FASHION DESIGNERS A-Z. 2020 EDITION

From Azzedine Alaïa, Cristóbal Balenciaga and Coco Chanel to Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent and Vivienne Westwood, this new edition of Fashion Designers A-Z pays tribute to the great names who have shaped fashion for over a century, through the collections of New York's FIT Museum.

Fifteen new names from this prestigious industry, including Phoebe Philo, Patrick Kelly and Sonia Rykiel, have joined the ranks of this updated and enriched book, which features nearly 500 garments selected from the museum's permanent collections. Precious evening gowns in embroidered velvet or chic minimalism à la Mondrian, each piece has been selected and photographed for its beauty, of course, but also for its interest, in that it embodies the philosophy or style of one of the designers mentioned.

The book is introduced by the museum's director and chief curator, Valerie Steele, who recounts the development of museums devoted to fashion and the emergence of the fashion exhibition as a popular and controversial phenomenon. A preface by style priestess Suzy Menkes and texts by the museum's curators provide historical background to each brand and piece, while 125 portraits by artist Robert Nippoldt pay tribute to these great designers.