Library Search: Fashion: Image & Film Research

What is Visual Research?

Visual research is a process of information discovery where the desired outcome is image-based instead of text-based. This is a part of both written and design work.

Images and video appear easy to find and access, with huge amounts available through online platforms such as YouTube or Pinterest. Using media sourced from platforms like these remains complicated and centres around questions of transparency, trust and context.

The Library can provide you with access to a wide range of image and audiovisual resources, useful for the process of visual research, providing you with inspiration and ideas to inform your design process.

Image Databases

Artstor This link opens in a new window
High-resolution image database, including garments, accessories and textiles, fashion photography, fashion plates, advertisements, illustrations and more.
Berg Fashion Library This link opens in a new window
Photographs from museum exhibitions and institutions such as the Costume Institute and the Commercial Pattern Archive.
VADS (Visual Arts Data Service) This link opens in a new window
Digital images archives including London College of Fashion, Central Saint Martins and the Zandra Rhodes Digital Studies Collection.

We Wear Culture - Fashion Project from Google Arts & Culture
Searchable archive of fashion collections, exploring the stories behind clothes, fashion and its place in history.

WGSN Fashion Design This link opens in a new window
Trend forecasting and style analysis site that has a huge image library, catwalk gallery and more.

Materials

The Library has a physical Materials Library, located on the ground floor (click here to find out more about the Materials Library), and online resources useful in the study of materials:

EduSeries by The Sustainable Angle
Tools and resources about the significant environmental impacts of materials, the commercially-available sustainable material alternatives and emerging innovations. Contact the Library for the password to this resource.
Material ConneXion
Database of physical materials as well as processes. It includes more than 10,000 innovative materials in various categories for architecture, design, and textiles. Find out how to register for this database on the Materials Library page.

Film & Video

The Library holds DVDs relating to fashion, including fashion documentaries and fashion film. You can search and browse these on the Library Catalogue.

The Library also provides access to films and programmes through video streaming services:

Box of Broadcasts This link opens in a new window
TV and radio programmes from over 60 channels, including a wide range of fashion films and documentaries.

Browse recommended fashion documentaries in this BoB Playlist.

Kanopy This link opens in a new window
Documentaries, world cinema and classic film, including fashion documentaries and footage from runway shows.

Runway Footage & Images

firstVIEW
The first online runway fashion publication and database. Contains images and film footage from 1995-present, with coverage not offered by Vogue.
Tagwalk
Fashion search engine and trend tool. Search across the current season’s looks for trends, prints, fabrics and styles.

Lookbooks and Fashion Ephemera

ARCHIVE Fashion Scans
Scans of rare original publications from world-renowned brands in the industry, including Comme des Garcons, Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto.
FIT Library Designer Files
Selected clippings of editorial pages, articles and/or advertisements from magazines and newspapers covering major designers.
International Library of Fashion Research
Digital collection of magazines, lookbooks, show invitations and ephemera from major fashion houses and collectors, from 1975-present.

Fashion: Image & Film Research