Paris Fashion And World War Two: Global Diffusion And Nazi Control, Lou Taylor And Marie McLoughlin

This richly illustrated anthology—packed with 239 colour plates, archival photographs, and wartime press cuttings—maps how Paris fashion remained astonishingly vibrant through innovation, covert trade, and global exchange. Essays journey from haute couture salons and Lyon silk houses to neutral hubs like Sweden, Brazil, Portugal, Denmark and Switzerland, revealing how Paris retained its global influence even under occupation.

The narrative confronts stark contrasts: exquisite couture gowns versus rationed austerity, luxury against daily hardship, secrecy against display. From Edward Molyneux’s exile-led creativity in London to the cunning diplomacy of Lucien Lelong maintaining salons under Nazi rule, the book celebrates survival through fashion diplomacy and resourcefulness. This award-winning volume stands as a vivid testament to couture’s resilience, elegance and political nuance under crisis.

About the Author
Professor Lou Taylor (Emerita, University of Brighton) is a pioneer of dress history, renowned for shaping the discipline through works like The Study of Dress History and Establishing Dress History. Her meticulous scholarship brings archival depth and scholarly gravitas to this study.

Dr Marie McLoughlin (Senior Lecturer, University of Brighton) specialises in the intersections of fashion, art and identity. Her sharp curatorial acumen anchors the book’s visual-and-analytical balance, enriching our understanding of couture as cultural negotiation

Publication date: 2020
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 360
ISBN: 9781350000261