Isabella Blow: A Life in Fashion


Lauren Goldstein Crowe - 2010
    The key supporter and muse of milliner Philip Treacy and designer Alexander McQueen, Blow was truly more than a muse or patron. She was a spark, an electrical impulse that set imaginations racing, an individual who pushed others to create their best work.Her fascination with clothing began early, as did a willingness to wear things—and say things—that would amuse and shock. She began her fashion career in New York City as assistant to Anna Wintour at Vogue. Over time she became famous for her work, yet it wasn't 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 wicked sense of humor, making her friends laugh even as they struggled to help.Lauren Goldstein Crowe has crafted a superbly entertaining narrative; wrapping the anecdotes of Isabella's antics around a candid, insightful portrayal of a woman whose thirst for the fantastical ultimately became irreconcilable with life in the real world.

The Woman I Wanted to Be


Diane Von Furstenberg - 2014
    With remarkable honesty and wisdom, von Furstenberg mines the rich territory of what it means to be a woman. She opens up about her family and career, overcoming cancer, building a global brand, and devoting herself to empowering other women, writing, "I want every woman to know that she can be the woman she wants to be."

Audrey and Givenchy: A Fashion Love Affair


Cindy De La Hoz - 2016
    Legendary screen star Aubrey Hepburn and designer Hubert de Givenchy were a brilliant meeting of fashion-forward minds. Over the course of their forty-year friendship and professional partnership, both became fashion icons whose collaborations influenced trends for generations to come -- the words "Audrey style" still conjure images of ballet flats, little black dresses, bateau necklines, capri pants, and countless stunning fashions. With gorgeous photography throughout, Audrey and Givenchy is a celebration of the duo's collaborations both onscreen and off, featuring fashion profiles on such classic films as Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Charade, How to Steal a Million, and Funny Face, as well as their greatest off-screen fashion hits for awards shows and events.

Face Paint: The Story of Makeup


Lisa Eldridge - 2015
    In Face Paint, Lisa Eldridge reveals the entire history of the art form, from Egyptian and Classical times up through the Victorian age and golden era of Hollywood, and also surveys the cutting-edge makeup science of today and tomorrow. Face Paint explores the practical and idiosyncratic reasons behind makeup’s use, the actual materials employed over generations, and the glamorous icons that people emulate and how they achieved their effects. An engaging history of style, it is also a social history of women and the ways in which we can understand their lives through the prism and impact of makeup.

Your Beauty Mark: The Ultimate Guide to Eccentric Glamour


Dita Von Teese - 2015
    She takes the reader through every step of her signature looks - from her perfectly coiffed hair to her flawless skin and makeup - and turns to experts and friends for advice.

From A to Biba: The Autobiography of Barbara Hulanicki


Barbara Hulanicki - 1984
    This lively autobiography evokes the adventurous spirit of the 1960s and describes an extraordinary life with clarity and wit.

Avedon Fashion 1944-2000


Richard Avedon - 2009
    Each carefully selected image represents an artistic collaboration with significant models, stylists, and designers. Avedon Fashion accompanies the first major exhibition to survey this body of work, at the International Center of Photography in May 2009. With critical essays by Carol Squiers, curator at the ICP, and photography critic Vince Aletti, as well as an appreciation by photo-historian Philippe Garner, Avedon Fashion chronicles an astonishing record of photographic achievement.

Fashion Climbing: A Memoir with Photographs


Bill Cunningham - 2018
    Growing up in a lace-curtain Irish suburb of Boston, secretly trying on his sister's dresses and spending his evenings after school in the city's chicest boutiques, Bill dreamed of a life dedicated to fashion. But his desires were a source of shame for his family, and after dropping out of Harvard, he had to fight them tooth-and-nail to pursue his love.When he arrived in New York, he reveled in people-watching. He spent his nights at opera openings and gate-crashing extravagant balls, where he would take note of the styles, new and old, watching how the gowns moved, how the jewels hung, how the hair laid on each head. This was his education, and the birth of the democratic and exuberant taste that he came to be famous for as a photographer for The New York Times. After two style mavens—the women who eventually gave Jackie Kennedy her famous pink Chanel suit—took Bill under their wing, his creativity thrived and he made a name for himself as a designer. Taking on the alias William J.—because designing under his family's name would have been a disgrace to his parents—Bill became one of the era's most outlandish and celebrated hat designers, catering to movie stars, heiresses, and artists alike. Bill's mission was to bring happiness to the world by making women an inspiration to themselves and everyone who saw them. These were halcyon days when fashion was all he ate and drank. When he was broke and hungry he'd stroll past the store windows on Fifth Avenue and feed himself on beautiful things.Fashion Climbing is the story of a young man striving to be the person he was born to be: a true original. But although he was one of the city's most recognized and treasured figures, Bill was also one of its most guarded. Written with his infectious joy and one-of-a-kind voice, this memoir was polished, neatly typewritten, and safely stored away in his lifetime. He held off on sharing it—and himself—until his passing. Between these covers, is an education in style, an effervescent tale of a bohemian world as it once was, and a final gift to the readers of one of New York's great characters.

