With more and more people buying vintage pieces to add to their wardrobes, these authoritative and inspiring books will prove invaluable sources of reference; Beautifully designed gift book on one of the most fashionable decades in history guaranteed to interest fans of design, fashion and aesthetics; Carries the authority of the Design Museum bringing serious design knowledge to the general reader; Making fashion, print and textile design accessible to anyone; Great value prices make them an entry-level resource to the subject; Fully illustrated, featuring photographs that bring each decade to life; Collectable series of nine titles.

The Design Museum's mission is to celebrate, entertain and inform. It is the world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design in every form from furniture to fashion, and architecture to graphics. It is working to place design at the centre of contemporary culture and demonstrates both the richness of the creativity to be found in all forms of design, and its importance. Paula Reed is the style director at Grazia, the bestselling fashion weekly. She is a former columnist for the US edition of InStyle magazine and her career has included fashion or style director positions at several magazines and newspapers, including the Sunday Times and InStyle. Her writing has appeared in the Financial Times, Elle and The Times. She is the author of Style Clinic and lives and works in London.

INTRODUCTION The Duke and Duchess of Windsor 1950 Gypsy Rose Lee - burlesque style 1950 Hardy Amies, understated English elegance 1950 Katharine Hepburn, nonconformist style 1950 Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn - 'a good clothes hanger' 1950 Norman David Levinson - 'dean' of American couture 1950 Nylons 1950 Christian Dior, The New Look 1951 Jacques Fath, Bettina - le style parisien 1951 Lauren Bacall - 'nothing itsy-bitsy' 1951 Rene Gruau 1952 Cristobal Balenciaga, recreating the silhouette 1953 Barbara Goalen - the first British supermodel 1953 The bikini 1953 Fiona Campbell Walter 1953 Jeans 1953 Norman Hartnell, coronation dress for Queen Elizabeth II 1953 Salvatore Ferragamo, Italian style 1953 William Travilla, Marilyn Monroe 1953 Teenagers 1953 Chanel, the first Chanel suit 1954 Givenchy - aristocratic designer 1954 Givenchy, Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina 1954 C. Z. Guest - patrician chic 1955 Edith Head - Hollywood costumier 1955 The Grace Kelly look 1955 Sophia Loren 1955 Beatnik style 1956 Brigitte Bardot - 'the sensuous idol' 1956 Easy-care fabrics 1956 Francoise Sagan - the 'charming little monster' 1956 Helen Rose, Grace Kelly's wedding dress 1956 Hermes, The Kelly Bag 1956 Jayne Mansfield - blonde ambition 1956 The jet set 1956 Rockabilly 1956 William Klein 1956 Clare McCardell, the American look 1957 Suzy Parker - the vivacious face of the 1950s 1957 The Gossard corset 1958 Maria Callas - drama and passion 1958 Martha Graham 1958 Norman Parkinson - gentleman photographer 1958 Roger Vivier, stilettoes 1958 'Babe' Paley - style perfectionist 1959 Barbie - a 50s icon 1959 The Earl of Snowdon 1959 Gloria Guinness - the glorious minimalist 1959 Hitchcock's 'frosty blondes' 1959 Working women 1959 INDEX CREDITS