Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History


Rhonda K. Garelick - 2014
    Such is the case with Coco Chanel, whose life offers one of the most fascinating tales of the twentieth century—throwing into dramatic relief an era of war, fashion, ardent nationalism, and earth-shaking change—here brilliantly treated, for the first time, with wide-ranging and incisive historical scrutiny.Coco Chanel transformed forever the way women dressed. Her influence remains so pervasive that to this day we can see her afterimage a dozen times while just walking down a single street: in all the little black dresses, flat shoes, costume jewelry, cardigan sweaters, and tortoiseshell eyeglasses on women of every age and background. A bottle of Chanel No. 5 perfume is sold every three seconds. Arguably, no other individual has had a deeper impact on the visual aesthetic of the world. But how did a poor orphan become a global icon of both luxury and everyday style? How did she develop such vast, undying influence? And what does our ongoing love of all things Chanel tell us about ourselves? These are the mysteries that Rhonda K. Garelick unravels in Mademoiselle.Raised in rural poverty and orphaned early, the young Chanel supported herself as best she could. Then, as an uneducated nineteen-year-old café singer, she attracted the attention of a wealthy and powerful admirer and parlayed his support into her own hat design business. For the rest of Chanel’s life, the professional, personal, and political were interwoven; her lovers included diplomat Boy Capel; composer Igor Stravinsky; Romanov heir Grand Duke Dmitri; Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster; poet Pierre Reverdy; a Nazi officer; and several women as well. For all that, she was profoundly alone, her romantic life relentlessly plagued by abandonment and tragedy.Chanel’s ambitions and accomplishments were unparalleled. Her hat shop evolved into a clothing empire. She became a noted theatrical and film costume designer, collaborating with the likes of Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, and Luchino Visconti. The genius of Coco Chanel, Garelick shows, lay in the way she absorbed the zeitgeist, reflecting it back to the world in her designs and in what Garelick calls “wearable personality”—the irresistible and contagious style infused with both world history and Chanel’s nearly unbelievable life saga. By age forty, Chanel had become a multimillionaire and a household name, and her Chanel Corporation is still the highest-earning privately owned luxury goods manufacturer in the world. In Mademoiselle, Garelick delivers the most probing, well-researched, and insightful biography to date on this seemingly familiar but endlessly surprising figure—a work that is truly both a heady intellectual study and a literary page-turner.

Take Ivy


Shosuke Ishizu - 2010
    The product of four sartorial style enthusiasts, Take Ivy is a collection of candid photographs shot on the campuses of America's elite, Ivy League universities. The series focuses on men and their clothes, perfectly encapsulating the unique academic fashion of the era. Whether lounging in the quad, studying in the library, riding bikes, in class, or at the boathouse, the subjects of Take Ivy are impeccably and distinctively dressed in the finest American-made garments of the time.Take Ivy is now considered a definitive document of this particular style, and rare original copies are highly sought after by "trad" devotees worldwide. A small-run reprint came out in Japan in 2006 and sold out almost immediately. Now, for the first time ever, powerHouse is reviving this classic tome with an all-new English translation. Ivy style has never been more popular, in Japan or stateside, proving its timeless and transcendent appeal. Take Ivy has survived the decades and is an essential object for anyone interested in the history or future of fashion.

A Scene in Between: Tripping Through the Fashions of UK Indie Music 1980-1988


Sam Knee - 2013
    There's been much coverage of punk, postpunk and the acid-house rave era of the early 90s, but the scene surrounding independent guitar-based music of the mid-80s has been largely overlooked. "A Scene In Between" looks at Britain's fashions, personalities and youth cultures from that era. Bands featured include Television Personalities, My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Smiths, The Pastels, The Vaselines and more obscure bands such as The Shop Assistants, The Flatmates and countless others. Author Sam Knee has reconnected with a vast network of people and resources to unearth literally hundreds of previously unpublished photographs of the bands, fans, clubs and street fashion of the time. Taking a sartorial angle, he looks at anoraks, oversized jumpers, leather trousers, bowl-cut hairdos, blouse shirts, stripey tees and box jackets. Dave Conway of My Bloody Valentine and Douglas Hart of The Jesus and Mary Chain contribute reminiscences.

Wall and Piece


Banksy - 2005
    Not only did he smuggle his pieces into four of New York City's major art museums, he's also "hung" his work at London's Tate Gallery and adorned Israel's West Bank barrier with satirical images. Banksy's identity remains unknown, but his work is unmistakable with prints selling for as much as $45,000.

Eye to Eye: Photographs by Vivian Maier


Richard Cahan - 2014
    Her story—thousands of photo negatives and prints found in a storage locker and sold for pennies at auction—has stirred millions around the world. Maier was a painfully private woman who now speaks powerfully through the photographs she took only for herself. This new collection offers readers a chance to follow Maier as she travels the world, including images of France, Italy, Malaysia, Yemen, Puerto Rico, and America. These eye-to-eye portraits, published for the first time, are the single constant in her lifetime of photographic work. Maier is often cast as a quirky, antisocial character, moving on the outskirts of real connection. But these photographs show something more. Printed with the latest technology, the book utilizes a modified four-color process that produces images akin to traditional silver gelatin prints. Combined with 15u stochastic screening, Maier's 96 photographs in this volume are spectacularly sharp, full-range black-and-white reproductions.

