Fetishism in Fashion

Lidewij Edelkoort

Frame Publishers, 2013 - Design - 247 pages

Internationally renowned trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort delves into the fetishistic world of contemporary fashion to reveal a daring and instinctive future for style and culture.

As Edelkoort explains, the book explores various themes, from our fundamental need to cover ourselves to the eccentric extremes to which our desires can take us on the quest for beauty.

Fetishism in Fashion investigates topics including the evolution of taste from birth to adulthood, the elevation of shoes through ever-higher heels, the psychology of branding, the effects of infantilism, the power of the color black, the fetishizing of objects, and the interaction of architecture, fashion, and the body. The avant garde art performances of Leigh Bowery are highlighted in honor of his continually growing influence on contemporary culture.

Talent will be sourced from around the globe, focusing on innovative and original content that illustrates a dramatic shift in aesthetics. Bolder, crazier, and more outlandish styles are on the fashion horizon, making this book a key reference in a new era of experimentation and intense creativity.

With visually rich photography and essays by established authors discussing art, clothing, design, textiles, food, and beauty, this in-depth publication will unveil the intimate ties that bind us.

About the author

Lidewij Edelkoort (1950) is one of the world's most renowned trend forecasters.
From her creation of innovative trend books and audiovisuals since the 1980s to lifestyle analysis and research conducted for the world's leading brands today, Lidewij has pioneered trend forecasting as a profession.
She announces the concepts, colors and materials which will be in fashion two or more years in advance because as she claims, "there is no creation without advance knowledge, and without design, a product cannot exist." In this way, she and her closely-knit teams orient her clients, creative professionals, in interpreting the evolution of society and the signals of consumer tastes to come, without forgetting economic reality.
Lidewij has received recognition for her work in inspiring and fostering creative talent. In 1995, Aid to Artisans honoured her with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her continual support of craft and design.
From 1999 to 2008 Lidewij was chairwoman of the Design Academy Eindhoven. Spending a week out of every month at the Academy, she was instrumental in re-creating and developing the curriculum and mentoring the student body.
In 2003, TIME magazine named her one of the world's 25 most influential people in fashion. In 2004, she was awarded the Netherlands' Grand Seigneur prize for her work in fashion and textile. More recently in February 2008, Lidewij was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Fetishism in Fashion
• Author: Lidewij Edelkoort
• Editor: Philip Fimmano
• Compiled by: Lidewij Edelkoort
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Frame Publishers, 2013
• ISBN: 9491727133, 9789491727139
• Length: 247 pages
• Subjects: Design / Essays; Design / Fashion & Accessories; Design / Textile & Costume