SIMONE WERLE is a fashion writer and designer based in Munich. Her most recent book is Fashionista (Prestel).

This accessible and beautifully illustrated book brings together the most important designers who have moved fashion forward over the past century. Fifty major fashion designers are profiled in this book in fullcolor spreads that showcase their most memorable creations. Red carpet regulars such as Armani, Prada, Calvin Klein, and Dolce & Gabbana are included, as well as the classic clothiers Christian Dior, Karl Lagerfeld, and Oscar de La Renta. While some of these designers have designed for the masses Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Diane von Furstenberg others prefer the fierce over the functional: Jean-Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, and Helmut Lang, for instance. Readers will learn how the early twentieth-century designers such as Coco Chanel and Andre Courrages made fashion history, and discover who s making it now: Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs, and Tom Ford, to name a few. A celebration of diversity and innovation and an essential handbook to a century of fashion, this exciting and informative look into the world of style will delight readers of every taste and age.