Best Design Books

Book Review: Frida Kahlo Fashion As The Art Of Being

February 22, 2016

Book Review: Frida Kahlo Fashion As The Art Of Being – Frida Kahlo was not only an iconic artist, she was also a bold beauty and an avant-garde fashionista whose timeless sense of style continues to inspire and influence the worlds of fashion, media, and art today. Fashion is an optical effect that Frida employed with shrewd artistic intention. Frida knew that life is theater, and fashion was her costume . Frida understood the importance of image and attitude, no matter who you are. The canvas was Frida’s mirror, and she was the painter, the model, and the painting—author, subject, medium, and object. Frida was her own best work of art. Whether she was in Mexico City, New York, or Paris, Frida Kahlo’s unique multicultural aesthetic mélange created an exciting and matchless style that made her the center of attention wherever she went. The impact of Frida’s fashion fusion still generates an infectious attraction the world over. International fashion magazines feature editorials that clearly display Frida’s influence; fashion designers, photographers, and models continue to channel her indomitable spirit; filmmakers, songwriters, and artists of all kinds create new works that reflect her singular aesthetic. Fashion as the Art of Being is…

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Art

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton

January 20, 2016

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton – Alexander McQueen (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was an icon in the fashion industry. This book is a fine tribute to one of the best fashion designer and conceptual artist who died far too young but whose contributions to contemporary fashion and art will live on. This book is likely to become a collector’s item, so handsomely designed and present as it is. The artist was the most influential, imaginative, and provocative designer of his generation- The artist both challenged and expanded fashion conventions to express ideas about race, class, sexuality, religion, and the environment. Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty examines the full breadth of the designer’s career, from the start of his fledgling label to the triumphs of his own world-renowned London house. It features his most iconic and radical designs, revealing how McQueen adapted and combined the fundamentals of Savile Row tailoring, the specialized techniques of haute couture, and technological innovation to achieve his distinctive aesthetic. It also focuses on the highly sophisticated narrative structures underpinning his collections and extravagant runway presentations, with their echoes of avant-garde installation and performance art. Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty celebrates the astounding creativity and originality of a…

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FASHION

Book Review: Dior New Looks

December 3, 2015

The outstanding elements of Dior’s style for every generation since 1947, presented in an inspired narrative of classic and contemporary photographs, together with some exquisite unpublished rarities. ‘Jérôme Gautier weaves an engaging narrative’ – Financial Times ‘An inspired narrative of classic and contemporary photographs, together with some exquisite unpublished rarities’– Senatus ‘This is something to pore over’– Porter ‘Exquisite … showcases more than half a century of iconic fashion looks that continue to influence how we dress today’– Image ‘One stunning image after another, sharp, elegant, chic and above all, new’– MatureTimes Christian Dior achieved immortality with his first collection in 1947. His ‘New Look’ amazed the world as it emerged after wartime austerity, and reset the boundaries of modern elegance. Dior’s search for the perfect line and the ideal silhouette has been celebrated by couturiers of the first rank: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré and John Galliano have all made their distinctive contribution. In these pages, the most beautiful fashion plates from Dior’s own time sit beside examples of the house’s creations from each decade, including the newest models by today’s designer-in-chief, Raf Simons. The legendary fashion house continues to represent the best taste in couture, honouring…

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FASHION

Book review: New Valentino, Mirabilia Romae

October 30, 2015

Since 2008, the renowned Italian fashion house of Valentino has been anchored by creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, who have moved the house’s aesthetic forward with their contemporary feminine designs. Chiuri and Piccioli are two personalities with very different design viewpoints, yet they blend these contrasts into a timeless mélange of clean simplicity and modern elegance. One of Chiuri and Piccioli’s most profound inspirations is Rome itself, the Eternal City. Its seamless blend of ancient and modern, pagan and baroque, historic buildings and contemporary lifestyle reflects their own distinctive approach in which heritage, tradition, and innovation coexist to create a new concept of the house of Valentino. Valentino is a clothing company founded in 1960 by Valentino Garavani. It is a part of Valentino Fashion Group. Since October 2008, the creative directors are Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. Alessandra Facchinetti was Valentino’s creative designer from 2007 to 2008. Valentino is headquartered in Milan. The Author Italian art curator Francesco Bonami brings readers into Chiuri and Piccioli’s extraordinary world of inspiration, revealing their vision of the Valentino woman, exploring what fuels their passion and creativity, and explaining their impact and…

