The 1930s was a turbulent decade for the world at large - a decade framed by two world-changing events, the economic crash of 1929 and the outbreak of the Second World War ten years later. This book reveals a world of revolutionary changes in fashion, and demonstrates the remarkable ingeniuty and inventiveness of designers and home-seamstresses who managed to thrive despite economic constraints and turmoil in Europe. This is decade of the skirt suit, of sportswear-as-daywear and jersey fabrics.
But it was the Thirties that also saw the rise of the glamorous Hollywood fashions, with silver-screen goddesses wearing slinky satin gowns that marked a new and overtly sensual direction within women's fashion design. Many of the images in this fabulous collection have been selected from popular fashion publications of the day, mail-order catalogues, and Hollywood studio press shots, including material from Chic Parisien, Harper's Bazaar, Sears, La Femme Chic and top film studios Metro-Golwyn-Mayer, RKO and Paramount.
Author Biography
Charlotte Fiell is a leading design historian who has written numerous bestselling books on all aspects of design. She studied at the British Institute in Florence, Camberwell College of Arts in London, and later trained at Sotheby's Institute, also in London.
Emmanuelle Dirix is a highly regarded fashion historian and curator. She lectures on Critical and Historical studies at Winchester School of Art, Central Saint Martins, the Royal College of Art and the Antwerp Fashion Academy. She regularly contributes to exhibition catalogues and academic volumes.
