The Origins of Italian Fashion

This fascinating book explores Italian fashion at the beginning of the 20th century, tracing its growth through two world wars to emerge as a dominant force in global fashion. When the Lombard tailor Rosa Genoni created the first Italian fashion house, she broke free of the prevailing French style and launched a national industry. Illustrated with archival material from the design houses as well as illustrations from the earliest Italian fashion magazines, the book focuses on the most important designers from the period: Gabriella di Robilant, the Italian "inven-tor" of sportswear; Salvatore Ferragamo and his famous orthopedic shoes; and Elsa Schiaparelli, the first great protagonist of Italian style. These are the designers who shaped Italian fashion, and their influence continues to be felt today.