Valerie Steele

Being Mama embodies the ability to nurture, to control the driving force within, and being able to love forever, unconditionally. We juggle a lot at once: emotions, job expectations, finances, relationships, health, and more. These authors share all kinds of stories about the different experiences of womanhood to motherhood. How does one embrace motherhood while still being herself? What can she do to set aside time for herself? When she is a strong support to many, who supports her? So Mama, it's time to take time for YOU. Kick up your feet, tell them Mama time is important too, and find some new friends within these pages.

What can psychoanalysis tell us about the power and allure of fashion? Valerie Steele, author of Dress, Dreams and Desire, was described by critic Suzy Menkes as “the Freud of fashion.” In this pathbreaking book, the first cultural history of fashion and psychoanalysis, Steele does not merely hold a mirror up to fashion’s surface, she looks into its soul.A renowned fashion historian, Steele draws on key psychoanalytic concepts about the body, sexuality, and the unconscious – from the dream theories of Freud and Jung to Lacan’s mirror stage and Anzieu’s skin ego – to interpret the work of designers such as Elsa Schiaparelli, Gianni Versace, and Alexander McQueen. She explores how fashion is the lens through which we see ourselves – and how others see us. Far from being superficial, fashion can be regarded as a “deep surface” that communicates our unconscious desires and anxieties, with none of us fully aware of what we are "saying" with the clothes we wear.

‘A serious yet readable history that takes the reader from the togas and tunics of early civilizations to the age of ASOS’ Telegraph This ambitious and fascinating book traces the history of fashion in every part of the world, from Greco-Roman woven-cloth clothing and the silk court dress of the Chinese Tang dynasty to contemporary sportswear designers and Japanese street culture. Organized chronologically, the book traces the evolution of fashion period by period and trend by trend, while detailed timelines provide historical and cultural context. Fashion: The Whole Story is indispensable for everyone who loves the line of a superb suit or knows the joy of wearing a great pair of shoes.

One of the first books to examine the wide breadth of the African Diaspora and its influence on international fashion. Tracing the local and global impact of Black Diasporic designers, Africa’s Fashion Diaspora is one of the first books to explore the diverse perspectives and significant roles that Black designers have contributed to the creation of international fashion culture. With a focus on the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, this book features some of the best examples of innovative fashion throughout the period and contextualizes how diasporic designers' work can speak to contemporary issues, including decolonization, sustainability, and social equity. Diasporic designers cannot be monolithically defined—they come from varied cultures and their work speaks to their personal experiences, as well as wide ranges of influence. Featuring cutting-edge designers such as Oliver Rousteing, Tremaine Emory, Virgil Abloh and their work in the major fashion houses of Balmain, Denim Tears and Off-White, as well as Pathé'O, Stephen Burrows, Patrick Kelly and the iconic designs from the 1970s and 1980s. Hylan Booker‘s creative output during his time as Head of the House of Worth during the 1960s London relaunch is also explored. Africa's Fashion Diaspora introduces readers to important, yet unexamined fashion histories that form our current fashion ecosystem and support the impactful designers who are shaping contemporary culture. Exhibition Schedule: The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York (September 18, 2024–December 29, 2024)

Sky-high, ornate, and the pinnacle of glamour, both restrictive and liberating, art object and deeply ordinary, shoes tell the story of shifting attitudes toward desire, power, and wealth throughout history. Lace up for a journey through the most enviable shoe closet from the permanent collection at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology—and four centuries of fashion’s hardest working accessory.Featuring designs from the likes of Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo, Chanel, Gucci, Saint Laurent, Roger Vivier, Christian Louboutin, and more, Shoes A–Z. The Collection of The Museum at FIT celebrates fashion’s most revolutionary and coveted labels with more than 400 styles selected from the Museum’s pristinely preserved collection. Texts from Daphne Guinness, Valerie Steele, Colleen Hill, and The Museum’s expert team of curators explore the unique legacy of each of the featured designers and the lasting cultural impact of the shoe. Also featured are custom portraits of the designers by illustrator Robert Nippoldt. Exclusive access to original sketches, advertisements, and photographs from the designers’ private archives further illuminate the genius behind the functional, sculptural delights we cannot live without. Also available as Collector’s Edition of 1,000 numbered copies, including three prints by Manolo Blahník created exclusively for this edition with a hallmark stamp. The 6/8 color drawings are printed on 100% cotton paper, by famed Italian company Fabriano, and are housed in a luxury portfolio with gold foil embossing and with a ribbon closure.

