Cool Couture: Construction Secrets for Runway Style (Singer Studio) [Paperback]

Kenneth D King (Author)

Book Description

Series: Singer Studio | Publication Date: December 1, 2008

Cool Couture is a home sewer’s guide to professional, designer-quality construction and finishing. Fashion designer Kenneth King provides step-by-step instruction in the basic, reliable techniques of classical couture. 

 

He provides his own shortcuts, careful instruction, and advice to help home sewers of every level produce impeccable results. Each technique is presented with simple how-to drawings and detailed step-by-step instruction. Fashion-forward photographs of the designer’s own couture garments and tight shots of fabrics and construction and decorative detail show the finished effects. This book is an essential reference book of couture techniques for home sewers.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Haberdasher to the stars, Kenneth D. King has designed clothing, home furnishings, and accessories for Elton John, Jim Carrey, and others. He is professor of haute couture at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and sewing expert on the PBS series Sewing Today. He is also the author of Designer Bead Embroidery (CPi, 2006).

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Creative Publishing international (December 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589233891
• ISBN-13: 978-1589233898
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #54 in Books > Arts & Photography > Fashion

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

150 of 152 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great but...., January 6, 2009

By 

S. Smith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cool Couture: Construction Secrets for Runway Style (Singer Studio) (Paperback)

If you do not already own Design Techniques (came out in 1996) by Kenneth D. King, this is a five star book. His tailoring and techniques are top notch, and this volume is well illustrated...better than the older volume.

BUT, if you already own Design Techniques, prepare to be disappointed. When Cool Couture arrived, I dashed upstairs to see if I had mistakenly double ordered the same book. I hadn't.... he just re-used nearly 100 pages of material, including the same contrived photos and identical illustrations and text, from his first book. If you do own the first book, I'd give this one two stars, not four or five.

This volume eliminates most of the home dec material from Design Techniques, tho it repeats the tassel instructions. It adds about 70 pages of new material including zippers, some new Equipment and Tools information and a different technique for sheers.

All in all, it is King's brilliant technique, clearly illustrated and photographed (except I hate those dorky poses). But I am really disappointed that nowhere in the reviews I saw prior to ordering it that it is a revised and expanded version of his previous book. In sum, if you don't have Designer Techniques, definitely a book to have for reference. If you do have the older book, you'll want to see if the new material is worth the cost of the new edition for you. Anyone want to buy my old book?

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, December 21, 2008

By 

Nancy Wells (Kensington, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cool Couture: Construction Secrets for Runway Style (Singer Studio) (Paperback)

"Fantastic... What a book. I loved the overlapped seams for sheer fabric. There are great tricks all through the book. It's a gold mine! All the cool tricks come with step-by-step instructions in text and photos. There are directions for choosing fabric with tips for making the fabric fulfill its promise. I think his seam and rolled hem for sheer fabrics alone is worth the price of the book. His book is a bargain at any price; I'm glad I bought it!"

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Run - don't walk to buy this book., November 19, 2008

By 

Colleen L. Jones (Boston / NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cool Couture: Construction Secrets for Runway Style (Singer Studio) (Paperback)

Kenneth D. King is one of the finest teachers of hands on couture sewing and styling techniques in the fabulous world of clothing construction. His clear, concise words and sketches, diagrams and photos make this a must have for any library -- be that a beginner dreaming of their first runway show, or the home sewist who wants to bring up their construction and style skills.

I say without reservation that this volume should be part of every sewists cache of bound expert advice!

Your time and money are well spent with anything Mr. King writes or teaches.

Colleen L. Jones
Senior Technical Designer in the sewing industry.