This text tells the story of the period from the 1860s to the 1970s, a time when a succession of haute couture designersmost notably, Charles Worth, Paul Poiret, Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, Christian Dior, and Yves Saint Laurentwere the arbiters of fashion, and their creations were the weapon of choice for power-seeking members of the aristocracy and upper classes.