Fashion History from the 18th to the 20th Century

Clothes make the man. A person’s clothing, whether a sari, kimono or office suit, is an important factor in understanding his or her culture, social class, personality and even religious beliefs.
Founded in 1978, the Kyoto Costume Institute recognizes the importance of fashion from sociological, historical and artistic perspectives. Possessing one of the largest collections of clothing in the world, the KCI has amassed a wide range of historic clothing, undergarments, footwear and fashion accessories from the 18th century to the present.
Drawing on the Institute’s extensive collection, Fashion History from the 18th to the 20th Century will take the reader on a fascinating journey through the last three centuries of clothing trends. Through photographs of clothes arranged by skilled hands on custom-made mannequins, this work shows us clothing as an “essential manifestation of our authentic being” and the Institute’s passion for fashion as an intricate and complex art form.
The book’s authors include some of the brightest minds and sharpest looks in the field of fashion science: Akiko Fukai (director and curator emerita of the Kyoto Costume Institute), Tamami Suoh (curator of the Kyoto Costume Institute), Miki Iwagami (professor of fashion history at Bunka Gakuen University in Tokyo), Reiko Koga (former professor of fashion history at Bunka Gakuen University in Tokyo) and Rie Nii (curator of the Kyoto Costume Institute).

LANGUAGE: English
Edited by Kyoto Costume Institute
Publisher: Taschen