FashionByChance:AVisualAutobiography1960-1974

InFashionbyChanceItalianfashiondesignerCleoniceCapeceprovidesavividandrichlydocumentedaccountofhowcreativity,entrepreneurialcourageandinstitutionalsupportplayedakeyroleinthesuccessof'MadeinItaly.'Capeceoffersthetestimonyofsomeonedirectlyinvolvedinthefashionworld,workingduringthekeyyearsofItalianfashion,between1960and1974.HerdesignsweresoldinmorethanthirtycountriesinEurope,TheUnitedStates,Canada,Lebanon,Singapore,andJapan,byboutiquesanddepartmentstoressuchasHarrodsandFortnum&MasoninLondon;B.Altman,BergdorfGoodman,I.Magnin,Lord&Taylor,andSaksinNewYork;HoltRenfrewinMontreal;andIsetanandMatsuyainTokyo.HercollectionswereshowntwiceayearinFlorenceatPalazzoPittialsoParis,London,Dusseldorf,NewYork,Tokyo,HongKong,andSingapore.Inadditiontoanengrossingstorytoldbyadesignerinvolvedincreatingthe'MadeinItaly'brand,thebookfeaturesanextraordinarilyrichiconographicdocumentationofthedesigner'sactivity—mostlypublishedhereforthefirsttime—includingfashionshoots,pressclippings,personalarchivematerial,anddrawings.CleoniceCapecelivesandworksinLondon,whereshemovedin1974toopenhershowroomat28,ConduitSt.HercollectionsandproductionwereallMadeinItaly.ShehasalsodesignedandcollaboratedwithmanyEnglishcompanies,includingBurberry,Daks,MaxwellCooper,Wooleaandothers.ShecurrentlyworksasfashionconsultantforItalianandBritishmanufacturers.ShehasreceivedsixawardsincludingVenice'GrandPrixHauteCouture'1970-71and'SchubertAwardforFashion'1972.HercollectionshavebeenphotographedbymagazinessuchasVogueandLineaItalianaandmagazinesandnewspapersallovertheworld.