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FASHION

Books Review: Emilio Pucci Vintage Art Edition

July 22, 2015

Best design Books brings to you another book review, this time an vintage art edition about Emilio Pucci! Vintage Art Edition limited to just 500 signed and numbered copies. Each book is bound in an original vintage Pucci fabric and is accompanied by four art prints of original drawings from the designer Emilio Pucci. Each book is signed by his daughter Laudomia Pucci who continued to design under the Pucci name after Emilio’s death in 1992 and who is Image Director and Deputy Chairman of the company since 2000.

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Art

Books Review: Art & Makeup

July 20, 2015

Art & Makeup is a stunning showcase of work created by award-winning makeup artist, Lan Nguyen-Grealis. The looks created specially for the book are inspired by the worlds of art, sculpture, cinema and performance art – references include Picasso, Warhol, Marie Antoinette, Cleopatra, Mad Men and The Great Gatsby. The book contains more than 200 beautiful images and includes photography from Rankin. Makeup is an art form, and, like all art forms, it has a basis in technique. To complement the inspirational showcase imagery of the main part of the book, the second part features step-by-step deconstructions of the techniques used to create some of the looks. There is also an insider’s guide to the industry, featuring tips and quotes from professionals ranging from renowned makeup artists and fashion designers to photographers and celebrity stylists. Lan’s daring style and breathtaking technical ability has led her to work with legendary names including David Bailey, Rankin and countless A-list celebrities. She is currently the youngest Golden Mask Award Winner 2013 for Makeup Art and National Professional Makeup Awards Winner 2011 for Best Studio Makeup and Overall Winner. See also: BOOK REVIEW: WHEN ART MEETS DESIGN See also: BOOK REVIEW: AMY BUTLER’S BLOSSOM What…

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FASHION

Best Design Books: Valentino Garavani

July 1, 2015

This Collector’s Edition of Valentino Garavani – Una grande storia italiana is limited to 2.000 numbered copies, each numbered and signed by Valentino Garavani, finished in setalux book cloth with six-color silkscreen printin and comes in a clamshell box finished in silk cloth, especially tinted in Valentino red! Can you imagine this wonder of fashion books? Let’s check the book review! Think Valentino: think luxury. Think elegance. Think red carpet. Fashion’s most beloved upholder of refined decadence and the most exciting couturier in business is known around the globe simply by his first name. Only a few years after opening his fashion house in Rome in 1959, Valentino was already at the height of success, counting Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, and Audrey Hepburn among his devotees. Over forty years later, not much has changed—he’s still dressing the top celebrities, from Gwyneth Paltrow to J.Lo, though now his business is a major economic force in Italy and his fashion house is among the most famous in the world. Valentino has always designed clothes for glamorous and sophisticated women, never wavering from his signature style even when grunge, deconstruction, and other passing fads were all the rage. Though his couture division almost never…

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FASHION

100 Ideas that Changed Fashion

April 16, 2015

100 Ideas that Changed Fashion is one of that books you need to read in order to be inspired by some of the most influential fashion ideas through which women’s wear has evolved and it’s in evolution. The book offers a unique and engaging perspective on the subject of fashion. Let’s read the book review to see what are the best perspectives to take and look for in the book by Harriet Worsley. Catching the movements, developments and ideas that transformed the way women dress, all these things that cross our mind but in this book you can find it all point by point with detailed information. The book gives a unique perspective on the history of twentieth-century fashion and you should let your mind be inspired by all the ideas that are super fancy. But the fashion book is not only about inspiration, rather than just documenting these changes in fashion, it crucially explains why they happened and that fact makes the book even more interesting. ________________________________________________________________________ You may also like: INTERIOR DESIGN BOOKS: A HISTORY OF INTERIOR DESIGN ________________________________________________________________________ The detailed history of fashion and its invention that changed forever the way we see fashion are in this book,…

