Denim: From Cowboys to Catwalk - Softcover

Denim links dustbowl cowboys and high fashion models. It is both a symbol of the counterculture and the generator of huge amounts of money. It is a simple fabric, dating back to 18th-century France, which has become a symbol of street credibility and sex appeal. This text is a pictorial exploration of the rich history and culture of this legendary material. It documents the fabric's rise from humble beginnings as workwear in 19th-century America, through its love affair with 1940s Hollywood, its adoption by a rebellious generation of teenagers in the 1950s right up to its subsequent spread throughout a world hungry for this symbol of American cool - to the point where jeans became a substitute for hard currency in countries behind the iron curtain. "Denim" describes the evolution of the denim business, from pioneering brands like Levi's, Lee and Wrangler to its use by high fashion houses such as Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. It features specially commissioned photography of legendary garments usually only seen in the collections of rich international obsessives. Digging deep into the archives, "Denim" delivers many rare pictures in which the fabric lends a gritty glamour to icons such as Robert Mitchum, Marilyn Monroe and Chet Baker. It depicts the material's infiltration of subcultures such as 50s motorcycle rebels, the London mod scene of 1965, Woodstock era youth and LA hip hop. There are personal anecdotes from denim devotees, some famous, some just plain mad. And it concludes with a guide that should enable you to determine whether your latest thrift-store purchase is in fact a vintage rarity that's going to be worth a fortune.

Graham Marsh is an art director, illustrator and writer. He is the author and art director of a number of successful visual books, including The Cover Art of Blue Note Records. Volumes 1 & 2. East Coasting and California Cool: and the co-editor of Film Posters of the 50s, 60s and 70s and Hitchcock Poster Art. He has worn Levi's 501 denim jeans since childhood. Paul Trynka is editor of MOJO magazine: the respected international bible of rock 'n' roll culture. He is the author of Portrait of the Blues and The Electric Guitar and has written on music, travel and architecture for The Face, Elle, Rolling Stone, the Independent and more. He has hunted down rare denim in locations from Memphis and Detroit to Hull, East Yorkshire. Jean Marsh is a former fashion editor of the Daily Mail, Country Life, and Options. She writes for the Daily Telegraph and other papers and lectures on fashion as well as advising on costume design for television.