American Fashion Accessories

Starting in the twentieth century, the American accessory designer looked to Europe and then said, I can do better. In a book commissioned by the Council of Fashion Designers of America and edited by Candy Pratts Price, with writing by Jessica Glasscock and Art Tavee, their achievements are revealed: a century of objects of necessity and desire poured forth to boutiques and department stores across the United States and the world. The forward-thinking American accessory designer, in collusion with America's royalty the Hollywood star and in sync with the unstoppable dominance of a rebellious popular culture, has assembled a cabinet of curiosities, including everything from Adrian s witty Hollywood hats to Ralph Lauren s all-American accoutrement to Madonna s rubber bracelets. It is a tradition that continues today with a stellar group of CFDA designers whose work exemplifies the American accessory. Candy Pratts Price, Art Tavee and Jessica Glasscock. Candy Pratts Price is the executive fashion director of Style.com, the online home of Vogue and W magazines. Price is a former vice president and creative director at Ralph Lauren, and Harper s Bazaar fashion director. Lady Beware, a film starring Diane Lane, was based on her early career designing award-winning store windows and displays for Bloomingdale s. Art Tavee is a creative director at CondeNet and works at Style.com. Jessica Glasscock is a writer and costume historian. She works at the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and is on faculty at Parsons. She is the author of Striptease: From Gaslight to Spotlight and is currently working on a retrospective on designer Stephen Sprouse.