Art : Popular Culture

This essential book provides the first comprehensive overview of the symbiotic relationship that exists between fashion and textiles. Because textiles represent a central ingredient of fashion (as with denim jeans, for example), their interrelationsh ip should be an obvious theme for study, yet historically the two subjects are often considered separately. Gale and Kaur analyze fashion and textile's cultural, industrial and social relationships, as well as examining how the two fields compete wit h and influence one another. Taking as their starting point the nature of the relationship between fashion and textiles, Gale and Kaur then identify and discuss key arenas of commercial and cultural interaction, including raw materials, bus iness, consumers, and future technology. Their examples are drawn from the experiences and opinions of industry professionals - designers, retailers, and manufacturers. Gale and Kaur look at how the raw materials from which clothing is made are heavi ly influenced by fashion trends on national and global levels. Why do we choose the fabrics we do, and how do our choices affect both industries? The story is very much a human one. Each garment has an intriguing history before a consumer even tries it on. Gale and Kaur unpick this history and examine how retail need and consumer demand impact upon the end product. The result is an exciting new book that begins at the level of supply and demand, and moves forward to consider issues about design, technology, globalization and broader fashion trends. Highlighting cultural differences and similarities between the two industry sectors, Fashion and Textiles offers varied professional perspectives, information about key roles and jobs, and practical considerations relating to economics, design, manufacture and retail. A key text for a wide range of courses on fashion and textiles, it is vital reading for anyone hoping to pursue a career in either field. more...

Price: $95.00

Who made the first snowman? Who first came up with the idea of placing snowballs on top of each other, and who decided they would use a carrot for a nose? Most puzzling of all: How can this mystery ever be solved, with all the evidence long since melted?. The snowman appears everywhere on practically everything -- from knickknacks to greeting cards to seasonal sweaters we plan to return. Whenever we see big snowballs our first impulse is to deck them out with a top hat. Humorist and writer Bob Eckstein has long been fascinated by this ubiquitous symbol of wintertime fun -- and finally, for the first time, one of the world's most popular icons gets his due. more...

Price: $17.95

This illustrated volume brings together an international group of scholars from many specialities to explore the richness and subtleties of Japanese manga (comic books or graphic novels) and anime (animated films)--and how they have become two of the most universally recognized forms of contemporary mass culture. more...

Price: $149.00

Networks of DesireÑthe second volume in the Mechademia series, an annual forum devoted to critical and creative work on Japanese anime, manga, and the fan cultures that have coalesced around themÑexplores the varieties of desire that structure and influence much of contemporary anime and manga in manifestations that range from the explicitly sexual to more sublimated text and imagery. Collecting original essays by scholars, artists, and fans, Networks of Desire considers key issues at play in a Japanese society increasingly uncertain of its place in a globalized world: from idealized representations of same-sex desire in such sh™jo manga (girlsÕ comics) as The Rose of Versailles, to fan fiction inspired by the gender-switching manga Ranma , to desire in otaku communities. Deftly weaving together desire and discourse, Mechademia 2 illuminates the techno-carnal fantasies, animalistic consumption, political nostalgia, and existential hunger underlying the most popular and influential expressions of Japanese popular culture today. Contributors: Brent Allison, Meredith Suzanne Hahn Aquila, Hiroki Azuma, William L. Benzon, Christopher Bolton, Martha Cornog, Patrick Drazen, Marc Hairston, Mari Kotani, Shu Kuge, Margherita Long, Daisuke Miyao, Hiromi Mizuno, Mariana Ortega, Timothy Perper, Eron Rauch, Trina Robbins, Brian Ruh, Deborah Shamoon, Masami Toku, Keith Vincent. more...

Price: $19.95

Step inside Michael Bell's antiquarian bookshop, stocked with rare and fine collectibles of infinite variety, from Book of Blank Maps, With Instructions, to Autobiography of the Best Abused Man in the World. By perusing these curious works from bygone times, inquiring readers will be rewarded with instruction on such rarely understood pursuits as Single-Handed Cruising and Girls' Interests. A treasure trove of the best of bookmaking, here is a library of laughs. more...

Price: $15.00