Customer Reviews

Madeleine Vionnet

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I make and design clothes for the Madame Alexander doll Cissy. In the process of doing this, I began to do research on clothing made in the earlier part of this century. It was then that I discovered the beautiful work of Madeleine Vionnet. I saw the best work of many others, but Vionnet's dresses were pure magic, flowing and exquisite, so unlike anything of their period. So, when I saw this book with 38 patterns, I knew it was a necessity, and it certainly impressed me. The text was informative, and the photographs clear and showing the clothing well. Unduly impressive.

I unwrapped "Vionnet" and thought I'd give it a quick flip-thru before getting on with my day. I spent the next 6 1/2 hours splayed out on the living room floor with this book. (I'll leave erudition to the other reviewers...) It is simply magnificent.

I found this book to be very well presented and a thoroughly enjoyable read. I am merely a fashion enthusiast but I really saw value to this book on many different levels. Engineering friends of mine (male) have picked up this book and devoured the way the patterns were constructed and how a particular garment was made. it really does make the non-believer appreciate the skill of Madeleine Vionnet and takes a little of the mystery out of the bias cut.

...as it will go up significantly in price when it goes out of print. A gorgeous resource, with excellent photographs of Vionnet's dresses and, notably, the inclusion of scale patterns for many of the dresses depicted. One of the best available monographs on a designer from this time period.

I have always admired photos of Vionnet's gowns. Not until I read this book did I have the slightest inkling of the genius in her work. She was truly an architect of clothing for the body. The book shows photos of each garment accompanied by pattern illustrations to show how the garment was constructed. Pure amazement. A wonderful book to give to anyone working with fabric, from fiber artists to homemakers.

What a great book, excellent quality paper, production, layout, content--how wonderful that the author shared the patterns, this is a must have for any budding fashion designer.

This book has been one of my most coveted wish list items for YEARS, and I finally recieved it as a christmas gift this year. This book is one of the best books on fashion history ever written. The photos and garments are exquisite. It also includes Vionnet's original patterns, which makes it even more valuable. The book is full of interesting information about Madeline Vionnet's incredible, tumultuous, life and her rise from a coturier in the House of Worth to a legend in her own right. Vionnet's inspiration has spanned the course of history and continues to influence designers today. Her love of simplicity and form and her use of fabric are explained in great detail throughout the book. This is the one fashion book that is worth it at any price.