The Style of Movement: Fashion and Dance

The first names that came to this reader’s mind were Halston and Christian Lacroix, and that reflects this reader’s woeful ignorance as to an almost endless list of designers who have contributed their talents to the art of dance. Quite literally, there is an impressive roster of some of the greatest designers of the 20th and 21st centuries who have offered their talent to dance.

Says Pamela Goblin, “The world of dance and fashion are in constant conversation, so much so that the New York City Ballet focuses its fall gala on celebrating the evolving relationship between fashion and dance.”  

For the more educated fashionphile, this book will also remind them of a time when printed editorial photography was not as static as it is today. It brings back memories of Bill King and Richard Avedon who often shot their subjects as if caught in the moment. The movement displayed in the images of these dancers gives the reader a decidedly different kind of energy than just another book about fashion or photography.

As Valentino Garavani puts it, “Wearing clothing is about expressing emotion . . . just the way dance is.”

Brower and Ory proffer this book which is multi-focused on fashion, dance, designers, and dancers. The imagery is just totally beyond the pale. The Style of Movement is an ode to all of the aspects that the authors cover within the book. The brief text is made up of quotes that come from the worlds of both dance and fashion designers.

If you are a lover of photographer, a balletomane, a fashionphile, or are just one of those readers who is visually stimulated then this monograph is for you. The most prevalent focus of the book is photography. Keep in mind that of course the images would not be possible without the dancers who serve as models on almost every glorious page.