From Azzedine Alaïa, Cristóbal Balenciaga, and Coco Chanel to Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, and Vivienne Westwood, more than a century’s worth of fashion greats are celebrated in this new edition of Fashion Designers A–Z. An accessibly priced and updated volume features photographs of hundreds of garments selected from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) museum's permanent collection. Elegant gowns from the turn of the century, Mondrian-style minimalist chic, and everything inbetween. Each of these works of art is chosen not only for its beauty but also for exemplifyingthe unique philosophy, skill, and aesthetics of each of the featured designers. In her introductory essay, the museum’s director and chief curator, Valerie Steele, writes about the rise of the fashion museum and the emergence of the fashion exhibition as a popular and controversial phenomenon. The foreword is contributed by international style maven Suzy Menkes, texts by the museum’s curators help shine historical light on each label and garment pictured, and beautifully drawn portraits by the artist Robert Nippoldt pay homage to the creators behind them.

From Azzedine Alaïa, Cristóbal Balenciaga, and Coco Chanel to Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, and Vivienne Westwood, more than a century’s worth of fashion greats are celebrated in this new edition of Fashion Designers A–Z. An accessibly priced and updated volume features photographs of hundreds of garments selected from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) museum's permanent collection. Elegant gowns from the turn of the century, Mondrian-style minimalist chic, and everything inbetween. Each of these works of art is chosen not only for its beauty but also for exemplifyingthe unique philosophy, skill, and aesthetics of each of the featured designers. In her introductory essay, the museum’s director and chief curator, Valerie Steele, writes about the rise of the fashion museum and the emergence of the fashion exhibition as a popular and controversial phenomenon. The foreword is contributed by international style maven Suzy Menkes, texts by the museum’s curators help shine historical light on each label and garment pictured, and beautifully drawn portraits by the artist Robert Nippoldt pay homage to the creators behind them.

From Azzedine Alaïa, Cristóbal Balenciaga, and Coco Chanel to Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, and Vivienne Westwood, more than a century’s worth of fashion greats are celebrated in this new edition of Fashion Designers A–Z. An accessibly priced and updated volume features photographs of hundreds of garments selected from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) museum's permanent collection. Elegant gowns from the turn of the century, Mondrian-style minimalist chic, and everything inbetween. Each of these works of art is chosen not only for its beauty but also for exemplifyingthe unique philosophy, skill, and aesthetics of each of the featured designers. In her introductory essay, the museum’s director and chief curator, Valerie Steele, writes about the rise of the fashion museum and the emergence of the fashion exhibition as a popular and controversial phenomenon. The foreword is contributed by international style maven Suzy Menkes, texts by the museum’s curators help shine historical light on each label and garment pictured, and beautifully drawn portraits by the artist Robert Nippoldt pay homage to the creators behind them.

Long before 'collabs' became a buzzword, artists influenced every aspect of the fashion world. This approachable collection compares fashion and art side-by-side to highlight a variety of relationships: inspiration, collaboration, and artists working to create their own fashion or fashion photography. Art X Fashion introduces readers to designers like Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli, who famously worked with artists like Picasso and Dali in the early twentieth century, as well as to iconic fashion moments like Yves Saint Laurent s 1965 homage to Piet Mondrian. Art and fashion pairings like John Galliano (inspired by Tutankhamun s death mask, Arcimboldo, Gustav Klimt, and Hokusai), Guo Pei (inspired by Velazquez), Margiela (inspired by Gaugin), and Iris Van Herpen (inspired by Paul Delvaux), reveal surprising connections. Projects by street artists like Keith Haring and Kaws introduce the era of collaborations, which saw artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami work with Louis Vuitton. More recent collaborations include Raf Simons with Sterling Ruby and Kerby Jean-Raymond with Derrick Adams. Chapters on striking purses and other accessories designed by artists, and artists creating in fashion including Cindy Sherman, William Wegman, and John Baldessari round out this fresh and delightful take on fashion design.

