* An essential reference for students, curators and scholars of fashion, cultural studies, and the expanding range of disciplines that see fashion as imbued with meaning far beyond the material. * Over 300 in-depth entries covering designers, articles of clothing, key concepts and styles. * Edited and introduced by Valerie Steele, a scholar who has revolutionized the study of fashion, and who has been described by The Washington Post as one of "fashion's brainiest women." Derided by some as frivolous, even dangerous, and celebrated by others as art, fashion is anything but a neutral topic. Behind the hype and the glamour is an industry that affects all cultures of the world. A potent force in the global economy, fashion is also highly influential in everyday lives, even amongst those who may feel impervious. This handy volume is a one-stop reference for anyone interested in fashion - its meaning, history and theory. From Avedon to Codpiece, Dandyism to the G-String, Japanese Fashion to Subcultures, Trickle down to Zoot Suit, The Berg Companion to Fashion provides a comprehensive overview of this most fascinating of topics and will serve as the benchmark guide to the subject for many years to come.

Author Biography

Often quoted in media, Valerie Steele has been the subject of profiles in Forbes and The New York Times, and was listed in the New York Daily News "Fashion's 50 Most Powerful." She is Director and Chief Curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (MFIT) and has curated more than 20 exhibitions in the past ten years. She is also Editor-in-chief of Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture (Berg) and the author of numerous books, including Gothic: Dark Glamour; The Corset: A Cultural History; Paris Fashion; Fifty Years of Fashion: New Look to Now; Fetish: Fashion, Sex and Power; and Women of Fashion: 20th-Century Designers.