The Great Fashion Designers

From Charles Frederick Worth to Nicolas Ghesquière, designers have propelled fashion from an elite craft into a cornerstone of contemporary popular culture. This brilliantly written analysis of the achievements of the 50 greatest names in international fashion explores their lives, both personal and professional, drawing on the latest academic research and on the best of fashion journalism, including the authors' own interviews with designers spanning a 30-year period.The designers' working methods and career highlights are outlined in detailed and wittily written entries that capture the spirit of their times. From Poiret and Patou to Gernreich and Galliano, the sometimes provocative selection of 50 names poses stimulating questions about the definition of a fashion designer in the modern era. A ground-breaking book, this is a definitive introduction to fashion designers that is essential reading for both students and general readers alike.

Brenda Polan is currently Director of Programs (Fashion Media) at the London College of Fashion, London. She is well-known as a journalist. Her writing on  journalism on fashion, style, design and lifestyle has appeared in a range of  newspapers and magazines including: The Guardian, The Independent on Sunday, The Financial Times, Harpers and Queen and Good Housekeeping.

Roger Tredre has had a distinguished career in fashion journalism working as a fashion correspondent for The Independent, The Independent on Sunday and The Observer. He is currently an associate lecturer in fashion journalism at Central St. Martins School of Art and Design.