Poiret, Dior and Schiaparelli Fashion, Femininity and Modernity

Through a highly original and detailed analysis of the memoirs, interviews and other life writings of Poiret, Dior and Schiaparelli, this book explores changing notions of femininity in the early decades of the 20th century, when the democratization of fashion began.Examining idea of modernity, eternity and the ephemeral in the writings of these haute couturiers, the book reflects on fashion's ambivalent approach to women, which both celebrated and vilified them, presenting them as both ultra modern style leaders and irrational creatures stuck in the past.This fascinating text is key reading for scholars and students of fashion, gender studies, cultural studies and history.

Ilya Parkins is Assistant Professor of Gender and Women's Studies at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Canada.

Introduction: Fashion, Representation and the Variable Visibility of Modern WomenFashion as Methodology: Rewriting the Time of Modern FemininityPaul Poiret: Classic and New in the Struggle for Designer MasteryElsa Schiaparelli: Glamour, Privacy, and TimelessnessChristian Dior: Nostalgia and the Economy of Feminine BeautyConclusion: Modern Fashion and the Seductions of Ambivalence