Nancy MacDonellEmpresses of Seventh Avenue: World War II, New York City, and the Birth of American Fashion

3.5 stars rounded up.Just when it seems every facet of World War II has been featured in a book, Nancy MacDonell wrote Empresses of Seventh Avenue: World War II, New York City, and the Birth of American Fashion. It's a summary of historical events and their impact on women's fashion in France and the United States.Each chapter features one or two women and their unique role in creating and shaping the American fashion industry. Prior to World War II, France was the center of the fashion world, but when war changed everything, the United States gradually moved from imitator to innovator, changing the industry forever.The book features several interesting topics including the ways fashion designs were (illegally) copied, the evolving philosophies surrounding women's wardrobes from haute couture to ready-to-wear, and the role of department stores in this transition. The chapters about women journalists and their role in managing fashion magazines were my favorites - so fascinating.The author conducted extensive research for this book. It didn't feet like an information dump, but there were so many facts, I just let them 'wash' through my mind. At first, it felt superfluous to focus on fashion in the midst of life-and-death world war events, but I eventually dropped the guilt as I became more invested in the topic.Reading this via audiobook narrated by Gail Shalan was definitely the best option for me. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for access to the audiobook.

When Paris was taken over by the Nazis in WWII, that famous capital of high fashion began a decline that was filled by American couturiers who had previously relied on the French to lead the way in fashion, no longer only copying their styles and looking to Paris for their inspiration, Starting September 1940, American designers began to shine on their own and by 1945 American fashion began to rival that of France, and New York started to challenge Paris as the capital of high fashionThis amazing historical novel on the growth and emergence of American fashion shows the rise of "democratic" principles in the fashion world - American designers began creating couture for all types of women. Sportswear, ready-to-wear clothes, and mix and match outfits became the new styles for America and signaled a new era of fashion. The first American designers of note are the "empresses of Seventh Avenue."This book tells the story of how the Americans could move forward without Paris, for once disregarding the French Legend as the one and only source of haute couture.An important book for fashion lovers and for those interested in this aspect of American history, the book details the lives and stories of little remembered designers and couturiers in America who were important to American fashion. A fascinating book that is well worth reading.

Nancy MacDonell provides a fascinating and in-depth history of the rise of American fashion. When Paris falls to the Nazis, so, too, does its status as the fashion capital of the world. With drive, determination, and ingenuity, MacDonell tells the story of how a small, but dedicated, group of women -- both designers and businesswomen -- build New York into a fashion empire.MacDonell has done her homework, providing incredible detail on how these women transformed New York into the forefront of American fashion and how their push to design clothes that worked with the American woman's lifestyle wasn't always the easiest road to follow.A meticulously detailed and well-researched book, Empresses of Seventh Avenue provides a fascinating look into the lives of women whose names many of us don't know but should.Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for providing this electronic ARC of #EmpressesofSeventhAvenue.

Courtesy of St.Martin's Press and Netgalley, I received the ARC of Empresses of Seventh Avenue by Nancy MacDonell. This captivating and enlightening book covers the origins of French couture and it's impact on the world of women's clothing. Interrupted by WWI and then devastated by WWII, the French fashion scene suffered a tremendous blow, giving advent to American designers, the American Look, and ready to wear styles. Including the influence of American fashion reporters, magazines, editors, photographers, and department stores added to this informative history. Fascinating to read!