A NEW YORK TIMES MOST ANTICIPATED • "Reads like a work of fiction, but remarkably, it's all true" ( Airmail) • In the tradition of The Barbizon and The Girls of Atomic City , fashion historian and journalist Nancy MacDonell chronicles the untold story of how the Nazi invasion of France gave rise to the American fashion industry. Calvin Klein. Ralph Lauren. Donna Karan. Halston. Marc Jacobs. Tom Ford. Michael Kors. Tory Burch. Today, American designers are some of the biggest names in fashion, yet before World War II, they almost always worked anonymously. The industry, then centered on Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, had always looked overseas for "inspiration"―a polite phrase for what was often blatant copying––because style, as all the world knew, came from Paris. But when the Nazis invaded France in 1940, the capital of fashion was cut off from the rest of the world. The story of the chaos and tragedy that followed has been told many times―but how it directly affected American fashion is largely unknown. Defying the naysayers, New York-based designers, retailers, editors, and photographers met the moment, turning out clothes that were perfectly suited to the American way of life: sophisticated, modern, comfortable, and affordable. By the end of the war, "the American Look" had been firmly established as a fresh, easy elegance that combined function with style. But none of it would have happened without the influence and ingenuity of a small group of women who have largely been lost to history. Empresses of Seventh Avenue will tell the story of how these extraordinary women put American fashion on the world stage and created the template for modern style––and how the nearly $500 billion American fashion industry, the largest in the world, could not have accrued its power and wealth without their farsightedness and determination. "MacDonell’s book introduces us to the extraordinary American women who shaped our industry." ―Tory Burch "A timely appraisal of the grit, glamour, and ingenuity of American fashion’s World War II-era pioneers." ― Vogue.com "Remarkable, engaging...MacDonell recounts in lively prose and rich historical detail [how] the women behind this tremendous success story have been, until now, largely forgotten―a wrong that she rights with verve and, dare I say, elegance." ― The New York Times Book Review " Empresses of Seventh Avenue reads like a work of fiction, but, remarkably, it’s all true. MacDonell has written a thoroughly fascinating and entertaining book, loaded with keen observations throughout. But lest the delivery belie the message, Empresses of Seventh Avenue is an important book, uncovering for the first time how a handful of smart, courageous, and gifted women defied the odds and succeeded in creating the American Look." ― Air Mail "Women are center stage in Empresses of Seventh Avenue… MacDonell tells their story with verve." ― Parade "In Nancy MacDonell's book, the story of international intrigue and its sartorial consequences is told in fascinating detail." ― Town & Country "MacDonell traces the surprising ways that World War II revolutionized American high couture, spotlighting the women who shaped the fashion scene―photographers, designers, department store heads―in fine-grained character studies that show them to be flawed and nuanced as they were trailblazing." ― Publishers Weekly , Editor's Pick "MacDonell effortlessly weaves in period detail [and] meticulously documents the deliberate and incredibly successful campaign mounted by clothing manufacturers, the media, and politicians to promote American design and make New York City the fashion capital of the world...a rich, engaging, and insightful title." ― Booklist (starred review) "Well written and informative, with extensive research notes. Highly recommended for fashion merchandising and women’s studies readers." ― Library Journal (starred review) "Fashion writer MacDonell delivers a colorful chronicle of the female journalists, designers, and retailers who revolutionized American style during WWII. MacDonnell’s fine-grained character studies complement her fascinating insights into the political and cultural forces that ushered in a new era of American style. Fashionistas won’t be able to put this one down." ― Publishers Weekly "Why are so many of fashion’s top design jobs still mostly held by men? At a moment when fashion’s woman problem is once again making headlines, MacDonell’s history of the female designers of early Seventh Avenue is a cheering, illuminating read." ―Nicole Phelps, Global Director, Vogue Runway and Vogue Business "Nancy MacDonell understands not only what clothes are but what they represent, the international politics and national tics behind them, what they can and should be and why. Her fascinating history will introduce a reader to unforgettable characters as she enlivens pockets of as-yet-unconnected history. An American-designed dress d