Fabric for Fashion, The Complete Guide

Fabric For Fashion: The Complete Guide: Natural and man-made fibres is the only book specifically for fashion ánd shoe designers, to explain the behaviour and properties of different fabrics. A must have book for designers and textile lovers!


Fashion design is largely determined by how the fabrics work, move, feel and look. The most successful fashion designers are those who understand their materials, who match design skill with technical knowledge.

This book bridges that gap by providing a mix of practical information and industry vocabulary, visually examining generic fabric types, discussing the characteristics of fabrics and showing how to exploit materials to push the boundaries of design.

It has beautiful colour photographs that show how fashion designers, both past and present, have worked with fabrics, the book’s prime objective is to stimulate creative exploration of the relationship of fabrics to fashion.

I think this book is a great source of very detailed information, an gives inspiration to designers who want to experiment with new materials. The layout is very pleasant and it is clearly divided into animal, plant and man-made fibers.

About the authors
Clive Hallett is an associate lecturer in design management at The London College of Fashion as well as lecturing at several other fashion colleges. He has worked in the fashion industry since 1972 and has been a freelance design consultant since 1978.

Amanda Johnston is an associate lecturer in design and product development on the BA Fashion Products course at London College of Fashion. She has worked as a freelance design consultant since graduating from Kingston University in 1982. Amanda is also an external assessor for the degree courses at the London Centre for Fashion Studies.

Clive and Amanda have worked together as consultants within the fashion industry since 1982 having collaborated on numerous projects both in the UK and abroad.

Fabric For Fashion: The Complete Guide: Natural and man-made fibres
Authors Clive Hallett and Amanda Johnston
Price USD 28.00 (paperback, 515 illustrations, 272 pages)
Format 280 x 216 mm, text in English
Published by Laurence King, february 2014
ISBN 9781780673349

Order your copy at Amazon

Wrapping shoe by Takuya Takizawa, photo by Hiko Mizuno College, Japan.