This book of stunning images is an accessible overview of the most important contemporary fashion designers working now. Today's designers are savvier and more daring than ever before. Happy to exist within or outside the established houses of haute couture, their reputations are cemented by smart consumers who are willing to navigate the thin line between setting and following trends. This book of the most creative and iconoclastic members of today's fashion scene includes Fashion Week regulars and cutting-edge up-and-comers. Each designer is profiled in double-page spreads that include runway-ready products as well as notes, sketches, and biographical information. These 50 men and women have embraced the global, economic, and environmental realities that serve both to challenge and inspire. ILLUSTRATIONS: 120 b/w 30 colour