In his first book, through his selection and description of 25 iconic vintage dresses, William Banks-Blaney tells the history of twentieth-century couture, the fashion designers who created the dresses and the women who wore them. Each dress is looked at in forensic detail for its design and construction, its cut and embellishments, in order to evaluate the artistry of the individual couturier. The inspiration behind each dress is considered – whether that be Classic statuary, Secessionist architecture or fetish wear – as well as its legacy, thus determining each dress’s place within fashion history.

William spends his life sourcing vintage couture, unpicking the history of each piece – how they were made, who wore them and where they fit within the story of fashion. Accompanied by exquisite photography of what are arguably the finest examples of each of these landmark designers, and bolstered by fashion plates contemporary to the selected pieces, 25 Dresses is the distillation of the knowledge and skill that William employs every day when fitting the world’s most beautiful dresses to today’s women.