Madeleine Vionnet

From Library Journal Vionnet's contribution to 20th-century fashion is the bias-cut dress, which displays "the supple, sinuous elegance characteristic of the thirties." Her mastery of fabric allowed her to design dresses that draped across a woman's body, flattering her shape. This book chronicles Vionnet's life and includes personal reminiscences from employees and friends. But the main appeal is the lavish, full-page photographs of Vionnet's designs, which spotlight her creations of the 1920s and 1930s. This book joins Jean Laymarie's Chanel (Rizzoli, 1987) and Francoise Giroud's Dior ( LJ 1/88), among others, in the publisher's series on influential 20th-century fashion designers. Essential for collections specializing in fashion design or costume history, though the price is prohibitive for general collections.- Gayle A. Williamson, Fashion Inst. of Design & Merchandising, Los AngelesCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. Language Notes Text: English (translation) Original Language: French