Hailed as fashion’s “brainiest woman”, Valerie Steele is a writer and cultural theorist focusing on the socioligical impacts of and influences on dress. She has writen a range of books on corsetry and fetish wear, and edits the Journal of Dress Body and Culture. 5 years ago, she was appointed curator at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
This summer, she releases her 15th Book, Gothic: Dark Glamour, which follows the evolution of the style from the 18th Century to the present day via architecture, Ann Rice, Punk, and Pop Music. She explores subculture and haute couture in an exploration of the enigmatic nature of this style.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.