Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A stunning tribute to great American fashion designers--both the famous and little known--of the 20th century

This beautifully illustrated book is the first to examine the relationship between innovation and aesthetics as expressed by American couturiers and fashion designers from the late 1910s to the present day. The book, which accompanies a major exhibition at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, reveals that great design and great style were consistent elements in the work of American's best fashion designers.

Patricia Mears introduces many great forgotten figures, as well as many familiar names: work by lesser-known figures such as Jessie Franklin Turner, Ronaldus Shamask, and Charles Kleibecker is discussed alongside pieces by more celebrated creators, such as Halston and Charles James; work by designers of the past is juxtaposed with that of present-day designers such as Rick Owens, Yeolee Teng, and Maria Comejo. James's grand and structurally imposing gowns from the 1950s appear alongside contemporary Infantas by Ralph Rucci; the section on draping juxtaposes 1930s gowns by Elizabeth Hawes and Valentina with more contemporary garments by Jean Yu and Isabel Toledo; clothing cut into pure geometric shapes like circles, triangles, and rectangles is illustrated by World War I-era teagowns by Jessie Franklin Turner, Claire McCardell's mid-century rompers garments, and modern sportswear by Yeohlee and Shamask.

While the United States may be best known worldwide for its casual mass-marketed garments, Mears demonstrates that artistry, innovation, and flawless construction are the true marks of American fashion.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

In this oversized, lavishly illustrated publication-accompanying a major exhibition of the same name at the Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology (MFIT) in New York this spring-Mears (deputy director, MFIT; Ralph Rucci) examines the relationship between aesthetics and innovation in American fashion from the late 1910s to the present and reveals that great style and design were consistent elements in many of the works by American fashion designers. Refuting the stereotypical notion that high fashion came solely from Europe, the author documents innovative clothing construction in the United States, thereby reassessing the importance of American fashion design. In a lengthy but easy-to-read and generously illustrated essay that encompasses the entire catalog, Mears showcases works by well-known and obscure American fashion designers. She highlights masterpieces by a select group of American fashion designers who have used the craft of dressmaking as a departure point for creating beautiful garments, including Bonnie Cashin, Maria Comejo, Claire McCardell, Rick Owens, Ralph Rucci, and Jessie Franklin Turner. Verdict Reasonably well presented and sufficiently documented, this significant publication-the first of its kind-will appeal to general readers, students, scholars, and others.-Cheryl Ann Lajos, Free Lib. of Philadelphia (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

This is the catalogue for a Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) exhibition of the same name. The idea for the exhibition began when a Dutch designer commented to Mears (FIT): "You don't have any good designers in America." In this catalogue, which covers the period from the late 1910s to the present, Mears focuses on designers who were or are especially skilled with construction details. She discusses the circumstance that many did study and work for a time in Paris before returning to the United States, where they used their knowledge of construction techniques to design beautiful, functional clothing. The heart of the book is the 153-page section titled "American Beauty." The volume would have been improved with either a good index or a detailed table of contents for the 12 subsections under the main heading "American Beauty", "Birth of Sewing," "Crafting Animal Skins," "Geometries," "Squares and Diamonds," "Rectangles," "Circles," "Arcs and Ellipses," "Dressmaking vs. Tailoring," "Dressmaking," "Tailoring," "Engineering," and "Embellishment." The discussion of construction details is excellent; aspiring designers will not be able to put this book down. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through professionals/practitioners. N. A. Mackey Missouri State University