Fashion Writing and Criticism
History, Theory, Practice
Published on 23. October 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
168 pages
978-0-85785-447-6 (ISBN)
Description
Fashion Writing and Criticism provides students with the tools to critique fashion with skill and style. Explaining the history and theory of criticism, this innovative text demonstrates how the tradition of criticism has developed and how this knowledge can be applied to fashion, enabling students to acquire the methods and proper vocabulary to be active critics themselves.
Integrating history and theory, this innovative book explains the development of fashion writing, the theoretical basis on which it sits, and how it might be improved and applied. Through concise snapshot case studies, top international scholars McNeil and Miller analyse fashion excerpts in relation to philosophical ideas and situate them within historical contexts. Case studies include classic examples of fashion writing, such as Diana Vreeland at Harper's Bazaar and Richard Martin on Karl Lagerfeld, as well as contemporary examples such as Suzy Menkes and the blogger Tavi.
Accessibly written, Fashion Writing and Criticism enables readers to understand, assess and make value judgments about the fascinating and changeable field of fashion. It is an invaluable text for students and researchers alike, studying fashion, journalism, history and media studies.
Integrating history and theory, this innovative book explains the development of fashion writing, the theoretical basis on which it sits, and how it might be improved and applied. Through concise snapshot case studies, top international scholars McNeil and Miller analyse fashion excerpts in relation to philosophical ideas and situate them within historical contexts. Case studies include classic examples of fashion writing, such as Diana Vreeland at Harper's Bazaar and Richard Martin on Karl Lagerfeld, as well as contemporary examples such as Suzy Menkes and the blogger Tavi.
Accessibly written, Fashion Writing and Criticism enables readers to understand, assess and make value judgments about the fascinating and changeable field of fashion. It is an invaluable text for students and researchers alike, studying fashion, journalism, history and media studies.
Reviews / Votes
What a boost for the discipline! -- Dr Richard Read, Winthrop Professor in Art History, University of Western Australia This original volume is both timely and valuable. It provides essential background and introduction to fashion writing and criticism past and present while providing sound intellectual direction for its future. -- Hazel Clark, Parsons The New School for Design, USA Fashion Writing and Criticism provides an introduction to two crucial words - critic and fashion - that are part and parcel of the way we write and think about dress. The authors have explored these keywords with an admirable degree of clarity and in such a way as to be of benefit to fashion scholars and students alike. -- Michael Carter, University of Sydney The chronology and the evaluative discussions on the development of criticism and the snapshots on twentieth-century fashion reporting are valuable to the ways in which authors think about existing and future writing on fashion, particularly from a critical rather than purely descriptive perspective. * Costume *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
30 bw illus
Dimensions
Height: 233 mm
Width: 154 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
298 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-85785-447-6 (9780857854476)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2014
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€36.49
Available for download
E-Book
10/2014
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€36.49
Available for download
Persons
Peter McNeil is Professor of Design History at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia.
Sanda Miller is Senior Research Fellow at Southamtpon Solent University, UK, and Associate Lecturer at Istituto Marangoni, London, UK.
Sanda Miller is Senior Research Fellow at Southamtpon Solent University, UK, and Associate Lecturer at Istituto Marangoni, London, UK.
Content
Acknowledgements
List of illustrations
Part 1 What is Criticism?
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Aristotle and the origins of criticism
Chapter 3 Talking in private: the Academies and the Salons
Chapter 4 Understanding Taste: The Critic as Qualified Observer
Chapter 5 Charles Baudelaire: the Beginning of Fashion Criticism; The Art Critic of the Salons
Chapter 6 Oscar Wilde and the apostles of aestheticism
Part 2 Reporting Fashion: Overview
Snapshots
Fashion and morality: Leo Tolstoy's What is Art?
Paul Poiret: 'sultan of fashion' - from tradition to innovation
Diana Vreeland: 'Why Don't you?' - the invention of the fashion editor
Christian Dior: the 'New Look' and reporting by Carmel Snow
Yves Saint Laurent - a 1970s analysis of 'The couturier and his brand'
What is fashion irony? Mild sarcasm or feigning ignorance?
Reporting on the Japanese revolution in Paris
Richard Martin as essayist: Karl Lagerfeld reworks Chanel
Being critical about 'deconstruction': theoretical approach or 'le destroy'?
What is a reviewer? - and how can we recognise one?
What gives Suzy Menkes the status of professional critic?
ACNE Paper: the beauty of print, the splendour of the page
How to be a 'critical' blogger: Moving beyond the PR Release
Conclusion: where do we go from here?
Bibliography
Index
List of illustrations
Part 1 What is Criticism?
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Aristotle and the origins of criticism
Chapter 3 Talking in private: the Academies and the Salons
Chapter 4 Understanding Taste: The Critic as Qualified Observer
Chapter 5 Charles Baudelaire: the Beginning of Fashion Criticism; The Art Critic of the Salons
Chapter 6 Oscar Wilde and the apostles of aestheticism
Part 2 Reporting Fashion: Overview
Snapshots
Fashion and morality: Leo Tolstoy's What is Art?
Paul Poiret: 'sultan of fashion' - from tradition to innovation
Diana Vreeland: 'Why Don't you?' - the invention of the fashion editor
Christian Dior: the 'New Look' and reporting by Carmel Snow
Yves Saint Laurent - a 1970s analysis of 'The couturier and his brand'
What is fashion irony? Mild sarcasm or feigning ignorance?
Reporting on the Japanese revolution in Paris
Richard Martin as essayist: Karl Lagerfeld reworks Chanel
Being critical about 'deconstruction': theoretical approach or 'le destroy'?
What is a reviewer? - and how can we recognise one?
What gives Suzy Menkes the status of professional critic?
ACNE Paper: the beauty of print, the splendour of the page
How to be a 'critical' blogger: Moving beyond the PR Release
Conclusion: where do we go from here?
Bibliography
Index