FIDM Library

A Feast of Fashion and Interior Design

The FIDM Library, founded in 1975, is the largest specialized fashion library in the western United States. The Library houses books, periodicals, newspaper clipping files, trade publications, and fashion trend forecast reports. In addition to print resources, the Library also offers access to electronic and online resources as well as visual, beauty, and creative materials resources.

Books

A print and electronic collection of over 2.5 million titles encompasses all subject areas, with emphasis in fashion, interior design, retailing, and costume.

Periodicals

The Library subscribes to over 160 international and national periodicals. They offer the latest information on art, design, fashion, graphics, beauty, business, and current events.

Visionaire

Visionaire is a multi-format album of fashion and art produced three to four times a year in exclusive limited editions. Each issue is hand-numbered and released as a collector’s item. A different theme each issue offers a forum for works by both famous and emerging artists, designers, personalities, and image-makers. FIDM maintains a subscription to Visionaire and it is available for viewing in the Library

Trade Publications

The Library’s collection of trade journals, trend reports and forecasts, and press kits provides current information on the business of apparel manufacturing and design, as well as any industry-related developments.

Newspaper Clipping Files

The Library clips newspaper articles relating to different subject areas supporting the academic focus of the college.

Fashion Trend Reports

The Library subscribes to various fashion, interior, and graphics forecasting services which predict trends in color, fabric, and silhouette up to 18 months in advance of the season as well as current best-sellers.

Visual Presentation Materials

The Library Reference collection includes a selection of catalogs of props, mannequins, store fixtures, and other visual presentation and display materials for retail.

Vintage Collection

The Vintage Room of the Library houses 19th and 20th century fashion magazines, out-of-print books, original fashion sketches by renowned designers, and material on the California apparel industry.

Visual/Audio Media Fashion Video Division

Includes well over 4,000 videos, DVDs, slides, audiotapes, CD-ROMs, film strips, and transparencies. Most popular are the current collection of influential fashion designers featured in video magazine format.

Textile Division

This division of the Library offers draping forms, fabric swatches, trimmings and findings examples, 3-yard cuts for draping practice, and fabric and trim samples for student projects.

Interior Design Workroom

This division of the Library contains a sample collection of wall coverings, window treatments, flooring, and upholstery. All materials are available for students to use in their projects. The samples are updated regularly to provide current source material.

The FIDM Library serves the information needs of students, educators, scholars, researches, industry, and press. Eager to build on existing knowledge and on-site resources, the Library staff welcomes inquiries by mail, phone, fax, email, and in person. Please contact the Library at 213.624.1200 ext. 3361 to make an appointment.