{"id":92860,"date":"2024-01-15T12:01:29","date_gmt":"2024-01-15T12:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vam.ac.uk\/blog\/?p=92860"},"modified":"2025-10-28T11:43:31","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T11:43:31","slug":"fashion-highlights-at-the-national-art-library","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vam.ac.uk\/blog\/museum-life\/fashion-highlights-at-the-national-art-library","title":{"rendered":"Fashion highlights at the National Art Library"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There have been a host of fashion-related exhibitions gracing the V&A in the past few years; current offerings DIVA<\/a> and Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto<\/a>, recent shows such as Africa Fashion<\/a> and Fashioning Masculinities<\/a>, and forthcoming exhibition NAOMI<\/a>. It therefore seems like the ideal time to take stock of the amazing range of fashion resources we hold in the National Art Library!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vogue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>One of our most popular items to be requested in the National Art Library (NAL) are the holdings of iconic fashion monthly Vogue. We have print copies of British Vogue<\/a>, with selected issues from its first year of publication in 1916 all the way to present day. We also have extensive print holdings of the original American Vogue<\/a>, from the 1920s onwards. If you are looking to delve deeper into the American publication, we have complete access to the Vogue Archive online<\/a> from the first issue in December 1892 to present day. This is accessible onsite in our reading rooms, either through our computers or your own device connected to our Wi-fi network.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
A selection of British Vogue issues from the early 1990s, available to view in the NAL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Berg Fashion Library <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another valuable online resource is the Berg Fashion Library<\/a>, again available in our reading rooms. This is a unique online portal covering world dress and fashion, offering access to e-books, articles, reference works and images from museums around the world. The thematic bibliographies, fashion history timelines, fully searchable text and access to important reference works like the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion<\/a> mean this is the ideal place to start if you want an introduction to a topic such as the history of an item of clothing or a design house.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
A screenshot from Berg Fashion Library, available to access onsite at the NAL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Thames & Hudson ‘Catwalk Collection’<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The NAL holds thousands of print books about fashion \u2013 it\u2019s difficult to choose a highlight. From our recent acquisitions, these beautiful, luxurious hardback Thames and Hudson \u2018Catwalk Collection\u2019 volumes stand out, showcasing runway collections from major world designers, many of which are gathered here together for the first time. The high-quality images allow you to see the details in outfits and accessories and trace the development through seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Some of the ‘Catwalk Collection’ books available at the NAL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The NAL hold a complete run of this series so far:<\/p>\n\n\n\n