{"id":16657,"date":"2010-11-10T17:02:46","date_gmt":"2010-11-11T01:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/?p=16657"},"modified":"2010-11-10T17:06:17","modified_gmt":"2010-11-11T01:06:17","slug":"fashion-hits-the-books-11-reads-for-the-informed-fashion-follower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/style\/fashion\/fashion-hits-the-books-11-reads-for-the-informed-fashion-follower","title":{"rendered":"Fashion Hits the Books: 11 Reads for the Informed Fashion Follower"},"content":{"rendered":"

This year, fashion labels are making the focus of the holidays not just what you’re wearing, but what you’re reading. Just in time to make it onto Christmas gift lists, everyone from designers (Matthew Williamson, Kenzo, Anna Sui) to muses (Isabella Blow, Keith Richards) has a printed tome looking for a place in your fashion library. Here are 10 of the people profiled in or authoring the most notable recent releases:<\/p>\n

The Muses<\/h5>\n

Isabella Blow<\/h3>\n
An early supporter of Alexander McQueen, the late fashion muse is profiled in two books which were released on the same day (November 9th), sparking a war of words between the two authors. {Fashionista<\/a>}<\/p>\n
Isabella Blow: A Life in Fashion<\/a><\/em> by Lauren Goldstein Crowe<\/strong><\/p>\n
$\"\"$ List price: $27.99, $18.47 at Amazon<\/p>\n
The Business of Fashion recently published part of the book’s Afterword<\/a> in a two-part<\/a> excerpt.<\/p>\n
Publisher’s Summary:\u00c2\u00a0In 2007, the\u00c2\u00a0news\u00c2\u00a0of Isabella Blow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s suicide\u00c2\u00a0at\u00c2\u00a0the age of 48\u00c2\u00a0made headlines around the world\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut there is more to the story of Isabella than her tragic end.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0The key supporter and muse of milliner Philip Treacy and designer Alexander McQueen, Blow was truly more than a muse or patron.\u00c2\u00a0 She was a spark, an electrical impulse that set imaginations racing, an individual who pushed others to create their best work.<\/p>\n
Her fascination with clothing began early, as did a willingness to wear things\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand say things\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat would amuse and shock. She began her fashion career in New York City as assistant to Anna Wintour at\u00c2\u00a0Vogue<\/em>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Over time she became famous for her work, yet it wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t enough to assuage her devastating feelings of inadequacy. Still, in her darkest moments, even as she began a series of suicide attempts and prolonged hospital stays, Blow retained her\u00c2\u00a0wicked sense of humor, making her friends laugh even as they struggled to help.<\/p>\n
Blow by Blow: The Story of Isabella Blow<\/a> <\/em>by Detmar Blow<\/strong> and Tom Sykes<\/strong><\/p>\n
$\"\"$ List price: $30, $19.80 at Amazon<\/p>\n
Publisher’s Summary:\u00c2\u00a0The pages of this book prove Isabella’s aristocratic ancestry to be as colorful as her manner of dress, her childhood as adventurous as it was at times tragic, and her thirty-year career, which began as Anna Wintour’s assistant at\u00c2\u00a0Vogue\u00c2\u00a0and took in stints as fashion director of Tatler and fashion editor of the\u00c2\u00a0Sunday Times Magazine\u00c2\u00a0in London, as truly remarkable. But the real power of\u00c2\u00a0Blow by Blow\u00c2\u00a0lies in its portrayal of a courageous woman who tried passionately and often to escape a legacy of depression that ultimately proved insurmountable. Despite having been subjected to great disappointment and loss throughout her life, Isabella Blow was a consummate nurturer, determined to cultivate creativity wherever she found it.<\/p>\n

Keith Richards<\/h3>\n
The long time rocker, and recent star of Louis Vuitton’s Core Values ad campaign, Richards’ bio will be available online at the Louis Vuitton website, and in Louis Vuitton stores in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Miami. Music and fashion have a long love affair, and though Richards is an unlikely muse, the hard living star’s book is full of stories including the sex, drugs and rock and roll that inspire designers.<\/p>\n
Life <\/em>by Keith Richards<\/strong> and James Fox<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/strong> $\"\"$ Available for $29.99 (list price) at LouisVuitton.com<\/a> and $16.18 at Amazon<\/a>.<\/p>\n
