5 books to read to show that you know your way around fashion So we can stop calling everything “effortless” and “chic”
Now that fashion's vocabulary is shrinking to a handful of catch-all words (including effortless, chic and whimsy), it's time to do something about it. One possible remedy is reading more, and reading better. Miuccia Prada said as much in conversation with Raf Simons: «Study, study, study».
Here, then, are five books for looking at fashion with a sharp eye and finding the words to talk about it.
The Language of Clothes, by Alison Lurie
In this study, Alison Lurie demonstrates that the clothes we choose to wear always communicate something about us to others, becoming a language capable of conveying a wealth of precise information (and misinformation). A perfect book for figuring out whether TikTok fashion is really right for you, or whether you need to think again.
Textilepedia. The Complete Fabric Guide, by Fashionary
On the subject of clothes, this book is a true encyclopedia of fabrics, materials, embroidery techniques and finishing options. A quick and comprehensive guide, packed with visual references, technical explanations and historical notes. Whether you're a student, an industry veteran or an end consumer, Textilepedia is the ideal tool for becoming independent and informed when evaluating what you buy every day.
E/MOTION. Fashion In Translation, by Kaat Debo, Alistair O'Neill, Caroline Evans
In this book, produced to accompany the exhibition of the same name organised by the MoMu in Antwerp in 2021, three fashion historians examine the global shifts that have shaped fashion today and highlight the new challenges ahead. A collection of essays written by industry insiders, including Dana Thomas, and interviews (with Simone Rocha, Martin Margiela, Romeo Gigli, Rick Owens and many others) exploring how creativity, craftsmanship and innovation have evolved within the new global landscape.
No Fashion, Please!, by Anouchka Grose
A writer for The Guardian and the BBC, Anouchka Grose takes us on a journey into the psychology of clothing, questioning everything — the concept of competition between individuals, matters of status quo, production systems and social paranoia. How does desire for narrow sleeves get constructed when the year before wide ones were all the rage? And what do the Sex Pistols' punk and Marie Kondo have to do with it? A breezy, irreverent style makes even the most complex sociological theories accessible and helps readers get comfortable with the language of fashion.
Torn: Fashion and Postmodernism, by Eugene Rabkin
The new book by journalist, fashion critic and founder of the platform StyleZeitgeist, Eugene Rabkin, retraces the last twenty-five years of the fashion industry. Torn: Fashion and Postmodernism analyses the way in which postmodernism, commerce and contemporary culture have transformed fashion, questioning what creativity and originality can mean today.