SynopsisThis fascinating book explores Italian fashion at the beginning of the 20th century, tracing its growth through two world wars to emerge as a dominant force in global fashion. When the Lombard tailor Rosa Genoni created the first Italian fashion house, she broke free of the prevailing French style and launched a national industry. Illustrated with archival material from the design houses as well as illustrations from the earliest Italian fashion magazines, the book focuses on the most important designers from the period: Gabriella di Robilant, the Italian "inven-tor" of sportswear; Salvatore Ferragamo and his famous orthopedic shoes; and Elsa Schiaparelli, the first great protagonist of Italian style. These are the designers who shaped Italian fashion, and their influence continues to be felt today., The Origins of Italian Fashion examines the history of Italian fashion from the beginning of the twentieth century, when the Lombard tailor Rosa Genoni created the first Italian fashion house independent from the prevailing French style, to World War II, when the Fascist regime co-opted fashion as a propaganda tool...Illustrated with archive material from the designers and the earliest Italian fashion magazines, this book concentrates on the most important designers from the early years of Italian fashion. From Gabriella di Robilant, the Italian 'inventor' of sportswear fashion, to Salvatore Ferragamo and his famous orthopaedic shoes, to Elsa Schiaparelli, the first great protagonist of Italian style, these designers' influence continues to be felt today., This fascinating book explores Italian fashion at the beginning of the 20th century, tracing its growth through two world wars to emerge as a dominant force in global fashion. When the Lombard tailor Rosa Genoni created the first Italian fashion house, she broke free of the prevailing French style and launched a national industry. Illustrated with archival material from the design houses as well as illustrations from the earliest Italian fashion magazines, the book focuses on the most important designers from the period: Gabriella di Robilant, the Italian "inventor" of sportswear; Salvatore Ferragamo and his famous orthopedic shoes; and Elsa Schiaparelli, the first great protagonist of Italian style. These are the designers who shaped Italian fashion, and their influence continues to be felt today.
LC Classification NumberGT968.G558 2014