The Impossible Collection of Fashion, The Ultimate Collection (book)

This post is also available in: Français (French)

The Impossible Collection of Fashion, The Ultimate Collection (book) by Valerie Steele. 2011. Brand new, 144-page book in English in a luxury clamshell slipcase. 100 illustrations. Handcrafted limited edition. Dimensions: W 15.31 x L 18.5 x D 2.75 in. 24.4 lbs.

In this large-format limited edition, presented in a linen slipcase and a large handmade book, Valerie Steele reveals her mastery of curation by presenting the most iconic dresses of the 20th century. From Poiret to Pucci, Doucet to Dior, Vionnet to Valentino, Steele has selected some 100 dresses that caused a sensation on the runway and at the door, inspiring new fashion trends. Her selections include Paul Poiret’s emancipatory gown from 1907, Madame Grès’s sublimely draped, goddess-like creation from 1938, Jean Paul Gaultier’s incredibly exaggerated corset dress with a conical bust circa 1984, and Hussein Chalayan’s impressive fiberglass Remote Control Airplane dress from 2000. This admittedly subjective compilation is sure to elicit nods and a few surprises.

Valerie Steele is the Director and Chief Curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (MFIT). Having curated more than twenty exhibitions over the past decade, she is also the editor-in-chief of Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, which she founded in 1997.

Feel free to check out the additional photos at the top left, thank you!

If you prefer to pay in euros, =before= you start ordering, you must click on the word “Français” in orange, under the main photo above, which will redirect you to the same description in French and payment in Euros.