PLANET FASHION

Slee and Kittler take readers down a
multicultural catwalk that spans time, showcasing fashion from all over the
world.

Depicting diverse models of all
ages, genders, and colors, vibrant illustrations of events and settings act as
the stage, each one presenting a select time period, location, notable
designers, and the fashions that were popular during that time. “Dancing the
Waltz” highlights “high-society” U.K. fashion in an elegant ballroom of dancers
during the late 1800s. “Cycling” illustrates women wearing cycling bloomers and
pedaling in dresses on their bicycles in the early 1900s, a time period when
women wearing pants was still taboo in many places in the U.S. “Shimmying Down”
takes place in a Harlem Renaissance dance hall where men dance in sharp long
jackets, and women wear colorful, beaded flapper dresses. Along the 1930s
French Riviera, men and women wear wide-leg trousers on the beach, “Soaking in
the Sun.” On the streets of India, diverse fashion statements show the
influence Bollywood film has had on Indian culture. Each page is a burst of
illustrations that celebrate the impact and intersections of global fashion,
with other scenes depicting 1920s Shanghai, 1950s Mexico, 1950s Saigon, and
more. Scenes are aspirationally inclusive, depicting diverse people interacting
in historical settings that might surprise readers.

A must-have for any fashion lover,
as the best component is the cultural history that accompanies each setting. (Nonfiction.
8-14)