Minimalism. Deconstruction. The rejuvenation of established houses. These are just a few of the concepts that have come to define 1990s fashion. Others include an increased concern with environmentalism, developing technologies and the beginning of the fashion internet, freewheeling historical references, and a predilection for lifting significant styles from other cultures (the issues raised by this borrowing are reviewed through a contemporary lens). In the twenty years since the decade ended, the fashion world has experienced several nineties revivals. Reinvention and Restlessness: Fashion in the 90s focuses specifically on designers who challenged the expected appearance or workings of high fashion, and who played an important role in laying the foundation for fashion of the twenty-first century, including: Tom Ford, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Martin Margiela, Stella McCartney, Helmut Lang, Jil Sander, Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo, and Viktor and Rolf. Additional chapters address changes to fashion editorials and campaigns (under talents like Steven Meisel, Corinne Day, Inez and Vinoodh, Mark Borthwick, and Nan Goldin), a new theatricality to runway presentations, and the emergence of fashion theory as a field.

Po-prezhnemu li Parizh - mirovaja stolitsa mody? Na etot vopros v svoej knige otvechaet izvestnyj istorik mody, direktor muzeja Instituta tekhnologii mody v Nju-Jorke Valeri Stil. Avtor blestjasche reshaet zadachu, kotoruju stavit pered soboj: pokazat evoljutsiju parizhskogo stilja. Imenno stil pridaet Parizhu unikalnost, delaja ego mestom, gde obreli voploschenie "vse dostizhenija tsivilizatsii, ot avangardnogo iskusstva do elegantnoj mody". Chastnaja zhizn parizhan, romany Balzaka i Prusta, teatralnye podmostki, svjaz modnykh tendentsij i istoricheskikh epokh razvernuty v uvlekatelnoe povestvovanie, okhvatyvajuschee neskolko stoletij. Issledovanie istorii parizhskoj mody vykhodit daleko za ramki "modnogo razgovora" i stanovitsja razmyshleniem o globalnykh protsessakh evropejskoj i mirovoj kultury XVIII-XXI vekov.

This ambitious and fascinating book traces the history of fashion in every part of the world, from Greco-Roman woven-cloth clothing and the silk court dress of the Chinese Tang dynasty to contemporary sportswear designers and Japanese street culture. Organized chronologically, the book traces the evolution of fashion period by period and trend by trend, while detailed timelines provide historical and cultural context. Fashion: The Whole Story is indispensable for everyone who loves the line of a superb suit or knows the joy of wearing a great pair of shoes.

One of the few surveys of Black style and fashion ever published, How to Slay offers a lavishly illustrated overview of African American style through the twentieth century, focusing on the last thirty-five years. Through striking images of some of the most celebrated icons of Black style and taste, from Josephine Baker, Michelle Obama, Maya Angelou, and Miles Davis to Rihanna, Naomi Campbell, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams, this book explores the cultural underpinnings of Black trends that have become so influential in mainstream popular culture and a bedrock of fashion vernacular today. A preponderance of Black musicians, who for decades have inspired trends and transformed global fashion, are featured and discussed, while a diverse array of topics are touched upon and examined hats, hair, divas, the importance of attitude, the use of colour, 60s style, the influence of Africa and the Caribbean, and the beauty of black skin.

The more than eighty collaborators featured in this book comprise an A to Z of Vuitton s creative collaborations, especially from the last decade, with significant chapters devoted to the work of Nicolas Ghesquiere, Marc Jacobs, Takashi Murakami and other key collaborators. Never forgetting the long tradition of the house, the period covered by the book from the late 1990s through the present day will describe the role that Louis Vuitton is playing in a crucial moment in global fashion. Now with 536 pages, this edition features more than 130 pages of stunning new imagery that showcases the increasingly symbiotic relationship between fashion, art, and design.

