Empresses of Seventh Avenue

World War II, New York City, and the Birth of American Fashion

De: Nancy MacDonell

Narrado por: Gail Shalan

"This audiobook is perfect not only for people in love with fashion, but also for anyone interested in fashion as art, obsession, and ever-present societal phenomenon."—Booklist

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

In the tradition of The Barbizon and The Girls of Atomic City, fashion historian and journalist Nancy MacDonell chronicles the untold story of how the Nazi invasion of France gave rise to the American fashion industry.

Calvin Klein. Ralph Lauren. Donna Karan. Halston. Marc Jacobs. Tom Ford. Michael Kors. Tory Burch. Today, American designers are some of the biggest names in fashion, yet before World War II, they almost always worked anonymously. The industry, then centered on Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, had always looked overseas for "inspiration"—a polite phrase for what was often blatant copying—because style, as all the world knew, came from Paris.

But when the Nazis invaded France in 1940, the capital of fashion was cut off from the rest of the world. The story of the chaos and tragedy that followed has been told many times—but how it directly affected American fashion is largely unknown.

Defying the naysayers, New York-based designers, retailers, editors, and photographers met the moment, turning out clothes that were perfectly suited to the American way of life: sophisticated, modern, comfortable, and affordable. By the end of the war, "the American Look" had been firmly established as a fresh, easy elegance that combined function with style. But none of it would have happened without the influence and ingenuity of a small group of women who have largely been lost to history.

Empresses of Seventh Avenue will tell the story of how these extraordinary women put American fashion on the world stage and created the template for modern style—and how the nearly $500 billion American fashion industry, the largest in the world, could not have accrued its power and wealth without their farsightedness and determination.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

The Rise of American Women Fashion

Never knew how tied we were to France fashion and when American designers finally dresses the American women.

Rich history, well told

The personalities in this book leap from the page thanks to MacDonell’s prose. I enjoyed this book immensely.

across the decades from Paris to NY to my closet

I am an American woman of 63 who loves shopping, putting together outfits, & going out & about, not to mention the arts & mid 20th century history. I read 2 books that I recommend as a pair. There is overlap in material, but each offers elements the other does not. First, I read Julie Satow's When Women Ran 5th Avenue: Glamour & Power & the Dawn of American Fashion. Next, I read Nancy MacDonell's Empresses of 7th Avenue: WWII, NYC, & the Birth of American Fashion. Satow begins with trends & figures inhabiting the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, whereas MacDonnell is all 20th century. I found it very interesting & entertaining to learn about European influence, American fashion merchandising, leading department stores, women executives, designers, trendsetters, etc in the era of my grandmother, mother, & myself.

The wonderful historical perspective.

Terrific descriptions of the styles and everything in historical context. Honest depictions of the designers and their lives.

The rise and fall of French Haute Couture.

Having worked in fashion in NYC in the seventies I was surprised not to know most of the names associated with the original designers of American sportswear. I also had no knowledge of the impact of WWII on French couture as well as the impact of American fashion after the war.

Overall the narration was fine, but the narrator pronounced Schiapparelli 3 different ways. She was careful to pronounce French designer's names correctly, but used the English pronunciation for Louvre and an unknown pronunciation for Coty.