This indispensable guide to fashion provides in many entries detailed information on the life and work of every important designer from 1840 up to the present day, including not only couturiers (Yves Saint Laurent) but also shoe (Manolo Blahnik), hat and knitwear specialists, costume designers, jewelers (Elsa Peretti) and hairdressers. It also covers the fashion media (Gazette du bon ton), photographers (Norman Parkinson) and illustrators, influential art movements (Cubism), fashion terms, garmet and accessory styles, technical processes, and every kind of fabric, as well as personalities who have influenced fashion or promoted a style (Twiggy; Queen Victoria). International in scope, it is an essential sourcebook for designers, students, collectors and enthusiasts. Its full cross-referencing and wide ranging bibliography provide invaluable additional information.