Confessions of a Window Dresser: Tales from a Life in Fashion


Simon Doonan - 1998
    For twenty years Simon Doonan, the creator of the hottest window displays in the world at Barney's New York, has collaborated with the biggest names in fashion and the most notorious names in art. Whether he's making fun of blondes, sending up Sigmund Freud, or creating caricatures of celebrities, his work has been fearless and entertaining kitsch. Confessions of a Window Dresser illustrates his work in glorious full-color photographs and wickedly witty commentary on the trends and people of the fashion and entertainment world. Here's a dazzling gift of glamour, laughter, and fashion history.

Tim Walker: Story Teller


Tim Walker - 2012
    Walker is one of the most exciting photographers of our time, and his flamboyant style—often tongue-in-cheek but always exquisitely executed—places him in the line of brilliant eccentrics from Cecil Beaton to David LaChapelle. Showcasing 170 photographs through Walker’s most recent work, the book features many A-listers in fashion and Hollywood, including Tilda Swinton, Helena Bonham Carter, and Alber Elbaz. The book includes a foreword by Kate Bush, an introduction by writer Robin Muir, and an afterword by Tim Walker.Praise for Tim Walker: Story Teller:“You’ll delight in the fashion photographer’s visual daydreams.” —DuJour magazine

Vintage Tattoos: The Book of Old-School Skin Art


Carol Clerk - 2008
    They are enjoying a renaissance, with graphic designers and artists creating specialty tattoos for a growing audience, unleashing a revival of interest in the bawdy vintage tattoo. Old school tattoos are being rediscovered (sometimes ironically, sometimes not) by a new generation. Originally embraced by rebels, sailors, and gangsters, these tattoos—broken hearts, naked girls, floral motifs, and maritime emblems—are now showing up on the fashion runway and in music videos. This book chronicles vintage motifs in thematic chapters interspersed with profiles of influential tattoo artists and their distinctive designs: Sailor Jerry Collins, Don Ed Hardy ("the Godfather of Tattoos"), Mike "Rollo Banks" Malone, Bert Grimm, Japan’s Horiyoshi III, and Shanghai’s Pinky Yun.

What to Wear, Where: The How-to Handbook for Any Style Situation


Hillary Kerr - 2011
    That's the philosophy behind What to Wear, Where, the second book from the authors of the popular style guide Who What Wear. This time Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power give readers exactly what they've asked for: specific advice on how to put together the perfect look for any social occasion. What to Wear, Where addresses more than 50 major social situations, explains what you should wear and what you shouldn't wear, and shows you exactly what the authors would wear. What to Wear, Where is loaded with practical tips and style suggestions, making it the perfect resource for anyone who wants to feel more confident about her outfit choices. It's your go-to guide for wardrobe advice and inspiration!Praise for What to Wear, Where:"[A] definitive guide to looking trendy and timeless. With style advice for more than fifty special occasions, What to Wear, Where is the ultimate investment piece." -Harper's Bazaar

Helmut Newton: Sumo


Helmut Newton - 1999
    Helmut Newton (1920–2004) always demonstrated a healthy disdain for easy or predictable solutions. SUMO—a bold and unprecedented publishing venture—was an irresistible project. The idea of a spectacular compendium of images, a book with the dimensions of a private exhibition, reproduced to exceptional page size and to state-of-the-art origination and printing standards, emerged from an open, exploratory dialogue between photographer and publisher.With the physically commanding SUMO weighing in—boxed and shrink-wrapped—at 35.4 kilos, Newton created a landmark book that stood head and shoulders above anything previously attempted, either in terms of conceptual extravagance or technical specifications. Published in an edition of 10,000 signed and numbered copies, SUMO sold out soon after publication and quickly multiplied its value. This worldwide publishing sensation now features in numerous important collections around the world, including New York's Museum of Modern Art. Legendary SUMO copy number one, autographed by over 100 of the book's featured celebrities, also broke the record for the most expensive book published in the 20th century, selling at auction in Berlin on April 6, 2000 for 620,000 German Marks – approximately $430,000.Now, 10 years after the original publication, SUMO is back in a more economical edition, but one with the same DNA as its unique progenitor.SUMO established new standards for the art monograph genre, and secured a prominent place in photo-book history. This new edition is the fulfillment of an ambition conceived some years ago by Helmut Newton. He would surely be pleased that, a decade on from its first publication, SUMO—now in a format that allows for a more democratic distribution—will reach the widest possible audience. However, proud owners of the new edition won't wrestle with their copy of SUMO. It comes with a unique stand for displaying the book at home:

Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times


Elizabeth Wayland Barber - 1994
    In fact, right up to the Industrial Revolution the fiber arts were an enormous economic force, belonging primarily to women.Despite the great toil required in making cloth and clothing, most books on ancient history and economics have no information on them. Much of this gap results from the extreme perishability of what women produced, but it seems clear that until now descriptions of prehistoric and early historic cultures have omitted virtually half the picture.Elizabeth Wayland Barber has drawn from data gathered by the most sophisticated new archaeological methods—methods she herself helped to fashion.