New York Times<\/em> Review<\/a>: “By turns earnest and wicked, sweet and sarcastic and unsparing, Mr. Richards, now 66, writes with uncommon candor and immediacy. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decided that he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to tell it as he remembers it, and helped along with notebooks, letters and a diary he once kept, he remembers almost everything. He gives us an indelible, time-capsule feel for the madness that was life on the road with the Stones in the years before and after Altamont; harrowing accounts of his many close shaves and narrow escapes (from the police, prison time, drug hell); and a heap of sharp-edged snapshots of friends and colleagues \u00e2\u20ac\u201d most notably, his longtime musical partner and sometime b\u00c3\u00aate noire,\u00c2\u00a0Mick Jagger.<\/p>\n
The Designers<\/h5>\nAnna Sui<\/h3>\n
Anna Sui<\/a> <\/em>by Andrew Bolton<\/strong> with a foreword by Anna Sui<\/strong>, preface by Jack White<\/strong> and introduction by Steven Meisel<\/strong><\/p>\n
List price: $60, $37.80 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n
$\"\"$ Publisher’s Summary: Anna Sui’s trendsetting rock-and-roll looks have made her one of this decade’s top five fashion icons (Time<\/em>). Here, in the first book to cover the entire scope of Sui’s twenty-year career, fans get rare access to the designer’s creative process. This richly visual retrospective celebrates her influence, from her first show that snared the support of supermodels Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, and Kate Moss to the role she’s played in making the babydoll dress one of fashion’s most iconic silhouettes. With more than 400 photographs from legendary photographers, this exquisite tome with a shimmering foil-stamped cover is essential for all fashionistas.<\/p>\n
Kenzo Takada<\/h3>\nKenzo<\/a> <\/em>by Antonio Marras<\/strong> and Olivier Saillard<\/strong> with a foreword by Franceso Bonami<\/strong> and contributions from Bradley Quinn<\/strong> and Catherine Orman<\/strong><\/p>\n
$\"\"$ List price: $75, $47.25 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n
Publisher’s Summary: An extraordinary collectible,\u00c2\u00a0Kenzo<\/em> creatively presents forty years of the Paris-based fashion house, founded by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada and now in a resurgence under artistic director Antonio Marras. Established in 1970 by Kenzo Takada, who had arrived in Paris from Japan in 1965, Kenzo is one of the great French houses that transformed global fashion in the latter half of the twentieth century. Now under the artistic directorship of Antonio Marras, KENZO has again achieved critical and popular acclaim. Marras draws from the rich vein of Kenzo tradition as it engages the spirit of the new century. Armed with an unmatched vocabulary in prints and textiles, Marras mines both East and West, the present and the past, to create a collection that evokes, reveres, and reinvents the intentions of its founder. The highlights of Takada\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tenure until his retirement in 1999 are also documented here. The first monograph on KENZO, this lavish volume\u00c2\u00a0comes in a\u00c2\u00a0real fabric cover, available in three different patterns, and with\u00c2\u00a0a pop-up that evokes\u00c2\u00a0the romantic textiles, envelopes, and\u00c2\u00a0paper craft\u00c2\u00a0for which the house\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fashion collection invitations are known.\u00c2\u00a0 Additional special features include three double-sided double gatefolds, folding out to the equivalent of eight pages, and three accordian gatefolds, folding out to five pages.\u00c2\u00a0 This book is truly an art object in and of itself.<\/p>\n
Matthew Williamson<\/h3>\nMatthew Williamson<\/a><\/em> by Colin McDowell<\/strong> with a foreword by Sienna Miller<\/strong><\/p>\n
$\"\"$ List price: $65, $40.95 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n
Publisher’s Summary: A unique insight into one of the most exciting fashion designers working today, revealing the imagination fueling his exuberant creations. Celebrated for his deluxe bohemian chic, Matthew Williamson\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s vivacious, color-drenched creations bedecked with exquisite embroidery and beading have made him a favorite with the fashion pack. This stunning volume explores Williamson\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s career, from his acclaimed first collection in 1997 to his current status as a multimillion-dollar brand with stores in London and New York and an international celebrity clientele. Lavishly illustrated, this monograph celebrates Williamson\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s trademark use of vibrant color and pattern. Editorial images highlighting his collections and iconic pieces, sumptuous photography of his textile designs, and celebrity fashion shoots are shown alongside mood boards, sketches, and scrapbooks revealing his influences and inspirations.
