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The House of Worth, 1858-1954
The Birth of Haute Couture
Chantal Trubert-Tollu, Françoise Tétart-Vittu, Fabrice Olivieri, Jean-Marie Martin-Hattemberg
£65.00
The first illustrated monograph dedicated to the history of the House of Worth, the world’s first haute couture house
See InsideOverview
Arriving in Paris in 1845, at the age of twenty and with only a few francs in his pocket, Charles Frederick Worth would go on to build the most prominent, innovative and successful fashion house of the century. Worth was inspired by a love of fine art, luxurious fabrics and his vision of the female ideal. He was the first to set out to dictate new styles and silhouettes to his elite clientele – not the other way around – hosting them in his rue de la Paix salons, which included ground-breaking ‘sportswear’ and ‘maternity’ departments, as well as silk, velvet and brocade rooms, and a special salon with closed shutters and gas lighting designed to allow clients to try on ball gowns in lighting conditions precisely matched to those of the event.
Organized chronologically and illustrated with striking ensembles (including photographs of details that reveal the garments’ intricate construction and craftsmanship), paintings and documents sourced from both private family archives and the best fashion collections from museums around the world, The House of Worth is an inspiring tribute to the house that started it all.
Reviews
'Engaging and almost encyclopaedic … a story brilliantly told … every library should have it'
The Business of Fashion
'Sumptuous'
Daily Telegraph
'The definitive account of the life and work of the man whom the fashion world would remember as its father'
The Lady
'Lavish'
Country Life
Product Information
Book Details
Format: Quarterbound/PLC (no jacket)
Size: 31.0 x 23.5 cm
Extent: 336 pp
Illustrations: 486
Publication date: 9 November 2017
ISBN: 9780500519431
Contents List
Foreword by Christian Lacroix • Introduction • I. Charles Frederick Worth: An Englishman in Paris • II. Gaston & Jean-Philippe Worth: The Alchemy of Success (1895–1922) • III. Jacques and Jean-Charles Worth: The whirl of the jazz age (1922–1941) • IV. Roger & Maurice Worth: The Final Chapter (1941–1954) • V. Perfume and Beauty Creations • Legacy and Influence
About the Author
Chantal Trubert-Tollu is Charles Frederick Worth’s great, great-granddaughter.
Françoise Tétart-Vittu, a former curator at the Palais Galliera, is one of the world’s foremost experts on 19th-century dress.
Fabrice Olivieri is an independent perfumer who has been researching the history of 19th-century style and the Second Empire for many years.
Jean-Marie Martin-Hattemberg is an expert on the history of perfume and cosmetics, on which he has written several books.
Françoise Tétart-Vittu, a former curator at the Palais Galliera, is one of the world’s foremost experts on 19th-century dress.
Fabrice Olivieri is an independent perfumer who has been researching the history of 19th-century style and the Second Empire for many years.
Jean-Marie Martin-Hattemberg is an expert on the history of perfume and cosmetics, on which he has written several books.
