Author(s): Valerie Mendes (Chief Curator, Textile and Dress Collection, Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

Fiction

'Everything you ever needed to know about that little black dress' - Elle This glamorous book is a celebration of that extraordinary phenomenon and fashion essential: the little black dress. The accessible text also provides an invaluable introduction to twentieth-century fashion. From the feather-light pleats of Fortuny early last century to the deconstructed 1980s creations of Comme des Garcons, black has inspired designers the world over to produce some of their most exotic and seminal work. Fashion enthusiasts will be seduced by the lure of great couture names and fascinated by the evolution of the black dress from the extravagance of the early twentieth century through groundbreaking, image-changing ideas which brought us the New Look, the sack and the mini, to the avant-garde designs of the present. Stunning, specially commissioned photographs are complemented by a lively commentary which explores a number of myths and puts key fashion developments into context. About the Author: Valerie Mendes was formerly Chief Curator of the department of Textiles and Dress at the V&A. She is also the author, with Claire Wilcox, of Modern Fashion in Detail (V&A).