When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion

An American journalist traces the biographies of women who ran large New York department stores from the 1920s to the 1960s. These women turned stores into appealing places to shop for people of all ages and social groups. Thanks to their efforts, American fashion became distinctive and stopped copying European, especially Parisian, trends. Each of the women in the book stands out for her strength and individuality, inspiring millions of other women to believe in themselves and move from household duties to a professional career.