Regent's University London Library
& Media Services Catalogue

Includes index.

Denim links dustbowl cowboys and high fashion models. It is both a symbol of the counterculture and the generator of huge amounts of money. It is a simple fabric, dating back to 18th-century France, which has become a symbol of street credibility and sex appeal. This text is a pictorial exploration of the rich history and culture of this legendary material. It documents the fabric's rise from humble beginnings as workwear in 19th-century America, through its love affair with 1940s Hollywood, its adoption by a rebellious generation of teenagers in the 1950s right up to its subsequent spread throughout a world hungry for this symbol of American cool - to the point where jeans became a substitute for hard currency in countries behind the iron curtain. Denim describes the evolution of the denim business, from pioneering brands like Levi's, Lee and Wrangler to its use by high fashion houses such as Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. It features specially commissioned photography of legendary garments usually only seen in the collections of rich international obsessives."