If the words "British design" make you think of Victorian wallpaper patterns and crocheted tea cozies, wake up. You've been asleep for decades. From the postwar years on, innovative designers from Britain have been setting trends in architecture, fashion, graphic design, furniture, industrial design, and automobiles. And over the past decade, a new generation of designers has continued to heighten the prominence of British design around the globe.

This gorgeously illustrated book-the first wholly devoted to contemporary British design-celebrates these designers' achievements and influence. Its chapters, each devoted to a specific design field, are written by internationally recognized experts. Together, they present the most comprehensive account ever of Britain's premier place in the today's design world. Edited by Deyan Sudjic, the director of the Design Museum, in London, Design in Britain was specially commissioned to mark the museum's 20th anniversary.