Wild: Fashion Untamed

by Andrew Bolton, Shannon Bell-Price, Elyssa Da Cruz

Since prehistoric times, furs and feathers have been used not only for warmth and protection but also for display and adornment. Offering lively insights into the decorative possibilities of pelts and plumes, WILD: Fashion Untamed examines fur’s ability to announce the wealth and status of the wearer by looking at the clothing of Renaissance aristocrats as well as that of contemporary Hip-Hop performers such as P. Diddy and Missy Elliott.

WILD also examines how pelts and plumes have come to define ideals of femininity by quoting the physical and sexual characteristics of birds and beasts. Examples include an unprecedented array of designs by Azzedine Alaïa, Roberto Cavalli, Dolce and Gabbana, John Galliano for Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen, Thierry Mugler, and Yohji Yamamoto. The book also features fantastical feathered costumes of Las Vegas showgirls and coquettish “birds of paradise” creations by milliners Stephen Jones and Philip Treacy.

Lavishly illustrated and entertainingly written, WILD reveals how faunal apparel, whether in the form of pelts, plumes, prints, or animal symbolism, has represented and will continue to represent one of man’s more primal instincts.

Genres: Fashion

180 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 2004

Reviews

[Phoenix · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure this book will be spot on for anyone looking for animal-inspired textiles. It didn't really do it for me though. I was expecting them to cover more along the lines of collections that Alexander Mcqueen did where he incorporated animal kingdom inspiration. It seemed like they were mostly focused on kitschy, pin-up fashion and retro animal prints (the classic leopard print, snake skin, etc...). I was expecting there to be more of a history of the aspects of animalism that can inspire a designer to pull out their more fierce collections and how there's much to be referenced in animals without killing them for their coats.

That being said, it's a fairly good history of fashion, although seemingly 70's and 80's centric. Just not what I was looking for at all.

[Muffy Kroha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feathers, hides, furs, skins, pelts, from Mackie to McQueen and all the way back through time-Renewed my interest in Mugler and made me want to sculpt some clothes out of leather- Strangely I just bought a great hide two days ago! Great Photos and just enough text- Another surprise hit!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Assisted with research for exhibition and publication.

[Manu Constantin]

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