Femmes Fatales: Strong Women in Fashion

Features work by an impressive list of international female designers. Besides the internationally famous names, it also considers the women behind the scenes of many fashion houses, whose far-reaching influence is something that has been completely overlooked in fashion history. Published to accompany an exhibition at Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, The Hague.   

‘The little seamstress’ is how the renowned Coco Chanel was once disdainfully described by her contemporary Paul Poiret. He targeted her because she was a woman, but in fact he saw her as a major competitor. Times have changed. More fashion houses are now run by women than ever before. A perfect moment, therefore, for an overview that focuses on strong women in fashion.   

Femmes Fatales tells fashion history from the perspective of femail designers. Do they design differently for women than their male counterparts? What influence have they had? What does being a woman mean in terms of their creations? And what is their vision for fashion? This book includes work by Coco Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin, Elsa Schiaparelli, Mary Quant, Vivienne Westwood, Sonia Rykiel, Zandra Rhodes, Miuccia Prada, Maria Grazia Chiuri (Dior), Fong Leng, Sheila de Vries and Iris van Herpen, and many others.    Text in Dutch and English.