Madeleine Vionnet [Hardcover]

Betty Kirke (Author), Issey Miyake (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1998

Back in print at last, with a ravishing new cover, Madeleine Vionnet is "not only the best book on Vionnet, but perhaps the best book ever on a fashion designer" (Out). Madeleine Vionnet (18761975) was the greatest dressmaker in the world. Considered a genius for her innovations with the bias cutthe most difficult and desirable cut in clothing designshe has a fanatical following. Vionnet was a maverick, her results spectacular. She dressed the stars of the '30s, invented new pattern-making techniques, and eschewed corsets for her models. Vionnet's dresses are virtually un-copiable and highly coveted by vintage clothing collectors. Madeleine Vionnet is the definitive study of this venerated artist. Illustrated with more than 400 photographs, line drawings, and watercolors, it also includes 38 original patterns for Vionnet dresses. As the Art Deco Society of L.A.'s newsletter has said, anyone "interested in Art Deco or fashion must have this book."

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Madeleine Vionnet's greatest distinction as a designer was her discovery of the bias cut. Cutting patterns along the bias forces the fabric to cling to the body and move with it, which created her trademark look of draped, form-conscious clothing. When designer Issey Miyake first saw a Vionnet dress, it was like the first time he saw Winged Victory at the Louvre: "I thought then that the statue of Nike had been reincarnated in the dresses by Vionnet. She had captured the most beautiful aspect of classical Greek aesthetics: the body and movement." Vionnet's long career as a dressmaker and designer began with the 20th century. Always conscious of women's bodies and inspired in part by modern dancer Isadora Duncan, she soon dispensed with corsets and other constricting garments, and used barefoot models to present her first solo collection. Though simple, her dresses were never plain; the use of a Cartier necklace as a halter strap is a classic Vionnet innovation. This inimitable combination of comfort and glamour made Vionnet's clothes a favorite among European nobility, Hollywood royalty--notably Marlene Dietrich, Gypsy Rose Lee, and Katharine Hepburn--as well as socialites and other trendsetters. Close to a century after its introduction, the bias cut remains an important element in clothing design.

Madeleine Vionnet is a tall book that echoes many of the designs inside. It is filled with contemporary photographs of the clothing, period pictures shot by Man Ray and Steichen, design sketches, and, perhaps most interestingly, patterns for the clothes. The accompanying text traces Vionnet's evolution from an 11-year-old seamstress, through her days apprenticing at the famed Callot Soeurs couture house in Paris, and on into the design empire that secured her an enduring spot in fashion history.

From Library Journal

This oversized book is costume historian Kirke's singular achievement, over 20 years in the making, and includes interviews with Vionnet (1876-1975) herself. The sexy, slinky bias-cut dresses associated with the 1930s were invented by Vionnet to move with the body and show every curve. Over 400 illustrations?45 in color?include archival photographs and magazine illustrations. A unique feature is the inclusion of 38 cutting patterns produced between 1917 and 1938. Cutting clothes for a woman's body was a geometric puzzle for Vionnet, and chapters are arranged by the rectangles, quadrants, and triangles that composed the gowns. Even surface decorations and furs were intricately cut. The "queen mother of haute couture" retired in 1939, but designers ever since have looked to her for inspiration. This expensive book is well worth the price for fashion and design collections.?Therese Duzinkiewicz Baker, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling Green
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 244 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; First Edition edition (January 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811819973
• ISBN-13: 978-0811819978
• Product Dimensions: 14.8 x 10.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #437,389 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional insight into bias construction. Amazing book!, September 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Madeleine Vionnet (Hardcover)

Probably the best book I have read on bias construction. Decribes many of the techniques Vionnet used, like rules for mixing bias with straight weaves. The scale patterns are a major plus.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous book!, October 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Madeleine Vionnet (Hardcover)

Finally, a fashion book worthy of its subject! This is a big, beautiful book, with high production values and gorgeous design. The writing is thoughtful and intelligent. The contents are informative and interesting. The photos are wonderful and the illustrations and patterns are amazing. I can't say enough good things about this book!

Too many fashion books have terrible writing paired with "artistic" photos that obscure the clothes. This book makes none of the mistakes that plagued recent books on St. Laurent and Beene. It's a wonderful book for fashion historians, dressmakers, and designers.

And Amazon's price is half of the bookstore price!

I recommend this book very highly.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vionnet, April 17, 2005

By 

Nevada Snow - See all my reviews

This review is from: Madeleine Vionnet (Hardcover)

It's so sad that the name of Madeleine Vionnet is today only familiar to students of fashion history. She was a revolutionary couturiere who still influences designers over half a century after her retirement. This is one of the best books about her work. I especially loved the reproduced dress patterns which reveal the extent of Miss Vionnet's genius. This book deserves to be reprinted.