Publication Overview
- An authoritative history about the properties and practical uses of silk
- A luxurious pictorial expression of some of the greatest achievements in fashion design
- A definitive book for devotees of fashion and textile design, and an indispensible manual for contemporary designers
Silk is magical. Even in an era of amazing synthetic fibres that help you sweat, stay warm, stay cool, stay alive, silk reigns supreme. It can absorb up to 30 times its weight in water. It is as strong as kevlar when woven. It’s warmer than wool. It is unsurpassed in beauty and touch. And it's made by worms.
This book, by acclaimed author and leading textile expert Mary Schoeser, looks in glorious detail at the history of silk, its evolution as a symbol of status and substance, and its central role in the nineteenth and twentieth century expression of glamour in the work of designers such as Charles Frederick Worth, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Emmanuel Ungaro and Christian Lacroix. Mary Schoeser examines how today's cutting-edge designers are pushing the boundaries of what is possible with silk – John Galliano's work for Dior, Issey Miyake, Alexander McQueen. And a highly detailed section on the new silk technologies shows how the physical properties of silk are continuously being extended by today's textile producers and artists. |
