Charlotte Fiell is a leading design historian who has written numerous bestselling books on all aspects of design. She studied at the British Institute in Florence, Camberwell College of Arts in London, and later trained at Sotheby's Institute, also in London.Emmanuelle Dirix is a highly regarded fashion historian and curator. She lectures on Critical and Historical studies at Winchester School of Art, Central Saint Martins, the Royal College of Art and the Antwerp Fashion Academy. She regularly contributes to exhibition catalogues and academic volumes. Recent projects include the exhibition and bookUnravel: Knitwear in Fashion,Fashion Sourcebook 1920s and1930s Fashion: the Definitive Sourcebook.
From the ashes of the Second World War came forward-thinking fashions, the likes of which had never been seen before. The early Forties were defined by thriftiness and practicality, a make-do-and-mend attitude in a time of war. However, the latter half of the decade saw the emergence of the traditional femininity, elegance and luxury often associated with the era. Spanning the austerity of the war years to the introduction of Dior's revolutionary New Look, this extensive survey brings together vintage photography and illustrations to follow the season-by-season fashion evolution of the Forties, providing a comprehensive overview of this period of contrasts. 1940s Fashion: The Definitive Sourcebook covers every aspect of female fashions from the decade, from lace evenin...
