Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century, Volume 1: 18th and 19th Century (Taschen 25) (Midi S.) [SPECIAL EDITION] (Paperback)

by Akiko Fukai (Author), Tamami Suoh (Author), Miki Iwagami (Author), Reiko Koga (Author), Rie Nii (Author), Kyoto Costume Institute (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Couture: then and now (TASCHEN's 25th anniversary special edition) Clothes define people. A person's clothing, whether it's a sari, kimono, or business suit, is an essential key to his or her culture, class, personality, or even religion. The Kyoto Costume Institute recognizes the importance of understanding clothing sociologically, historically, and artistically. Founded in 1978, the KCI holds one of the world's most extensive clothing collections and has curated many exhibitions worldwide. With an emphasis on Western women's clothing, the KCI has amassed a wide range of historical garments, underwear, shoes, and fashion accessories dating from the 18th century to the present day. Showcasing a vast selection from the Institute's archives of skilled photographs depicting the clothing expertly displayed and arranged on custom-made mannequins, Fashion History is a fascinating excursion through the last three centuries of clothing trends. The KCI believes that "clothing is an essential manifestation of our very being" and their passion and dedication positively radiate from every page of this book. This special 25th anniverary edition has a chic new format: two volumes packaged in a slipcase.

About the Author
Akiko Fukai (Chief Curator of The Kyoto Costume Institute), Tamami Suoh (Curator of The Kyoto Costume Institute), Miki Iwagami (Lecturer of fashion history at Sugino Fashion College (Tokyo)), Reiko Koga (Professor of fashion history at Bunka Women's University), and Rie Nii (Assistant Curator of The Kyoto Costume Institute).

Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Taschen; 25 Anv edition (March 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822840998
• ISBN-13: 978-3822840993
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 7.9 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #73,102 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #37 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Design & Decorative Arts > Textile & Costume
  #72 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Fashion > History

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Taschen Strikes Again, October 14, 2005

By	Hamilcar Barca "III" - See all my reviews

Taschen has made another design masterwork. Though I'm not so interested in fashion per se, the book has an excellent layout with arty photos of clothing styles through modern history. Such a short volume cannot obviously contain a large diversity of styles, but it does an admirable job. Much of the clothing is shown worn by featureless manequins which add that artful quality to the pictures. The text is not quite as informative as I would like: only some of the pieces are discussed.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just to mention....., June 26, 2006

By	rebelliousrose (Marietta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This is the EXACT same book as the huge meaty tome Fashion, just broken into 2-user friendly volumes and slipcased. Don't do what I did and buy it twice by mistake.....still, not a loss; I gave the slipcovered one as a Christmas present!

It's an amazing book, a true reference for fashion enthusiasts, historical recreators, and costume designers. It is the cornerstone of my collection. I also had to wait a year for it to ship from Germany; glad Amazon finally has it reliably stocked!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delectable, November 26, 2005

By	MartinP "MartinP" (Nijmegen, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Books on costume history generally come in two varieties: either illustrated with contemporary works of art featuring people in particualr costumes, or with custom-made drawings. The solution offered in this book is unique, and preferable by far. It showcases the collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute in sumptuous photographs. The colours, textures and shapes of costumes come across in their full splendour, exhibited on stylish, white dummies. Seeing the weird contraptions women once strapped to their waists in order to give their dress the required shape is also something quite different, and slightly shocking, when viewed in a photograph, as opposed to in a drawing.
The two volumes of this set do by no means attempt to illustrate costume history in its entirety either historically or geographically. They only cover Western fashions in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and even within these confines are selective. The accent, as one might expect, is very much on women's clothing. Also, while the slimmer of both volumes covers both 18th and 19th centuries, the larger volume is dedicated in its entirety to the 20th. In my view, the second half of the latter volume focusses on extreme designer fashion in too much detail, constituting a conceptual breach with earlier parts of the book, where clothing is shown that was actually worn in daily life, and not only on the catwalk. But that is a minor niggle. Designers, illustrators and historians alike are bound to be delighted with this set, and even the casual browser will likely find it hard to put down. Every page is a feast for the eye; the costumes shown are rarely less than dazzling; and the quality of the pictures is exquisite. The books, which come in a slipcase, are stylishly laid out, and offer just enough textual background information. At the price, this is a steal.