An astute exploration of the most outrageous shoe designs of the 21st century This fabulously illustrated book explores western culture’s fascination with extravagant and fashionable shoes. Over the past decade, shoe design has become increasingly central to fashion, with fashion companies paying ever more attention to shoes and other accessories. High-heeled shoes, in particular, have become the fashion accessory of the 21st century.Co-written by one of the world’s leading historians of fashion and an authority on fashion accessories, the book features approximately 150 pairs of the most extreme and ultra-fashionable styles of the past 12 years, including work by such prominent designers as Manolo Blahnik, Pierre Hardy, Christian Louboutin and Bruno Frisoni for Roger Vivier, as well as shoes by influential design houses such as Azzedine Alaïa, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, and Prada. Avant-garde styles by up-and-coming designers such as Japan’s Kei Kagami and Noritaka Tatehana are also highlighted.Shoe Obsession examines recent extreme and fantastical shoe styles in relation to the history of high heels, the role of shoes as a reflection of their wearers’ personality traits, and the importance of shoes in art and exhibitions. The book is lavishly illustrated with full-color photographs of spectacular contemporary shoe designs.Published in association with The Fashion Institute of Technology, New YorkExhibition Schedule:The Fashion Institute of Technology, New York(02/07/13-04/13/13)

The Corset: A Cultural History

Kinky boots, corsets, underwear as outerwear, second-skin garments of rubber and leather, uniforms, body piercing. Today everything from a fetishist's dream appears on the fashion runways. Although some people regard fetish fashion as exploitative and misogynistic, others interpret it as a positive Amazonian statement--couture Catwoman. But the connection between fashion and fetishism goes far beyond a few couture collections. For the past thirty years, the iconography of sexual fetishism has been increasingly assimilated into popular culture. Before Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman, there was Mrs. Peel, heroine of the 1960s television show "The Avengers," who wore a black leather catsuit modeled on a real fetish costume. Street styles like punk and the gay "leatherman" look also testify to the influence of fetishism. as interviews with individuals involved in sexual fetishism, sadomasochism, and cross-dressing, to illuminate the complex relationship between appearance and identity. Based on years of research, Fetish: Fashion, Sex & Power explains how a paradigm shift in attitudes toward sex and gender has given rise to the phenomenon of fetish fashion. Providing provocative answers to such questions as: Why is black regarded as the sexiest color? Is fetishizing the norm for males? Does fetish fashion reflect a fear of AIDS? And why do so many people love shoes? Steel shows how human sexuality is never just a matter of doing what comes naturally; fantasy always plays an important role.

The word fetishism evokes images of `kinky' sex, involving an abnormal attraction to certain articles of clothing, such as black leather boots, or body parts, like legs and buttocks. Yet the fetish is in fashion - on the catwalks and in the streets. Leather gear, body piercing, second-skin rubber, even the corset, are back; no longer restricted to sexual subcultures but worn by `club kids' and socialites alike. While fetishism has traditionally been regarded by pyschologists as a `perversion', modern fashion has increasingly embraced characteristic fetish-items such as the spiked high-heel shoe. Fetish: Fashion, Sex, and Power is a historically-grounded study of the relationship between fashion and fetishism. Treating fashion as a symbolic system linked to the expression of sexuality, Steele marshals a dazzling array of evidence from pornography, psychology, and historical literature to illuminate this relationship. Is it fashion or fetish when fashion magazines feature the straps and stilettos of the dominatrix? What of body piercing, either ear rings or those worn through genitals? Is the corset, whether worn by men or women a `style' or a `perversion'. Steele brilliantly charts the boundaries of the `normal' and the `perverse', and shows how even the most bizarre-seeming clothing fetishes enable their wearers (male and female, gay and straight) to use clothing to express their social and sexual identities.