Book: London - After a Fashion

This cultural history of a celebrated fashion capital is no straightforward narrative of hemlines and seamstresses. Instead, Alistair O'Neill charts the origins of the city's long-standing retail centres, examining how locations like the King's Road and Carnaby Street first rose to global fame and prominence.

As always, it's the small shops and boutiques that made the difference, paving the way for Fashion Week and the global brands. O'Neill takes an agreeably circuitous route around London's back alleys in his search for anecdotes and unusual trends, all helping to illuminate the industry's continuing grip.

9 May 2007 | Fashion