The story of photography's first practicable colour process is also the story of fashion as it evolved from the Edwardian era to the newfound fluidity and freedom of the 1920s. 'Soon the world will be color-mad and Lumière will be responsible' Alfred Stieglitz, 1907 These words announced the arrival of the autochrome, the colour process invented by the Lumière brothers that not only transformed photography, but also recorded the transition of fashion from Edwardian elegance towards a liberating modernity. The Colour of Clothes celebrates the unique beauty of the autochrome in around 370 images that reflect the broad sweep of its usage. Couturiers embraced the way the process showcased their exquisite designs to luminous perfection - among them Fortuny, Poiret, Doucet, Vionnet, Lucile, Chanel and Lanvin. Beyond the sphere of fashion, there are also examples from the Salon du Goût Français, France's virtual autochrome exhibition of luxury items, and Albert Kahn's Archives de la Planète, a bold attempt to record the world's cultures in autochromes. Some of the photographers involved may be famous in their field - Lartigue, Stieglitz, Steichen - though very often they are lesser known, and many are women who took to the process with panache. Whoever they were, they helped to immortalize one of photography's historic moments, when the camera first revealed the world of fashion as it was - in colour.
Cally Blackman Book order






- 2025
- 2019
Fashion Central Saint Martins
- 272 pages
- 10 hours of reading
A lavishly illustrated book dedicated to Central Saint Martins, one of the best and most famous fashion schools in the world. Celebrating the most famous and influential fashion school in the world, Fashion Central Saint Martins is filled with never-before-seen student work and exclusive interviews with talented graduates who have gone on to become the biggest names in fashion. A treasure trove of early sketches, first collections and fashion shoots by designers such as Hussein Chalayan, John Galliano, Stephen Jones, Dior’s Kim Jones, Christopher Kane, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Phoebe Philo, Gareth Pugh, and Burberry’s Riccardo Tisci, as well as journalists like Vogue’s Hamish Bowles and stylists such as LOVE magazine’s Katie Grand. The book reveals words of wisdom on everything a budding fashion designer, or aspiring fashion student, needs to know to forge their own path. Edited by the school’s program director of fashion, Hywel Davies, and Cally Blackman, lecturer in fashion history and theory, Fashion Central Saint Martins follows the school’s history from 1931 to today. An initial chapter examines the early history (1930s to 1960s), followed by chapters dedicated to each subsequent decade. Packed with profiles of key alumni alongside photography of their student work, and peppered with essays, this book will delight all fans and students of fashion.
- 2014
Książka prezentuje ponad 100 lat� nieustannej ewolucji mody męskiej: od stroju księcia Walii Edwarda z 1900 roku, aż po kolekcje Vivienne Westwood i Alexandra McQueena. Pokazuje nie tylko garnitury, lecz także mundury, ubrania robocze i stroje sportowe, kt�re wpływały także na modę damską.� Dzieła takich kreator�w jak Pierre Cardin czy Giorgio Armani� skontrastowane z modą ulicy lat 60-tych albo stylem punk dały tom bezcenny dla student�w mody, historyk�w stroj�w i miłośnik�w męskich ubrań.
- 2012
A rich, comprehensive collection of images covering the revolution in menswear over the last 100 years with text by fashion historian Cally Blackman. A unique collection, 100 Years of Menswear will prove indispensable for all fashion students, historians of dress, and lovers of men's clothes.
- 2012
100 Years of Fashion
- 400 pages
- 14 hours of reading
"100 Years of Fashion documents the most exciting and diverse period in fashion: from 1900 on, when women's lives and manner of dress changed dramatically. From home dressmaking to couture, from wartime rationing to 'The New Look', from the birth of the teenager to mass manufacture, this selection of over 400 photographs and illustrations tells the fascinating story of a fashion revolution. 100 Years of Fashion will appeal to everyone with an interest in fashion"--Publisher's website
- 2007
100 Years of Fashion Illustration
- 384 pages
- 14 hours of reading
A visual feast of 400 dazzling images, this is a comprehensive survey of the genre over the last century. The book also offers an overview of the development of fashion, as seen through the eyes of the greatest illustrators of the day. Early in the century, fashion illustration reflected new, liberating currents in art and culture, such as the exoticism of the Ballets Russes, while the postwar period saw inspiration from the great Parisian couturiers. After the dominance of the celebrity fashion photographer in the 60s, a new generation of illustrators emerged, embracing the medium of the computer, while many returned to more traditional techniques.
- 2001
Costume
- 32 pages
- 2 hours of reading
Costume and clothes are the most visible means we have of expressing ourselves. This title presents the fascinating evolvement of costume and clothes throughout the period from 15th century to the present day. schovat popis