Today’s Bookmarks book review is 1950s Fashion Print….
…one in a series written by Marnie Fogg and published by Anova Books.
The book’s arrival was perfectly timed as it appeared hot on the heels of our vintage fabric haul which we blogged about recently.
It’s very attractive visually.
Holding the book, with its tactile, textured cover is almost like handling a piece of barkcloth.
An initial flick through the enticing photos contained within persuades you to delve deeper.
There are endless examples of superb, period fabric designs to drool over…
…full-colour, detailed images of vintage prints on every page.
Some very recognisable patterns as well as ones you’ll probably not seen before.
It isn’t however, just a collection of pretty pictures…
…it’s extremely well researched – Fogg really knows her subject.
She used to be a lecturer in Visual Studies and the Culture of Fashion at the University of Nottingham.
In addition to details about the actual fabric designs, the book encompasses related topics such as interior design and social & historical influences.
Another strong point of the book is the photo captions – they’re full of additional information and incisive comments.
It’s a wonderful leisure read, but also a great resource…
… an inspiration for design projects or for identifying fabrics that you may be lucky enough to find!
There’s also a useful bibliography of where to go next if your appetite for 50s patterns has been whetted.
It’s a must for devotees of textile designers such as Lucienne Day, Marian Mahler, Robert Stewart, Jaqueline Groag, Sylvia Chambers & Tom Mellor to name but a few – along with manufacturers such as Heals, David Whitehead Ltd and Edinburgh Weavers…
…and for fans of Mid-century Modern design in general.
This book is going to be a permanent fixture on our shelves.
1950s Fashion Print can also be bought from Amazon, Abe Books and Hive.
We’ll be following up in the very near future with a review of Fogg’s 1960s Fashion Fabrics…
…we’re very much looking forward to it!
[Many thanks to Anova Books for supplying this review copy.]