The fashion conspiracy: a remarkable journey through the empires of fashion

From the catwalks of Paris to the sweatshops of South Korea; from Seventh Avenue glitz to Tokyo new-wave. The sophisticated brokings of the fashion conspiracy have generated a powerful new force in the world economy; designer money.

Nicholas Coleridge presents a fascinating portrait of the jet-setting matrons who are the gurus and tyrants of the fashion press; of fashion legends like Paloma Picasso and Tina Chow; of the top store buyers who command $700 million a season. He probes the incredible world of the designer billionaires like Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Yves St Laurent whose fashion empires are richer than entire Third World countries.

Here are the jealousies, the glamour, the buccaneering, the espionage and the razzmatazz in a witty and penetrating guide to an extraordinary world.