\n<\/p>\n
Ermenegildo Zegna<\/h3>\n
Ermenegildo Zegna: An Enduring Passion for Fabrics, Innovation, Quality, and Style<\/a> <\/em>Contributions from James Hillman<\/strong>, Mariano Maugeri<\/strong>, D.T. Max<\/strong>, Suzy Menkes<\/strong> and Maria Luisa Frisa<\/strong><\/p>\n
$\"\"$ List price: $100, $67.53 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n
Publisher’s Summary: The extraordinary story of the first century of a great Italian fashion house that has always been a paragon of style. Gorgeously designed, handsomely bound, and abundantly illustrated, this is the first book ever to present the 100-year history of a leader in men\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s luxury clothing and one of the oldest business families in Italy. As a family business, Ermenegildo Zegna goes back to the second half of the nineteenth century. Angelo Zegna a watchmaker by trade, decided to open a wool mill. Of his ten children it was the last, Ermenegildo, born in 1892, who took over what was to become one of the best-known and most dynamic family businesses in Italy. The extensive historical reconstruction of the early decades of Ermenegildo Zegna S.p.A. is followed by a detailed description of the fabrics, techniques, and custom tailoring of its most exclusive garments. Numerous images illustrate the lands providing the raw materials: Australia, Peru, and Mongolia. Just as spectacular is the photo album of the celebrities and spokespersons wearing Zegna, the international advertising campaigns, the list of awards won, and Zegna-sponsored sports and cultural affairs (red carpets, openings, car races, environmental and sports events).<\/p>\n
Manolo Blahnik<\/h3>\n
Manolo’s New Shoes<\/a> <\/em>by Manolo Blahnik<\/strong> with contributions by Suzy Menkes<\/strong>, Grace Coddington<\/strong> and Cononero Milena<\/strong><\/p>\n
List price: $50, $31.50 on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n
$\"\"$ Publisher’s Summary: Manolo Blahn\u00c3\u00adk\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s name is synonymous with beautifully crafted shoes that radiate originality, style, and exuberance. For four decades his unique vision has held the fashion world spellbound, and his creations have become perpetual objects of desire. His design process always begins with colorful sketches as finely executed as the shoes themselves, and which have become equally sought-after by his fans.<\/p>\n
Here, more than 130 of Blahn\u00c3\u00adk\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s witty, seductive drawings are collected into one inspiring volume. Manolo’s New Shoes<\/em> is organized thematically to express his current inspirations and passions\u00e2\u20ac\u201dAfrica, architecture, botany, Russia, and urban life. An introduction by Manolo Blahn\u00c3\u00adk himself is accompanied by contributions from some of the most prominent names in fashion: Suzy Menkes, head fashion reporter and editor for the\u00c2\u00a0International Herald Tribune<\/em>; Grace Coddington, creative director at\u00c2\u00a0Vogue<\/em>; three-time Oscar-award winning costume designer Milena Canonero; Amy Fine Collins, a special correspondent to\u00c2\u00a0Vanity Fair<\/em>; and Carlos Garc\u00c3\u00ada Calvo, who writes for\u00c2\u00a0El Mundo.<\/em><\/p>\n
John Galliano’s Dior<\/h3>\nBackstage Dior Collector’s Edition<\/a> <\/em>by Roxanne Lowit<\/strong> with a foreword by John Galliano<\/strong> and contributions from Valerie Steele<\/strong><\/p>\n
$\"\"$ List price: $2500, $1575 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n
Publisher’s Summary: This historical homage from top photographer Roxanne Lowit traces John Galliano’s glittering realm at Dior. Through her eyes we marvel at the tantalizing backstage story. This is without doubt the ultimate insider chronicle of couture. Safe in its special archival case, this limited edition Collector’s Editions is already part of fashion legend. It comes with a limited hand-signed and numbered large photoprint: kiss 3, Paris 1998 Limited edition of 25 copies, Format: 19 1\/8 x 13 7\/8 in.<\/p>\n
