In this magnificent collection of the most iconic dresses of the twentieth century, Valerie Steele flexes her curatorial muscle. From Poiret to Pucci, Doucet to Dior, Vionnet to Valentino, she selects the 100 dresses that caused a stir on the runway or as they entered a room and ultimately inspired a new direction in fashion. Steele’s selections include Fortuny’s streamlined Delphos gown circa 1907, Madame Grès’s sublimely draped goddess creations from 1938, Issey Miyake’s 1982 evening ensemble with a rattan top that appeared on the cover of ArtForum, and Hussein Chalayan’s awe-inspiring table skirt from 2000. The collection, while certainly subjective, is sure to receive nods of recognition, along with a gasp (or two) of surprise.

Valerie Steele (PhD, Yale University) is director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (MFIT). Having curated more than twenty exhibitions in the past ten years, Dr. Steele also serves as editor in chief of Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, which she founded in 1997. She has appeared on many television shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show and Undressed. The Washington Post describes her as one of "fashion's brainiest women," and she was included in the New York Daily News list of "Fashion’s 50 Most Powerful."

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