Review: Forgotten Fashion by Kate Hahn

 

            This blog isn’t called “Fashionista Piranha” for nothing. The Spring 2009 collections are debuting at Fashion Week in New York City, and to celebrate we’re having our own Fashion Week, too! All the books reviewed through Sunday will match the theme, and we’re kicking the event off with Forgotten Fashion by Kate Hahn.

            Forgotten Fashion celebrates the trends of yesteryear that, mysteriously, didn’t make it into any of the textbooks for my fashion history class. Found in the fashion archives of Miss Beatrice P. Fruit, these amazing creations astound and amaze for their beauty, ingenuity, and the bold new directions they took fashion pioneers. How did we forget the Ticker Tape Trim popular at the turn of the century? These beautiful paper ribbons were woven into dainty damsels’ dresses and nightgowns, and were printed with secret communications from desperate paramours. And who could fail to recall Fuschette, the 1980s teen band created to sell trendy junior clothing? These carefully calculated performers took famous songs such as “We’ve Got the Beat” and adapted them to promote their line with songs such as “We’ve Got the Pleats.” Surely you remember Fuschette’s mall tours, and the heart-shaped hangtags that hung on every item of Fuschette brand clothing? 

            Perhaps not. Hahn’s tongue-in-cheek faux fashions mock the true trends of the 20^th century while creating their own unique mythology. To assist Hahn in her reports are a phalanx of illustrators, one of whom Project Runway fans will recognize as Andrae Gonzalo of Red Lobster fame. The fashion figures, supposedly pulled from old magazines, press releases and trade publications, capture the art styles used in previous decades and are instrumental in adding authenticity to these outrageous designs.

            I hate to even think about Christmas so early in the year, but take note, ya’ll. This is the perfect gift for the fashion lover in your life. It’s witty and funny and beautifully illustrated. Don’t miss it!

           To read more about the book, buy it or add it to your wishlist, click here.