The Cocktail Dress

With an essay and a gorgeous array of imagery selected by Laird Borrelli-Persson, The Cocktail Dress is the first volume to pay homage to this fashion classic. Along with an entertaining history of the dress and its evolution, the book features a dazzling presentation of cocktail frocks throughout fashion history. This colorful gallery includes fine art and photography, runway shots and design sketches, stills from classic films, and vintage magazine covers. Included are works by painters and photographers Otto Dix, Alex Katz, Raoul Dufy, Gordon Parks, and Edward Steichen, as well as illustrations by designers Chris Benz, Cynthia Rowley, Isaac Mizrahi, and Peter Som. Throughout are alluring images of fashion and film icons clad in stunning cocktail attire, among them Louise Brooks, Joan Crawford, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Wallis Simpson, Twiggy, Kate Moss, and Sarah Jessica Parker. Every page features showstopping creations by the world’s most renowned fashion designers, from CristÓbal Balenciaga and Christian Dior to Miuccia Prada and Alber Elbaz. The dresses are shown in full color throughout, paired with witty commentary on cocktail culture and couture from fashion personalities, fiction, and film. Extended captions at the back of the book provide details on each dress and its place in fashion history.

Publisher: Collins Design
Date Published: 2009
Book Condition Very good hardcover with minor spne ends and front corner bumping to boards. The dust jacket has minor surface marking and edge wear. Otherwise, the book is in very good unmarked condition internally.