Three major trends currently dominate international fashion: the invasion of Paris couture houses by hip British designers; the creation of highly conceptual collections by austere European minimalists; and the near-architectural construction of contemporary Japanese clothes. Spearheading these movements are members of what could be called the old-school avant-garde-uncompromising yet established designers like Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan, Martin Margiela and Helmut Lang, Rei Kawakubo and Issey Miyake.

The official publication of the exhibition of the same name at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Radical Fashion spotlights the work of 11 such mavericks. Stunning photo-essays, created by the individual designers specially for the book, paired with stimulating commentary by curators and fashion historians, make this look book the ultimate accessory for anyone addicted to style.