Spanning four centuries, the V&A's Fashion Collection is the most comprehensive in the world, housing unrivalled collections of dress, accessories, shoes and hats from the seventeenth century to the present day. This concise volume perfectly encapsulates the collection, from rare eighteenth-century gowns and exquisite eighteenth-century bodices to 1930s evening wear, post-war couture and show-stopping ensembles by contemporary designers. Fashion designers represented include Charles Frederick Worth, Madeleine Vionnet, Cristobal Balenciaga, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Mary Quant, Stephen Jones, Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen.

This lavish book focuses on Parisian and British couture between 1947 and 1957, a decade that Christian Dior described as fashion's 'golden age'. Dior's 'New Look' collection of 1947 shocked and delighted the fashion world, creating a style that symbolised a new femininity. The full skirts and hour glass silhouettes were considered highly decadent, synonymous with luxury and extravagance, in marked contrast to the austerity of the war years. Nevertheless, the 'New Look' caught the public imagination and ushered in a period of remarkable creativity. The Golden Age of Couture features stunning gowns and exquisite tailoring from designers such as Balenciaga, Balmain, Givenchy, and Dior as well as evocative photographs by the likes of Richard Avedon and Cecil Beaton.