Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry

From the first animal skin body coverings, to today’s high fashion collections, fashion has held an important role in the evolution of mankind. The fashion industry has, and continues to make, major contributions to our cultural and social environment. It is an industry that responds to our inherent longing for tribal belonging, our socio-economic needs, individual lifestyles, status stratification and profession apparel requirements. The fashion industry is fast-paced, complex and ever changing, in response to consumer needs. Throughout the world, vast numbers of people contribute to this industry, each with the shared goal of supplying an end product of a particular price point directed at a target consumer.

This second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 1,400 cross-referenced entries on designers, models, couture houses, significant articles of apparel and fabrics, trade unions, and the international trade organizations. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the fashion industry.

Francesca Sterlacci is an accomplished fashion designer, author and educator. She founded her own fashion label, Francesca Sterlacci LTD, in New York City, chaired the fashion department at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and in 2008, founded the first and largest online fashion design video lesson library in the world, University of Fashion (www.UniversityOfFashion.com).

Joanne Arbuckle is dean of the Fashion Institute of Technology’s School of Art and Design. Currently she serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. She is actively engaged as a national and international visiting accreditation evaluator for the association.