It is commonly known that fashion is big business, yet given its global significance, little has been written on the phenomenon of the fashion system. Instead, books have tended to focus on dress history, although recently the discipline has taken a more theoretical turn, with a spate of books appearing that analyze the underlying forces motivating fashion. This book unites theory and practice to provide an integrated series of snapshots taken from different perspectives of the fashion business in the second half of the twentieth century.

Featuring contributions by leading experts in three main areas of important debate within the industry--the theory and culture of fashion; design and industry; and image and marketing--the book will be an essential reference for students, practitioners and theoreticians. It addresses such key issues as: the relationship between culture and clothing; the intersection of fashion and modernity; the origins of glamour; the role of creativity and the power of design; the chain store challenge; the age of the thinking designer; retail concepts; and minimalism in fashion. It is certain to be required reading on fashion courses and in related disciplines, including media, cultural and consumption

众所周知，时尚是一门大生意，但鉴于其全球意义，关于时尚系统现象的著作却很少。相反，书籍倾向于关注服装历史，尽管最近该学科已经采取了更多的理论转向，出现了一系列分析激励时尚的潜在力量的书籍。本书将理论和实践结合起来，提供了一系列从不同角度拍摄的20世纪下半叶时装业的综合快照。

本书由行业内重要辩论的三个主要领域的顶尖专家撰写--时尚的理论和文化；设计和产业；以及形象和营销--本书将成为学生、从业者和理论家的重要参考资料。它涉及的关键问题包括：文化与服装的关系；时尚与现代性的交集；魅力的起源；创意的作用和设计的力量；连锁店的挑战；有思想的设计师的时代；零售概念；以及时尚的极简主义。这本书肯定会成为时尚课程和相关学科的必读书，包括媒体、文化和消费。