Starting with hand sewing - the basis for every haute couture garment - expert Claire Shaeffer guides the reader through the steps to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. She presents the sewing techniques practiced in the studios of such legendary designers as Dior, Chanel, Givenchy, and Balenciaga. Detailed instructions and illustrations make high style a snap.
Like a tale from The Arabian Nights, Chanel's life story is one ofmagical transformations. She had five distinct lives (five being without a doubt her lucky number), and while each one does not spring directly from the one before, they were nevertheless connected by one continuous thread which stretched from the beginning of this century to the end: style. The Chanel look was to survive all the changing dictates of fashion. Its principles were order, poise and good taste, as distinct from 'tastefulness'.
