In an Influential Fashion profiles 164 fashion designers and retailers from many countries who have had the most impact on American dress and culture from the late 19th century to the year 2000. Each entry introduces a fashion personality or retailer whose influence on the industry reflected societal, political, and/or economic change. The commercial side of fashion, neglected in most fashion encyclopedias, is explored here, with details of licensing agreements and marketing innovations not easily found elsewhere. Students and professionals in fashion design, retailing, costume research, and social history will all find this book a valuable addition to their libraries.

Each entry includes the birth and death dates of designers, their education and training, career highlights and accomplishments, and awards they have won. The entry describes the designer or retailer's signature styles, with a keen emphasis on the designer's contributions to American fashion design and culture. As appropriate, the entry summarizes any licensing agreements and influential marketing innovations. Web sites, lists of museums and fashion design schools, and numerous appendices make In an Influential Fashion a complete resource on American fashion history for the late 19th and 20th centuries.