Synopses & Reviews
and#160; Legendary British-born designer Charles Frederick Worth (1825and#150;1895), with enormous talent for design and promotion, built his fashion house into an empire during the last quarter of the 19th centuryand#151;the first busiand#173;ness of its kind with global reach. His company, through his heirs, endured until 1952, when his great-grandson retired. Profusely illustrated, this astonishing book explores Worthand#8217;s success in the realm of haute couture after 1890. Hundreds of photographs selected from the VandAand#8217;s unique archive of more than 7,000 official house records capture the Worth style and offer valuable insights into the daily routine at Maison Worth in Paris. Images and text tell the intriguing story of these creations, providing historical context and describing Worthand#8217;s interand#173;national clientele of elegant women of wealth and power.
About the Author
Amy de la Haye is Professor of Dress History and Curatorship, Rootstein Hopkins Chair, London College of Fashion. Valerie D. Mendes, formerly head of Fashion and Textiles at the VandA, is a freelance fashion and textiles historian.