A review by mcparks
The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever by Teri Agins

4.0

The title of this book and its back cover don't accurately describe it. I would call it a collection of vignettes describing the transformation of "high fashion" from the couture Parisian-based designers to the publicly traded Ralph Lauren/Donna Karans of the '90's. I really enjoyed the access that the author gives to the closed-off world of fashion. It was fun to imagine what it would have been like to shop at Marshall Field's in the 19th century, or to be in the design studio with Emanuel Ungaro, or to hang out with Tommy Hilfiger's celebrity supporters in the '90's. The book was very dish-y in a fun way, especially for fashion lovers. I was also fun to revisit the '90's. The author's conclusions are a bit off, but the stories she tells are great.