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Empresses of Seventh Avenue : World War II, New York City, and the birth of American fashion
MacDonell, Nancy2024
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Click and Collect for Empresses of Seventh Avenue : World War II, New York City, and the birth of American fashion"In the tradition of The Barbizon and The Girls of Atomic City, fashion historian and journalist Nancy MacDonell chronicles the untold story of how the Nazi invasion of France gave rise to the American fashion industry. Calvin Klein. Ralph Lauren. Donna Karan. Halston. Marc Jacobs. Tom Ford. Michael Kors. Tory Burch. Today, American designers are some of the biggest names in fashion, yet before World War II, they almost always worked anonymously. The industry, then centred on Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, had always looked overseas for "inspiration" - a polite phrase for what was often blatant copying - because style, as all the world knew, came from Paris. But when the Nazis invaded France in 1940, the capital of fashion was cut off from the rest of the world. The story of the chaos and tragedy that followed has been told many times - but how it directly affected American fashion is largely unknown. Defying the naysayers, New York-based designers, retailers, editors, and photographers met the moment, turning out clothes that were perfectly suited to the American way of life: sophisticated, modern, comfortable, and affordable. By the end of the war, "the American Look" had been firmly established as a fresh, easy elegance that combined function with style. But none of it would have happened without the influence and ingenuity of a small group of women who have largely been lost to history. Empresses of Seventh Avenue will tell the story of how these extraordinary women put American fashion on the world stage and created the template for modern style - and how the nearly $500 billion American fashion industry, the largest in the world, could not have accrued its power and wealth without their farsightedness and determination"-- Provided by publisher.
Main title:
Author:
MacDonell, Nancy, author
Edition:
First edition.
Imprint:
New York : St. Martin's Press, 2024.©2024
Collation:
viii, 354 pages ; 25 cm
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 301-342) and index.
Contents:
Such clothes have never been made in America before / Edna Woolman Chase and Carmel SnowThe birth of the French legend : Paris and New YorkShe's barred from France! / Elizabeth HawesThe dress that revolutionized the industry / Claire McCardellThe most exciting store in the country Marjorie Griswold and Dorothy ShaverA good designer need not breathe the air of Paris / Lois Long and Virginia PopeThe godmother of American fashion / Eleanor LambertThe American look / Diana Vreeland and Louise Dahl-WolfeSportswear is universal : New York and ParisThe battle of Versailles : ready-to-wear and haute couture.
ISBN:
9781250288738 (hbk)9781250288738
Dewey class:
338.477469209747109044338.477
LC class:
GT617.N4
Language:
English
Subject:
Fashion -- New York (State) -- New York -- History -- 20th centuryFashion -- Social aspects -- New York (State) -- New YorkFashion -- France -- Paris -- History -- 20th centuryFashion designers -- History -- 20th centuryWomen's clothing -- New York (State) -- New York -- History -- 20th centuryWomen -- New York (State) -- New YorkWomen -- United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th centuryCelebrities -- New York (State) -- New YorkSeventh Avenue (Manhattan, New York, N.Y.)France -- History -- German occupation, 1940-1945
BRN:
583907
More Information:
| Location | Collection | Call number | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton Library | Adult Non Fiction - Computers and Business | 338.477 MACD | Onloan - Due: 20 Jul 2025 |
Find it!
Total copies: 1
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Click and Collect for Empresses of Seventh Avenue : World War II, New York City, and the birth of American fashion