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FASHION

Best Fashion Books: The Fashion Swatch Book

March 25, 2015

The Fashion Swatch Book, by Marnie Fogg, is an inspirational book that contains important pieces from more than 100 of the world’s fashion designers. With contemporary and classic designs, the book contents cover from historic houses such as Sophie Hallette, to the edgiest work by Christopher Kane and Giles Deacon. The Fashion Swatch Book is alphabetically arranged by designer and it contains around 1300 images that illustrate the huge variety of swatches. Marnie Fogg introduces each fashion house and guides the reader through textile design and production. The Fashion Swatch Book features some of the greatest fabric designers of our time: Barbour, Bruce Oldfield, Marimekko, Paul Smith, Basso & Brooke, Mary Katrantzou, Christopher Kane, Sonia Rykiel, Ann Louise Roswald, Tata Naka, Eley Kishimoto, Hussein Chalayan, among others. The behind the scenes entries about some of the most important manufacturers is incredible and at the final section of the book you can find informative step-by-step photographs of the working techniques behind both modern and classic fabric manufacturing. _______________________________________________________________________ You may also like: FASHION – THE INSPIRING BOOK 100 YEARS OF FASHION BY CALLY BLACKMAN _______________________________________________________________________ ‘One of the most wide-ranging books on fashion fabrics ever published ……

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FASHION

The Inspiring Book 100 Years of Fashion By Cally Blackman

January 5, 2015

Cally Blackman is a writer and lecturer with degrees in Fashion Design and History of Art, and an MA in History of Dress from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London. She teaches at various institutions, including Central Saint Martin’s College of Art & Design. Her previous publications include 100 Years of Menswear, 100 Years of Fashion Illustration, Costume: From 1500 to the Present Day and The 20s and 30s: Flappers and Vamps. This book (published by Laurence King Publishing) is a must for anyone into fashion, in particular for any designers. This book documents in pictures the most exciting and diverse period in fashion: from 1900 to today, covering high society, uniforms, sportswear, streetwear, and couture. It will appeal to everyone with an interest in fashion as well as students Over 400 photographs and illustrations, many published for the first time, tell the stylish story of a fashion revolution. Over 400 photographs and illustrations, many published for the first time, this inspiring book tell the stylish story of a fashion revolution. Best Design Books will continue to update you about Architecture, Interior Design, Photography, Best Sellers and much more. Don’t forget to subscribe this blog and to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and Pinterest.

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FASHION

Best Books of 2014: 100 Ideas that Changed Fashion

December 17, 2014

Harriet Worsley studied fashion at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, where she teaches fashion communication and fashion journalism today. She worked as a fashion and interiors journalist before starting a career in garden design. Her previous publications include Decades of Fashion and Classics of Fashion. 100 Ideas That Changed Fashion chronicles the most influential fashion ideas that changed womens wear in the West from 1900 to the present day. The book published by Laurence King Publishing will be visually arresting, exciting to read and an inspiring fashion bible. Charting the incidents and ideas that changed the way women dress, it gives a unique perspective on the history of twentieth-century fashion. Rather than just documenting the changes in fashion, it also explains why these changes happened. From the invention of the bias cut and the stiletto heel to designers such as Coco Chanel who changed the way we think about clothes, the book will be entertaining, intelligent and a visual feast. This is a amazing book for anyone interested in divining into fashion and a fun read in general. Best Design Books will continue to update you about Architecture, Interior Design, Photography, Best Sellers and much more. Don’t forget to subscribe this…

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