Becoming couture is the first book to examine the history of the Italian fashion industry during the global transition brought about by the Second World War. It draws on a wide range of primary sources, some of them newly unearthed, to demonstrate that the Italian fashion industry in the Republican era continued to rely on business practices and professionals established during Fascism. Analysing changes in promotional discourses and press coverage, the book traces the shift that occurred when manufacturers were encouraged to expand their exports of accessories to include sportswear, knitwear and moda boutique. This ultimately led to the legitimisation of Italian dressmaking as creatively independent of French influences and therefore worthy of the label 'couture'.
By:
Chiara Faggella Imprint: Manchester University Press Country of Publication: United Kingdom Dimensions:
Height: 240mm,
Width: 170mm,
Spine: 16mm
Weight: 598g ISBN:9781526155245 ISBN 10: 1526155249 Series:Studies in Design and Material Culture Pages: 248 Publication Date:01 January 2025 Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Primary
,
Undergraduate
Format:Hardback Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Introduction 1 Rome: new standards of fashion 2 New York: from handicrafts to fashion 3 Florence: old culture and new commerce 4 Across the United States: Italy at Work 5 Fashion councils of Turin, Milan, and Rome 6 Florence: a new experience of couture Conclusion Index -- .
Chiara Faggella is a fashion historian and a Lecturer at Syracuse University, Florence and Lund University.
