Cocktail Dress

THE BLACK DRESS by Valerie Steele paves the way nicely for the next title in this small-format fashion series. THE COCKTAIL DRESS is the second book in the series‚ and it will receive a similar highly stylized graphic design treatment‚ along with the same highly varnished book case and metallic cover treatment to readily brand the series to the book buyer and reader.

Like THE BLACK DRESS‚ this book will contain an informative‚ fun introduction chronicling the history of cocktail dress throughout fashion history‚ a wealth of images including fine art and photography‚ film stills‚ fashion editorial and runway photography‚ vintage ads‚ magazine covers‚ and illustrations by the world's foremost fashion designers‚ artists‚ and photographers. It will also include quotes from literature and designers‚ as well as witty quips on the cocktail itself.

Examples range from the hot pink number Audrey Hepburn made famous in BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S to the best contemporary renditions. Readers will see all the classic cocktail dresses designed by Coco Chanel‚ Paul Poiret‚ Marcel Rochas‚ Jean Patou‚ Elsa Schiaparelli‚ Cristobal Balenciaga‚ Norman Norell‚ Pauline Trigere‚ and of course‚ Christian Dior‚ who is credited with coining the term. The art will be equally diverse‚ including pochoir prints by Georges Lepape‚ paintings by Otto Dix‚ Max Beckmann‚ and other famous artists‚ and illustrations by Shag and Ruben Toledo. Detailed captions at the back of book provide historical information for the reader that places the dresses in historical context.