21 October 2018

New fashion books? Fashion.at publisher Karin Sawetz about first steps into reading, getting inspired by literature and how to build up an own reference library

Fashion people will find 'fashion' everywhere - not only in fashion books; the impact of novels such as Marcel Proust's 'In Search of Lost Time' on the training of observing fashion shouldn't be underestimated. But let's start at the beginning, at the first steps children make in the 'reading' field.

As a child, my favorite book was 'Das Bunte Buch' (means translated 'The colorful book'). It's a basic collection of stories, fairy tales, fables where the fantasy world is mixed with knowledge about regions and cultures; even geographical landscapes such as in the story about a Hungarian girl. The puszta was described poetically and the girl's outfit with the red riding boots and wide skirt corresponded with the traditional clothing of the Hungarian steppe. Another highlight in my children's eyes were the great gowns at the story about the Russian princesses who were transformed by a magician into birch trees. Or the funny and wise story about a tailor, his enormous desire to work perfectly, and that violent temper leads to self-harm. The images are lively in my memory!

'Das Bunte Buch' by Erwin Czerwenka, G&G Kinderbuchverlag, is still available; now in the 7th edition from 2011. The colorful book wasn't the only literature I consumed in my childhood, but it had the most beautiful pictures.

Through the years, the books became less and less illustrated - especially during the years of my studies of communication, media sciences and philosophy, until I've added for my doctoral thesis about the semiotic analysis of fashion codes, the research on the cultural history of fashion and costume to my university programme. Several fashion dictionaries, encyclopedias belong until today to my reference library which is heavily used when I can't find the requested answers online.

One dictionary I wouldn't miss is the richly illustrated 'Reclams Mode- und Kostümlexikon' by Ingrid Loschek and Gundula Wolter who deliver knowledge - inclusively the definition of special fashion terms (in German), about costume and fashion history from early cultures up to information about fashion designers and labels of our time.

Both books, my favorite pictured children's book and the lexicon are products of the culture I've grown into. The authors' view is from the Middle-European angle and such as history in general can differ from the perspectives people look at historical facts, even fashion and costume history is set into a cultural context. But only through the knowledge of the development of the own history, the understanding for other cultures can grow.

'Wien 1900. Kunst Design Architektur Mode' by Christian Brandstätter, Daniela Gregori, Rainer Metzger (Brandstätter Verlag, published in German language) will be released in some days on 29 October. The 544 pages book is illustrated with 1500 images; among them previously unpublished photographs. It's very possibly a good source to understand Viennese culture and has the best chances to become a must-have at the own reference library. The authors are experts in art history, design - and the history of Austria. The research is built upon the questions why Vienna became during the years 1897 and 1918 a 'crystallization point of modernity' and why many for the 20th century ground-breaking ideas were born in this city. In the introducing text, the authors explain the geographical position of Vienna as melting pot of Old Europe where forward-thinkers from various cultures came together. It's announced that two chapters are contributed to fashion, fabrics, jewelry and accessories.

As publisher of Fashion.at, I follow the motto "Never stop learning". I will take a look at the book 'Wien 1900' when it's released.


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