Author Description

Stephen Gan, the mastermind behind Visionaire, the most exclusive fashion and art magazine in the world, welcomes in the new millennium with "Visionaire's Fashion 2001." This sleek volume (7 x 16") dares to display the unique thinking of fashion's revolutionary designers. "In fashion," Gan explains, "the term 'avant-garde' is often used euphemistically, a nicer way of saying 'weird,' or commercially unviable, or just plain difficult." From a quick glimpse at these designs (many of which were created exclusively for this book, "as an exercise in self reflection," Gan says), it is evident that the avant-garde is not for everyone. Rather, it is for those whose style carries them beyond the boundaries defining "fashion." Unrestricted by contemporary codes for clothing like "comfort," "casual," and, let's face it, "clich," the designers featured here are like fresh air when compared to the often stale, recycled lines of more popular designers. With Stella McCartney at Chloe and Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga, the fringe is moving towards the center. And, though some of the designers-Alain Tondowski, Stephen Jones, Christian Laboutin-are well known, the majority are not. "Well, that's the point," says Gan. "In the grand scheme of fashion, many of these designers register only as small blips...but if you measure these designers not in terms of sales but in terms of their ideas and the passion and dedication they bring to what they do, their impact is incalculable. Their work is at once inspired and inspiring." With photographs by Mario Testino, Inez van Lamsweerde, Vinoodh Matalin, Sean Ellis, and Marcus Mann, this tribute to originality profiles 65 cutting-edge designers from around the globe. From the drama of the clothes to the captivating photos, "Visionaire's Fashion 2001" is for those in the know-and if you don't know, now you do.