Women Dressing Women

Exploring the enduring impact of fashions created by and for women, this book traces a historical and conceptual lineage across more than 70 female designers – from unidentified dressmakers in eighteenth-century France, to contemporary makers who are leading the direction of fashion today – all culled from the incredible permanent collection of The Costume Institute. Insightful essays that consider notions of anonymity, visibility, agency, and absence/omission reveal women's impact within the field of fashion, highlighting celebrated designers and forgotten histories alike. The publication includes fashion houses such as Mad Carpentier, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Madeleine Vionnet, American makers like Ann Lowe, Claire McCardell, and Isabel Toledo, along with contemporary designers such as Rei Kawakubo, Anifa Mvuemba, Simone Rocha, and Iris van Herpen. New photography, created especially for this volume, uses light, shadow, and reflection to connect the garments to the four themes of the essays, which situate the works within a larger social context, and a fold-out genealogical chart tracesconnections between the makers featured. This overdue look at women-led design will be essential reading for anyone interested in the history of fashion.The complete designer list:Madeline AngenardAugusta BernardMarguerite Besancon de WagnerOlympe BoisseSylvie Boue de MontegutMarie-Louise BoulangerFirst Name Last NameMarie-Louise BruyereSarah BurtonMarie Callot GerberBonnie CashinGabrielle ChanelMarcelle ChapsalMaria Grazia ChiuriMarie CuttoliPia DavisAna de PomboPauline de RothschildAnn DemeulemeesterLucy Christiana Duff-GordonAdele Henriette Elisabeth Nigrin FortunyJessie FranklinMaria Monaci GallengaGeorgia GodleyMaria GraziaMadam GresKatherine HammettJeanne HavetElizabeth HawesGabriela HearstBarbara HulanickiBetsy JohnsonNorma KamaliDonna KaranRei KawakuboJeanne LanvinMme. LeFrancMadeleine LeperyeTina LeserSarah LipskaAnn LoweMadeleine MaltezosEster ManasClaire McCardellHanae MoriJean MuirAnifa MvuembaJamie OkumaPheobe PhiloMiuccia PradaCharlotte RevilZandra RhodesNina RicciSimone RochaSonia RykielJul SanderElsa SchiaparelliValentina SchleeJasmin SeeMarine SerreVivienne TamHillary TaymourYeohlee TengIsabel ToledoIris Van HerpenMadeleine VionnetDiane von FurstenbergVivienne WestwoodSuzanne Wiebel-Kamp