From haute couture to ready to wear, fashion designers influence what women wear every day, to work, to play, and even to relax on a beach. Fashion has become a huge, global industry as women opt for designer brands for everything from sunglasses to sneakers.

Now you can read the story of how influential fashion houses and their designers around the world created a market and helped liberate women to create their own style. It chronicles developments from the early chemise dresses that promoted mobility, to the capsule wardrobe for the working woman, and contemporary eco-friendly lingerie that helps save the environment.

Packed with information on what has inspired top designers to create their own aesthetic, with photographs of landmark styles and key designs from leading fashion houses, this charts how what is seen on the runway has changed how women dress, giving them more freedom to express themselves than ever before in history.