Front Roe: How to Be the Leading Lady in Your Own Life


Louise Roe - 2015
    It's not about trends but about being your own person and sharing the things you love in your appearance, your home, and your personality. In Front Roe, Louise shares her expertise on cultivating personal style and feeling like a confident leading lady in your own life. In her first book, Louise has compiled the practical tips and secret tricks that she's picked up through years of working in the fashion industry with magazine editors, stylists, celebrities, and most importantly, real women. Front Roe helps a woman discover her personal style through looks she loves-images in magazines that speak to her, quotes that inspire her, fashion or styles she is taken with, and family photos. Once the foundation is laid, Louise expands into the specifics of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, offering helpful advice from today and yesteryear on everything from finding the right underwear and buying vintage clothing, to picking the best perfume for you, and making your home a sanctuary. As Louise says, "With a little nudging and direction, everybody can develop their own personal style, no matter their shape, age, or wallet size. In my view, fashion should be aspirational, but attainable and definitely something to have a sense of humor about. It's worth living every single day as the most confident, happy, and glamorous version of yourself. Here's how!" Front Roe is the perfect distillation of this philosophy. Louise shares stories, information, and ideas from around the world to help women feel educated, uplifted, inspired, and considerably more positive about their mind, body, closet, and home.

Dreaming of Chanel


Charlotte Smith - 2010
    From the moment Charlotte uncovered her first treasure, an exquisite 1920s evening dress, she was enchanted. But when she found her godmother's book of stories, the true value of her inheritancehit home. this wasn't a mere collection of beautiful things, it was a preciouscollection of women's lives. tiny glimpses of our joys and disappointments, our entrances and exits, triumphant and tragic. In DREAMING OF DIOR, Charlotte shared some of her treasures and the stories of the women who wore them for the first time. Now, in DREAMING OF CHANE;, with special appearances by Chanel, VivienneWestwood, Zandra Rhodes, Pucci and many more, Charlotte offers another unforgettable glimpse inside the magic wardrobe every woman would love to own. Charlotte Smith is custodian of a priceless vintage clothing collection, the Darnell Collection, she inherited from her Quaker godmother, Doris Darnell. Born in Hong Kong and raised in the United States, Charlotte has a degree in art history and has lived and worked in the United States, England and France. She now lives in Australia. After studying fashion design Grant Cowan moved to London to further his career and has worked as an illustrator on magazines like Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Glamour and Red Magazine.

Art of McSweeney's


McSweeney's Publishing - 2010
    Literary journals bound by magnets, or designed to look like junk mail. The sharp wit, gorgeous design, and playful why not invention of independent literary publisher McSweeney's have earned it a large and loyal following and made its journals, books, The Believer magazine, and Wholphin DVDs collectible favorites of readers and graphic designers alike. Created by the McSweeney's staff to commemorate their 11th (or 12th) anniversary, this book showcases their award-winning art and design across all the company's activities. It features hundreds of images, interviews with collaborators such as Chris Ware and Michael Chabon, and dozens of insights into McSweeney's quirky creative process and the visual experience of reading.

The Devil's Cloth: A History of Stripes


Michel Pastoureau - 1991
    From the taboo striped cloaks of the Middle Ages to the liberating stripes of the French and American flags, The Devil's Cloth chronicles the checkered past of this maligned and misunderstood pattern that has been linked to everything from medieval scandals to religious and political uprisings to contemporary fashion statements. The story begins nearly a thousand years ago, when the monks of the Carmelite Order were ordered by the Pope to surrender their striped garments--to superstitious minds a sure sign of the devil. Anti-stripe sentiment raged throughout the Middle Ages, becoming the de rigueur fashion for prostitutes, hangmen, lepers, court jesters, and disloyal Round Table knights. Over the centuries, the list expanded to include Jews, heretics, adulterous wives, madmen, convicts, and servants. Briefly rescued from ignominy by the Renaissance, the stripe enjoyed a resurgence in 1775, where its newly conferred status as an enduring symbol of freedom paved the way for a subsequent European comeback. With lively narrative style, Pastoureau traces the fascinating trajectory of the ubiquitous stripe from the stripe-related stress of biblical figures--Cain, Delilah, and Judas prominent among them--to the bathing suits, pinstripe suits, and pajamas of today. Not even the hapless zebra escapes the skewering lens of history. Whether its subject is horizontal or vertical, stylish or subversive, this richly informative book will appeal to readers of every stripe.