Street: The Nylon Book of Global Style


Nylon Magazine - 2006
    And if you ask them what magazine gives the best, most authoritative coverage of these outsider fashion incubators, chances are they'll say Nylon.Nylon here combines its street cred and international expertise (the magazine is read in major cities around the world, and has recently launched both Japanese and Australian editions) to reveal the iconic looks in the seven most fashion-forward cities today: London, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Melbourne, Copenhagen and New York. Led by acclaimed editor in chief Marvin Scott Jarrett, Nylon's editors, writers, and photographers cover these cities' trends with the same signature flair, enthusiasm, and eye for the cutting edge that has catapulted the magazine to the top of its demographic. Each chapter opens with an introduction describing the city's particular history, traits, and culture, followed by full-page pictures of each city's stylish residents, showing their creativity in full detail, from Tokyo's famous Goth Lolitas to Copenhagen's casual chic and everything in between. Quotes from each subject tell about who influences their personal style, what they love about their city, and their favorite local stores. Edgy, colorful, and fascinating to look at, Street is a chronicle of diverse urban style that you won't be able to put down.

Historical Fashion in Detail: The 17th and 18th Centuries


Avril Hart - 1998
    Drawn from the Victoria and Albert Museum's world-famous collection, these garments display skills that are now lost, yet continue to inspire today's leading designers.Much of the finery seen here is too fragile to be on permanent display, or its detail too intricate to be captured in conventional photography. Jacobean blackwork, neoclassical tambour work, exquisite stitching, and knife-sharp pleats are pictured in stunning photographs, alongside such unusual techniques as stamping, pinking, and slashing--many of which are rarely employees in the modern world, as they require labor-intensive handwork impossible to replicate by machine.With line drawings showing the construction of the complete garment and a text that sets each in the context of its time, this book is a visual feast for all fashion lovers, and an essential resource for curators, collectors, students, costumers and designers.

Fashion 150 Years Of Courtiers, Designers, Labels


Charlotte Seeling - 2010
    This book is devoted to the legendary world of fashion, from its origins in the late nineteenth century to the present. Which social, historical, and cultural developments coalesced to allow fashion to become what it is today? Which designers had especially significant impact on their fashion era with extensive portraits of the ground-breaking fashion icons and countless expressive photographs. The result is a comprehensive portrayal of the rapid development of fashion from the liberation of women from the corset all the way to the minimalist and luxurious, playful and sober, conservative and revolutionary creations of modern designers.

Man Repeller: Seeking Love. Finding Overalls.


Leandra Medine - 2013
    A gold lamé jumpsuit. Ankle boots with fringe. Were these fashion-forward items sending men running in the opposite direction? Maybe, but Leandra Medine never cared.Slipping into drop-crotch shorts and a boxed sequin blazer in the dressing room of Topshop in downtown Manhattan, a brokenhearted Leandra had an epiphany. Looking in the mirror, she suddenly realized she didn't have a boyfriend because of the way she dressed. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized that such outfits said a lot about her life-romantic and otherwise.Now, in her first book, the acclaimed blogger and fashion darling recounts her most significant memories through the lens of her sartorial choices. With her signature sass, blunt honesty, and some personal photos, Leandra shares details of the night she lost her virginity right down to the pair of white tube socks she forgot to take off, as well as when and why she realized her grandma's vintage Hermès ostrich skin clutch could hold much more than just keys and a cell phone. Through it all, she proves you don't need to compromise even your most repellent qualities to find your way into that big white dress (and an organza moto jacket). See? You can have your yeti and wear it, too.Showcasing the singular voice that has won Leandra millions of fans, this book is a collection of awkwardly funny experiences, a sweet love story, and above all, a reminder to celebrate and embrace a world made for women, by women.

High Style: Masterworks from the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art


Jan Reeder - 2010
    The nearly 25,000-object collection comprises fashionable women’s and men’s garments and accessories from the 18th through the 20th century. It features sumptuous 19th-century gowns from the House of Worth, exquisite works by the great 20th-century French couturiers, iconic Surrealist-based designs of Elsa Schiaparelli, sportswear classics from pioneer American women designers, and the incomparable draped and tailored creations of Charles James.In 2009, the Brooklyn Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art entered into a groundbreaking long-term partnership to steward Brooklyn’s collection. The objects were transferred to The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan, with Brooklyn maintaining curatorial access. Exhibitions of costumes from the collection will be held at both institutions in early May 2010.

The Teen Vogue Handbook: An Insider's Guide to Careers in Fashion


Teen Vogue - 2009
    A must-read for anybody interested in fashion. From aspiring designers, stylists, editors, and photographers to fashion obsessives who want behindthe- scenes secrets about industry stars and tips on how to live a creative life.Book Details: Format: Paperback Publication Date: 10/5/2009 Pages: 288 Reading Level: Age 12 and Up

The New Fashion Rules


Victoria Magrath - 2018
    Here you can discover all the insider secrets from superblogger Victoria Magrath so you can get one leap ahead of the fashion world. Find inspiration from the new diversity movement which embraces all shapes and sizes, relive the moment Cara Delevingne recorded a selfie on the catwalk and discover how internet sensations like Instagram and ASOS are changing the landscape of fashion permanently.These are the new rules of fashion. Follow these rules and cultivate your own identity so that no one decides what you wear but you.