If the collector’s edition is still a bit out of reach the original hardcover, released last year, has a list price of $125 and is available at Amazon<\/a> for a more affordable $83.15.<\/p>\n
The Historians<\/h5>\n
Valerie Steele<\/h3>\n
The director and chief curator of FIT’s Museum in New York, Valerie Steele is one of fashion’s most established historians.<\/p>\n
The Berg Companion to Fashion<\/a> <\/em>by Valerie Steele<\/strong><\/p>\n
$\"\"$ List price: $49.95, $35.96 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n
Publisher’s Summary: Derided by some as frivolous, even dangerous, and celebrated by others as art, fashion is anything but a neutral topic. Behind the hype and the glamour is an industry that affects all cultures of the world. A potent force in the global economy, fashion is also highly influential in everyday lives, even among those who may feel impervious. This handy volume is a one-stop reference for anyone interested in fashion — its meaning, history and theory. From avedon to codpiece, dandyism to the G-string, Japanese fashion to subcultures, trickle down to Zoot suit,\u00c2\u00a0The Berg Companion to Fashion<\/em> provides a comprehensive overview of this most fascinating of topics and will serve as the benchmark guide to the subject for many years to come. This volume contains over 300 in-depth entries covering designers, articles of clothing, key concepts and styles.<\/p>\n
James Sherwood and Tom Ford<\/h3>\nBespoke: The Men’s Style of Savile Row<\/a> <\/em>by James Sherwood<\/strong> with a foreword by Tom Ford<\/strong><\/p>\n
$\"\"$ List price: $60, $40.95 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n
Publisher’s Summary: A fully illustrated history of bespoke tailoring\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe custom-made men\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s clothing that made a small London street a globally known brand to generations of sartorial connoisseurs. Savile Row is renowned for fine custom tailoring\u00e2\u20ac\u201d”bespoke” in its own parlance. The term originated when cloth for a suit was said to “be spoken for” by customers who have included generations of stylish and tasteful men, from rakes to royals.\u00c2\u00a0Bespoke<\/em> is the epitome of male sartorial style, exquisite quality, and craftsmanship, and has been worn by a veritable who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s who of famous and important men: Winston Churchill, Cary Grant, Russell Crowe, David Beckham, and countless world leaders.\u00c2\u00a0Bespoke<\/em> charts Savile Row\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s contribution to fashion and culture chronologically and features twenty-six profiles of today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s master tailors from historic firms such as Gieves & Hawkes and Henry Poole to more recent ones like Nutters and Ozwald Boateng, who was the first Savile Row tailor to stage a catwalk show in Paris.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This year, fashion labels are making the focus of the holidays not just what you’re wearing, but what you’re reading. Just in time to make it onto Christmas gift lists, everyone from designers (Matthew Williamson, Kenzo, Anna Sui) to muses (Isabella Blow, Keith Richards) has a printed tome looking for a place in your fashion library.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[3684,4735,1150,4734,4730,3266,1943,4731,4733,4732,680,3268,1673,1955,1960],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16657"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16657"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16657\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16688,"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16657\/revisions\/16688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

The Muses<\/h5>\n

Valerie Steele<\/h3>\nThe director and chief curator of FIT’s Museum in New York, Valerie Steele is one of fashion’s most established historians.<\/p>\n