Skip to main content

1980s Fashion Print by Marnie Fogg

Front cover of the book 1980s Fashion Print

For today's post, I'm going to take a look at a paperback book I recently discovered on Amazon. It's been in print since around 2009, and now in 2021, I have finally managed to get around to reviewing it!

1980s Fashion Print by Marnie Fogg is a sourcebook which features a wide array of prints from the 80s, a decade that refuses to go away in the fashion world, at least.

The book includes hundreds of illustrations and artworks, many of which are exclusive and original, making this an ideal source for students and designers. But it's also an essential read, too, which I'll come to in a moment.

Five chapters are inluded;

1. Glamazon - a look at the bold and vibrant patterning associated with big hair.

2. Neon Blitz - ostentatious, dazzling colour and the influence of graffiti.

3. Urban Jungle - the urban take on floral prints using colourful, exotic images.

4. Catch The Wave - surfing and skateboarding trends which influenced high voltage motifs and a new take on the Hawaiian shirt.

5. Radical Classical - a look at how the 80s appropriated classical statues and archetectural detail.

Marnie Fogg is a full-time author of best-selling books on fashion and textiles. This particular work is packed with delicious imagery, and upon reading it, it soon becomes very apparent that the Nottinghamshire writer has a deep knowledge of her subject. She writes with ease and in a style that keeps you engrossed.

As Marnie states in her introduction, "the fashion prints of the 1980s were not for the faint-hearted". Indeed, anyone who remembers the the flamboyant extravagance of the new romantic style will certainly know this, and the 1980s didn't do subtle! 

The introduction alone is a full chapter in itself, and discusses how the conservatism of Margaret Thatcher's Britain helped to greatly influence the YUPPIE fashion style. Vivienne Westwood and the new wave of trendy magazines such as The Face and Blitz are also discussed.

For anyone who wants a high quality source of fashion information combined with a generous array of mouth-watering imagery of original 80s fashion prints by top fashion designers, this book will not dissapoint. It's a truly original insight into the subject (whether to learn about or gain inspiration from it), and this paperback is most defintely an essential buy, and it''l look great on the coffee table, too!

This is a pretty comprehensive and absorbing read, and for the asking price (see below) it's excellent value. If you weren't already obsessed with 80s fashion, then you will definitely become just that after reading this - you have been warned!

Publisher: Batsford

Number of pages: 192

The latest price is listed below...

1980s Home Renovation and Design Ideas For a Nostalgic Makeover


<

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blondie - Debbie Harry - 70s and 80s Fashion Photos

Embed from Getty Images Debbie Harry Fridge Magnet Back in my school days (yes, it was a long, long time ago!) many kids associated Blondie purely with lead singer Debbie Harry, although Blondie was actually a band, and a damn fine one, too. It's not hard to see why. After all, she oozed sex appeal and became a style icon, and many of her looks can still be seen on the high street today. Harry's designer friend Stephen Sprouse can claim responsibility for many of those looks. He created every style you can imagine using denim, black leather biker jackets, camoflauge, wayfarer and aviator shades, pink and girly styles, nautical stripes, animal print catsuits - the list goes on! I find it amusing that in 1998 Britney Spears caused controversy by wearing a school uniform for her video "Hit Me Baby One More Time". How quickly we forget that Debbie Harry had done this two decades earlier! After forming in 1974, Blondie became pioneers of the punk and new wave s
Post a Comment
Read more

Create an 80s or 90s Acid House - Raver Look

With its squelching bass sounds (often created using a Roland TB-303 bass synth) and minimalist production, the sound of acid house first became popular in the latter half of the 80s, starting in 1987. The media were more focused on the illegal raves and psychedelic drugs, but in reality, a good many young folk enjoyed dancing to the new sound in nightclubs (including myself) without going anywhere near any drugs or illegal raves. What is synonymous with the acid house scene is the smiley face logo, and the T-shirt featuring the logo, along with tie dye and psychedelic clothing, and bucket hats which became popular with ravers. Baggy over the knee shorts were popular with men. Bandanas and dungarees/dungaree shorts were also worn by both sexes. Some ravers also had  yellow whistles . In the early 90s,  white overalls , hooded anoracks and  yellow dust masks with an "E" , smiley face or radiation symbol also became part of the rave scene. Initially, the dust masks we
Post a Comment
Read more

An 80s Tennis Player Costume? You Cannot Be Serious!

While most people opt for a pop star theme when dressing up for an 80s party or event, one option that is a little more original is to dress like an 80s tennis player. The costumes I'm about to show are obviously based on John McEnroe, and I'm dead serious! The short-tempered tennis star became infamous for his confrontational behaviour towards the umpire during the 1980s, screaming "Answer my question! The question, jerk!" (when he angrily threw his racket at the juice cart) and "You can't be serious man, you cannot be serious!" when he thought the umpire had made a bad call about the ball being out. He was often booed by the crowds for his rants, but it was hugely entertaining to watch! Embed from Getty Images The look above is the one you should aim for, and this is the most iconic. So let's take a look at the fancy dress costume options available...     The white T-shirt and shorts outfit with red and blue stripes is based on McEn
Post a Comment
Read more