Between The Pages of Fashion: Five Fashion Books You Must Read

Fashion is a creative field and though practical knowledge is stressed on, reading and researching is equally important. Many don’t know where to start and therefore here is a list of the top five books that all aspirants should have in their bookshelf.

Adorned in Dreams by Elizabeth Wilson: 

First published in 1985 and now updated, Elizabeth Wilson wrote ‘Adorned in Dreams: Fashion and Modernity’ to put forth an argument from a feminist perspective. Over the years this book has gained a place among the best books ever written on the significance of fashion. From haute couture to haberdashery, Wilson traces the social-cultural history of fashion. 

Fashion Entrepreneur: Starting Your Own Fashion Business by Sandra Burke: 

Sandra Burke’s book concentrates on the business aspect of the fashion industry and will help you navigate the glamorous roads of the fashion world. Packed with interviews, case studies, imagery from prestigious fashion entrepreneurs and inspiring fashion illustrations, this book has all the knowledge you’ll need to become a fashion entrepreneur.

The Fashion Designer Survival Guide, Revised and Expanded Edition: Start and Run your own Fashion by Mary Gehlhar: 

Fashion is a tough business to crack and even tougher to survive in, hence this book. Fashion luminaries like Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger, Cynthia Rowley, Diane von Furstenberg and Richard Tyler have shared words of wisdom regarding the latest trends in apparel and accessories. The book comes in handy while planning a viable business plan and covers each topic, from finding the best source of fabric and materials to marketing to running a successful fashion show. 

Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion edited by Valerie Steele: 

Director of the Fashion Institute of Technology Museum, Valerie Steele has created an encyclopedia with the help of 325 contributors. The encyclopedia is an authoritative introduction to the fashion industry. Containing 640 articles on every component of couture and textiles, the book also includes color plates and 600 black-and-white illustrations. This is a book every fashion aspirant should own; after all knowledge is power!

Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design by Deborah Nadoolman Landis: 

This one is a must-have for all, the costume designers out there. Deborah journeys through the lavish golden age of Hollywood to the present day and maps it all. Costumes speak a language of their own; many characters have become memorable through their costumes. The book is a mini-exhibition of one hundred years of Hollywood’s most enticing costumes. So next time if you are looking for inspiration you know which book to pick!

If you are a reading enthusiastic there are other brilliant books on fashion like Designing Design by Kenya Hara, Costume Patterns and Designs by Max Tilke and Designer’s Guide to Fashion Apparel by Evelyn L. Brannon that you can browse through. 

There are just so many inspiring books in this genre that should be read to gain inspiration, knowledge or just for the pleasure of reading! 

Designing Costumes for Films

Sridevi’s blue sari from Mr. India or Madhuri Dixit’s purple one from Hum Aapke Hain Kaun have set trends in their days, and in the recent years almost all looks donned by actresses like Kareena Kapoor or Katrina Kaif in their movies have made fashion statements. 

                                

The world of cinema reaches wide taking fashion with it and though a fashion designer is the one creating the outfits, but the credit for the fabulous looks is also shared by a Costume Designer who puts the look of the character together.

A Costume Designer is someone who is responsible for designing costumes for theater or movies. There has always been a misconception that a Fashion Designer and a Costume Designer are one and the same profession. They may belong to the same domain, but they are far from being the same. A Fashion Designer solely creates for him/herself and a Costume Designer creates to define a character.

The job description of a Costume Designer entitles them to work closely with the director, writer and everyone involved creatively with the film. Their designs are based on the script of the film or drama. Here garments are adding and enhancing the character according to the story and a designer has to make sure that they get the costumes of the characters absolutely right because many a times the way a character is dressed defines their role. This is especially applicable for period movies as a culture of an era can be reflected in the clothes of that time for which a designer cannot commit an error. Indian movies are very colorful and of a wide range of genres. A single movie can represent the varied facets of our society and a designer has to create different looks that are associated with all those facets.   

    Neeta Lulla                           Manish Malhotra                         Xerxes Bhathena             

Neeta Lulla is an excellent role model for young costume designers. Manish Malhotra and Xerxes Bhathena are some of the names that have started their career as costume designers.

Any aspirant entering this line of work has to follow more or less the same career path as a Fashion Designer. The first step of which is of course formal education and from there the next step is making your portfolio and internship. A costume designer needs to have the talent of a fashion designer along with the creative sensibility to understand the character for which they are creating the look. Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion is one of the few fashion institutes which encompass these different aspects and gives a chance to explore boundaries.