see them in their proper settings at the proper scale. This is definitely a must-read for all fashion historians.