Colin McDowell

Diana was the world's most photographed woman in the 1980s and 90s. Her every outfit was scrutinized, criticised, admired and endlessly copied, her every fashion choice enormously influential. But it was only towards the end of her life that she found her own, true style and the panache and confidence to flaunt it. How did the shy, Sloane nanny in a chiffon skirt become a rock chick fashion icon who kicked into touch the concept of frosty aristocratic hauteur, while remaining demure and striking in Versace, Walker, Edelstein, Choo and Blahnik? What were her influences? Who were the designers that dressed her? What were the outfits that made her? And how was her dress a reflection of her times?Here, Colin McDowell has written a definitive, well-researched and intelligent book on Diana and her influence on society, attitudes and fashion. This title is lavishly illustrated throughout with over a hundred rare and striking images, including original sketches from Valentino, Bruce Oldfield and Roland Klein.

Why do we dress the way we do? Why has fashion changed and evolved over the centuries? How did the 3-piece suit come about? Why have hemlines risen and fallen over time? In The Anatomy of Fashion, respected fashion commentator Colin McDowell goes beyond standard fashion histories and narrative surveys to answer these questions and many more. Uniquely structured, taking the reader through fashion and dress from head to toe - the whole body is anatomized into sections including 'The Body Unclothed'(Skin and Body Adornment, Materials and Texture, and Colour and Pattern), 'The Body Anatomized'('Head to Waist'and 'Hips to Feet'), and 'The Body Clothed'(Looks and Themes in Dress). Visually rich, with over 500 photographs, illustrations, paintings and film stills, the book includes work by designers and labels such as Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Versace, Carhartt, Diesel and more. The book's dynamic structure and layout are equally suited for browsing and for serious reference, but The Anatomy of Fashion is not simply a picture book. It is a sourcebook by one of the world's leading fashion scholars that seeks nothing less than a thorough analysis of the roots of every aspect of fashion today.