The Dress of the Year is a deluxe study of exquisite fashion from 1963 to the present, drawn from the renowned collection at the Fashion Museum, Bath. Each year, a fashion-world luminary is invited to capture the definitive moment in an international whirlwind of creative style by choosing the outfit that truly represents that year's mood in fashion. The announcement of each winner is widely covered in the British press, and the resulting Dress of the Year collection is a treasure trove of international design. Among the extraordinary roll-call of design names are Mary Quant, Jean Muir, Ossie Clark, Biba, Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, Margaret Howell, Katharine Hamnett, Giorgio Armani, John Galliano, Paul Smith, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Ralph Lauren, Donatella Versace, Tom Ford, Marni, Prada, Alexander McQueen, Kate Moss for Top Shop, Vivienne Westwood and Sarah Burton. The choices are made and explained by a Who's Who of great style writers, including Felicity Green, Prudence Glynn, Beatrix Miller, Grace Coddington, Suzy Menkes, Colin McDowell, Liz Tilberis, Isabella Blow, Iain R. Webb, Alexandra Shulman, Hilary Alexander, Paula Reed and Hamish Bowles. Through specially-commissioned new photography, unseen archive material and contemporary media images, this sumptuous book reveals the Dress of The Year collection in all its glory for the first time. The book champions an important and fascinating fashion project, offering a detailed insight into our ever-changing styles and tastes since the early 1960s, and revealing the complex interplay between haute couture, celebrity endorsement and the High Street.

'John Bates came onto the London Fashion scene like a bolt of blue light, trailing sparks of excitement, designing the shortest skirts, the swiftest shapes, the surest colours. He had an unswerving instinct for what was new, modern, cutting edge' — Marit Allen. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, John Bates dominated the British fashion scene with a unique brand of style and innovation. No other designer had such a comprehensive influence on what the UK wore. Diana Rigg wore his designs in The Avengers , and the press went wild.Cilla Black and Dusty Springfield sang in them; Jean Shrimpton, Twiggy and Penelope Tree modelled; David Bailey, Terence Donovan and Helmut Newton photographed. At every level, from shop girl to pop star, debutante and banker's wife, his label Jean Varon offered a must-have dress for a party, short or long, empire line or mini. He gave fashion-conscious women the chance to wear dresses featured extensively in the pages of Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, and Queen Magazine and bridged the gap between High Street retailing and couture like no other. Richard Lester's text is based on detailed interviews with John Bates, covering his entire career in fashion. In addition the book features contributions from Felicity Green, Deidre McSharry, Brigid Keenan, Barbara Griggs, Sian Phillips and other key figures from the fashion industry, cultural scene and media of the time.