V&A gallery of fashion

Spanning four centuries, the V&A's Fashion Collection is the most comprehensive in the world, housing unrivalled collections of dress, accessories, shoes and hats from the seventeenth century to the present day.

This concise volume perfectly encapsulates the collection, from rare eighteenth-century gowns and exquisite eighteenth-century bodices to 1930s evening wear, post-war couture and show-stopping ensembles by contemporary designers.

Fashion designers represented include Charles Frederick Worth, Madeleine Vionnet, Cristobal Balenciaga, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Mary Quant, Stephen Jones, Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen.