In a world that had lost the secret of its cohesion, Bataille saw surrealism as both a symptom and a beginning of an attempt to address this loss. His writings on this theme are the result of a profound reflection in the wake of World War Two.The Absence of Myth is the most incisive study yet made of surrealism, insisting on its importance as a cultural and social phenomenon with far-reaching consequences. Clarifying Bataille’s links with the surrealist movement, and throwing revealing light on his complex and greatly misunderstood relationship with Andre Breton, The Absence of Myth shows Bataille to be a much more radical figure than his postmodernist devotees would have us believe: a man who continually tried to extend Marxist social theory; a pessimistic thinker, but one as far removed from nihilism as can be.

    Vreeland had similar ways of appreciating luxury,” writes André Leon Talley, “because they both believed in the importance of its most essential underpinning: polish.” In A.L.T., Vogue’s editor at large explains how a six-foot-seven African-American man from North Carolina became the influential fashion figure he is today, learning life’s most enduring lessons from two remarkable women: his maternal grandmother, Bennie Frances Davis, a woman who worked back-breakingly hard as a maid, yet taught him to embrace the world with a warm heart and an open mind; and Diana Vreeland, the inimitable editor in chief of Vogue and director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, who became his peerless professional mentor. In a rich, eloquent voice that resonates with both small-town wisdom and haut monde sophistication, Talley tells of the grandmother who encouraged his dreams and ambitions while instilling in him an abiding sense of dignity and style, and of the legendary fashion doyenne who took him under her wing as he rose to fame in the wild New York of the 1970s. Threaded throughout are stories of the man himself, who has survived thirty years in the “chiffon trenches” with eminent grace and style.Clear, elegant, and often magical, A.L.T. shines like a rare jewel as it illuminates three extraordinary lives.

    this new volume features vibrant photography, old-world glamour, a dash of charm and inspirational quotes, tips and words of wisdom that every kate spade new york girl should know. kate spade new york: places to go, people to see showcases chic destinations such as paris, new york city, the amalfi coast, marrakech, tokyo, and st moritz, along with ways to incorporate those things seen, heard and experienced into life back home. kate spade new york: places to go, people to see will have you booking a plane ticket the moment you finish turning the pages!

    By embodying the promise of a different and better self in different and better circumstances, glamour stokes ambition and nurtures hope, even as it fosters sometimes-dangerous illusions.From vacation brochures to military recruiting ads, from the Chrysler Building to the iPad, from political utopias to action heroines, Postrel argues that glamour is a seductive cultural force. Its magic stretches beyond the stereotypical spheres of fashion or film, influencing our decisions about what to buy, where to live, which careers to pursue, where to invest, and how to vote.The result is myth shattering: a revelatory theory that explains how glamour became a powerful form of nonverbal persuasion, one that taps into our most secret dreams and deepest yearnings to influence our everyday choices.

    Now choosing the perfect thing to wear on that special day is easier than ever! Drawing on his experience as fashion director at Kleinfeld Bridal, Randy Fenoli has written a guidebook bursting with insights and inspiration for helping brides-to-be determine what story they want their dress to tell. It's All About the Dress covers: -Suggestions on flattering cuts, fabrics, and styles for every body type-Price ranges and budget-Trains, veils, headpieces, undergarments, and accessories-Insider secrets on managing the bridal dress appointment-Options for bridesmaids, mother of the bride, and more!Featuring 100 inspiring photos plus invaluable tips on how to deal with bridal dress 911's, It's All About the Dress is the ultimate sourcebook no bride-to-be should say "I do" without!

    Abandoning a highly lucrative career as a leading model on the 60s London scene, alongside such swinging contemporaries as Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy, Coddington signed on in 1968 as a junior fashion editor at British Vogue. She quickly established herself on the other side of the camera, coordinating photo shoots with David Bailey, Cecil Beaton, Helmut Newton, Sarah Moon, and the eccentric Guy Bourdin. A close working relationship with royal photographer Norman Parkinson produced a series of startlingly vibrant location shoots that have come to be considered classics. At British Vogue, Coddington also introduced the sweeping narrative epic, a familiar feature of her work nowadays at American Vogue, where she has been creative director for the past 14 years. Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue is not only a collection of Coddington's greatest work, it is a visual reminiscence of her life in fashion.

    This title features the patterns, techniques and history of over 20 historically correct corsets, ranging from the 1750s to 1950, from boned corsets, ribbon corsets and basques to the more recent 1949 satin corsets.

    Minutes to Midnight is the ambitious photographic record of that adventure, in which Parke presents a proud but uneasy nation struggling to craft its identity from different cultures and traditions. Minutes to Midnight merges traditional documentary techniques and imagination to create a dark visual narrative portraying Australia with a mix of nostalgia, romanticism and brooding realism. This is not a record of the physical landscape but of an emotional one. It is a story of human anxiety and intensity which, although told from Australia, represents a universal human condition in the world today.

    The Chronicle of Western Fashion records the astonishing variety of ways in which the human form can be adorned - from the relative simplicity of the classical world, to the elaborate social distinctions implicit in the clothing of the Middle Ages, through the exotic richness of the Renaissance, on to the changing conventions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and the vibrant diversity of twentieth-century fashion. John Peacock's meticulous color drawings are based on a lifetime of extensive research. Organized chronologically, the drawings are accompanied by detailed descriptions of each figure, including the individual items of dress shown and the fabric, cut, pattern, and color that have been used in each instance. The vast range of clothing reveals not only national characteristics but also social divisions: young and old, rich and poor, countryfolk and town dwellers, clergy and tradesmen, royalty and commoners. A fully illustrated glossary explains technical terms and features a wide range of hats, hair decorations, gloves, and other accessories.The Chronicle of Western Fashion is the indispensable reference work on its subject. No student, amateur, or professional designer, costume or fashion enthusiast, collector or social historian will want to be without it.

    In 1966, he was Prince of the Sunset Strip, busy with his pioneering racially-mixed band Love, and accelerating the evolution of California folk-rock by infusing it with jazz and orchestral influences, a process that would climax in a timeless masterpiece, the Love album Forever Changes. Shaped by a Memphis childhood and a South Los Angeles youth, Lee always craved fame. Drug use and a reticence to tour were his Achilles heels, and he succumbed to a dissolute lifestyle just as superstardom was beckoning. Despite endorsements from the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, Leess subsequent career was erratic and haunted by the shadow of Forever Changes, reaching a nadir with his 1996 imprisonment for a firearms offence. Redemption followed, culminating in an astonishing post-millennial comeback that found him playing Forever Changes to adoring multi-generational fans around the world. This upswing was only interrupted by his untimely death, from leukemia, in 2006. Writing with the full consent and cooperation of Arthur's widow, Diane Lee, author John Einarson has meticulously researched a biography that includes lengthy extracts from the singer's vivid, comic, and poignant memoirs, published here for the first time.

    With verve and humor, Trinny and Susannah target several types of women—from the harried housewife to the tomboy—and guide them to the fashion, hair, and makeup styles that suit their particular figures, ages, incomes, and outlooks on life. Featuring real American women, this book gives you the tools to feel confident, attractive and, most of all, proud to be yourself.

    An influence on Rod Stewart, Marriott is adored by Blur, Oasis, and Paul Weller.All Too Beautiful was published in hardcover to universal critical acclaim and was shortlisted for the 2005 US ARSC (Association for Recorded Sound Collections) Awards for excellence in historical recording research.

    A glamorous woman has a magnetism few men can resist, yet all of us can attain it--even those without classically natural beauty. Many beautiful women lack glamour and conversely some of the most unusual looking women have glamour by the bucket load. "How to be Adored" is a style guide with a difference, featuring secrets and advice from a roll call of history's most seductive women, including Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Jackie O, Debbie Harry, Sophia Loren, Gwyneth Paltrow, Princess Diana, Kate Moss, Gwen Stefani and Carla Bruni. In their own words they reveal how to achieve glamour and how to be adored by all you encounter. Professor of Fashion, Caroline Cox, fills every page with witty observations and entertaining anecdotes. With masses of primary research you will be instantly drawn in by the juicy revelations about Hollywood stars past and present. "How to be Adored" is packed with useful information and advice, supported by wise words from those who know. And as you begin your glamorous transformation, remember what sixties film star Arlene Dahl said, 'There's no such thing as an ugly woman. There are only those who have not realized their full potential.'

    Lauren A. Rothman addresses an age-old dilemma: how to be appropriate and stylish in the workplace. Based on a decade of experience in the fashion industry, she addresses the basics of fashion and executive presence by offering advice, anecdotes, and style alerts that help readers avoid major fashion faux pas at the office. Style Bible: What to Wear to Work is the must-have resource for the modern professional, male or female, climbing the ladder of success. Lauren identifies the ultimate wardrobe essentials, and reveals shopping strategies and destinations for the everyday person. Style Bible, complete with helpful illustrations, is the go-to manual on how to dress for every professional occasion and a valuable resource for understanding dress codes by industry, city, and gender so that your visual cues will make a strong impact. Make a commitment to being better dressed at work with Style Bible.

     Beauty—unlike fashion—is something almost anyone can participate in and still have stellar results: the moisturizer that Emma Roberts buys at Whole Foods is just as accessible to any other 26-year-old.Skin Deep is an in-depth look at the surprising role that beauty plays in our lives, the large or small amount of work it involves on a daily basis, the money spent, the time taken, and what it means to everyone from ballet dancers to musicians, models to powerful entrepreneurs. You’ll learn how Kylie Jenner gets Instagram-ready; the preferred face mask of supermodel Natalia Vodianova; what beauty staples Olympian Allyson Felix uses off the track; and exactly what makes Martha Stewart’s skin-care regimen cost $2,000.   Including 10 new subjects, alongside favorites like Gwyneth Paltrow, Priyanka Chopra, and Anna Kendrick, plus sidebars and photography, Skin Deep takes an intriguing look at contemporary beauty, not only through entertaining celebrity interviews, but with in-depth guidance from names like Christophe Robin and Patrick Ta, as well as other beauty experts, and through Shapiro’s own look at popular trends—for both a sense of context and a wealth of applicable beauty advice.