A dazzling examination of the two designers behind the most iconic and glamorous fashions of the 1970s This fascinating publication is the first to examine side by side the careers and work of two of the biggest names in 20th-century fashion, Yves Saint Laurent (1936–2008) and Halston (1932–1990). Their designs—chic, sexy, and glamorous—came to exemplify the 1970s, a singular and dynamic era in fashion history. Inspired by menswear, foreign cultures, and wide-ranging historical periods, and employing new fabrics, YSL and Halston together crafted a new and distinctly modern way of dressing. Moreover, although their output differed and they were based on different continents, the two designers shared many career parallels. A visual timeline of the designers’ lives illustrates how their rises and falls, from the 1950s to their respective struggles in the 1980s, were surprisingly in sync. Engaging passages by Patricia Mears and Emma McClendon discuss the social, cultural, and economic factors that influenced both designers, and their subsequent impact on fashion—including the rise of the star designer as personality, the cult of celebrity, and the creation of the fashion conglomerate. The authors also address the importance of color, cutting-edge materials, innovative construction techniques, accessories, and perfume to both designers’ aesthetics. Remarkable photographs of the designers and their garments round out this essential volume on two figures who made an indelible mark on fashion history.

Yves Saint Laurent + Halston: Fashioning the ’70s

Arts & Photography

Mears, Patricia

McClendon, Emma

Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions

Yale University Press

A wide-ranging and beautifully illustrated history of the fashion associated with the world’s most ubiquitous fabric Denim is one of the world’s favorite fabrics, and today it accounts for the largest segment of the clothing industry. The market for jeans alone is worth over 55 billion dollars. Experiments with denim by designers have helped to develop a vast vocabulary of denim styles beyond jeans that are now ingrained in fashion’s lexicon. This handsome book explores the multifaceted history of denim and examines the continually evolving relationship between it and high fashion. Prized for its durability and strength, denim began as an ideal fabric for workwear, most famously in the clothing produced by Levi Strauss &amp; Co. for fortune hunters during the 19th-century California gold rush. Over the past 160 years, however, film, television, and advertising have helped transform denim into a symbol of youth, rebellion, sex, and the ever-ephemeral quality of “cool.” The fashion industry has also played a large role in the expansion of denim into casual and couture clothing. The Denim Council, which formed in the U.S. in the 1950s, promoted denim to an ever-widening circle of customers through the framework of the fashion industry, most notably with presentations during New York fashion weeks. Featuring previously unpublished archival material from the Denim Council, an insightful text, and copious illustrations, this book offers a new perspective on denim’s rapid rise from the 19th century to today.

Denim: Fashion's Frontier

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by McClendon, Emma. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by McClendon, Emma

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by McClendon, Emma. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Yves Saint Laurent + Halston: Fashioning the ’70s

Denim: Fashion's Frontier