Best Design Books

Angels: The Iconic Victoria’s Secret Book by Russell James

December 2, 2014

Angels: The Iconic Victoria’s Secret Book by Russell James – Russell James born in Australia and is currently one of the worlds leading fashion photographers. Over the past decade his images have become synonymous with provocative, unique perspectives of many of the most prominent women of our time in the worlds of entertainment, fashion and beauty. His works have appeared in a wide range of leading international publications such as Vogue, W, American Photo, and Sports Illustrated. Russells diverse photographic achievement range from exhibiting for the likes of Hermes in association with Guggenheim to breakthrough advertising campaigns for global brands, such as Rolex, Victoria’s Secret, Evian and Revlon, to emotional portraits of many of the worlds leading celebrities, musicians and super-models such as Scarlett, Johansson, Halle Berry, Faith Hill, Black Eyed Peas and countless others. His eye originally inspired by the rich natural location of his home lands in Western Australia, James developed his cutting edge and provocative fashion style in the cities of London, Paris, Tokyo, Stockholm and Milan in the years 1987-1996, creating a unique blend of fashion and extreme location as his signature trademarks. James currently resides in New York City. See also: Book Review: New Book…

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Best Fashion Books: The Style Mentors

October 24, 2014

“In The Style Mentors (published by Harper Collins), fashion authority Elyssa Dimant profiles more than 80 famous contemporary women with great style, offering fashion-conscious women role models for the here and now. Each of the book’s eight chapters addresses a signature look with proven fashion longevity-icon, maverick, bohemian, gamine, siren, minimalist, rocker, and classic—and demonstrates how to achieve it by analyzing the style of today’s trendsetters in those categories (Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Sofia Coppola, and Carine Roitfeld) as well as that of powerful icons such as Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Diana Vreeland. From the relatively conventional to the most eccentric, his book profiles the contemporary women who define the art of dressing today. Style Mentors is a fascinating introduction to those who have successfully negotiated the perilous challenges of fashion to achieve great personal style. “The Style Mentors is a very vibrant, new take on fashion and style. Dimant’s deep knowledge of fashion history combined with her contemporary perspective makes the book rich and engaging.” Francisco Costa, Women’s Creative Director, Calvin Klein Collection “A beautifully illustrated volume profiling today’s most stylish women with a solid nod to icons of days past-and featuring timeless styles throughout-The Style Mentors inspires us…

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Best Fashion Books: Fifty Dresses That Changed the World

October 10, 2014

“Can a dress really change the world? Well, perhaps not in an ‘ending famine and promoting world peace‘ kind of way, but there are plenty of iconic dresses which represent turning points in culture and society over the past century.” London’s Design Museum is the world’s leading museum devoted to contemporary design in every form from furniture to graphics, and architecture to industrial design. Since its opening in 1989 it has worked to place design at the center of contemporary culture. The Design Museum’s mission is to celebrate, entertain and inform and is working to place design at the centre of contemporary culture. Everything around us is designed and the word ‘design’ has become part of our everyday experience. But how much do we know about it? Fifty Dresses that changed the World imparts that knowledge listing the top 50 dresses that have made a substantial impact in the world of British design today. From the 1915 Delphos Pleated dress to Hussein Chalayan’s 2007 LED dress, each entry offers a short appraisal to explore what has made their iconic status and the designers that give them a special place in design history. Published by Conran Fifty Dresses that changed the World…

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In Your Face, the incredible Mario Testino photobook

September 30, 2014

Mario Testino, born in Lima, Peru moved to London in 1976 where he made his home and where he began his career. Testino is one of the world’s most influential and respected photographers. He travels extensively shooting for Vanity Fair, American, British, and French Vogue. Other clients include Burberry, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Michael Kors. His vision has made him a much sought-after creative partner in the fashion and beauty industries today. Testino work has been featured across the globe in magazines from Vogue to Vanity Fair and he has contributed to the success of many leading fashion and beauty houses through. Mario Testino‘s boundless talent with a camera must be maddening for other photographers working in a highly competitive field, but he remains one of the most revered stars in his profession. Often imitated and never equaled, Testino is graced with a natural ability to float effortlessly from studio to backstage to after-party, producing stunning shots in any kind of situation. From royals to mega-celebrities, Testino has shot some of the world’s most inaccessible subjects, always with an ease that betrays the complexity of the task. “In your face” (published by TASCHEN) Testino captures you at your best—and that is what makes him the best.” This…

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Fashion books: The World according to Karl

June 4, 2014

The World according to Karl(published by Flammarion) was written by Sandrine Gulbenkian, director of the French publisher Parigramme and by Patrick Mauries editor and author of Jewelry by Chanel. The graphism of the book was made by Charles Ameline, a contemporary illustrator. The World according to Karl is a collection of quotes that pays homage to the legendary éminence grise of the fashion world. Lagerfeld’s pronouncements on fashion, women, art, politics, love, and life high and low – are famously oracular, seized upon by fashionistas, acolytes and sages around the world. Karl Lagerfeld‘s quick wit and silver tongue are as notorious as Chanel‘s quilted handbag. This book is a cornucopia of his Karlisms: cultivated, unpredictable, provocative, sometimes shocking, but always impossible to ignore. Karl Lagerfeld is a modern master of couture. While simultaneously running Chanel, Fendi, and his own eponymous fashion house, he has consistently re-invented trends on the catwalk and in the street for half a century. His wise, surprising statements pop up like offbeat news flashes and are regularly seized upon by fashionistas, acolytes, and sages the world over. Here, in his own deadpan words, are his exacting opinions on everything-from fashion, style, women, and Chanel to fame, life, and books….

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150 YEARS, Couturiers, Designers, Labels

December 19, 2013

“Fashion – 150 Years” is an encyclopedic work, not only in content but in size and weight. Fashion is taken from about the mid 1800s to the present. Seeling locates the beginnings of modern fashion about 1860 when the English clothing designer Charles Frederick Worth working in Paris put labels with his signature on the gowns he designed. Seeling sees this as turning clothing–however ornamental, stylized, or individualized–into art–Worth was the first “fashion designer.” Since Worth’s innovative touch, there have been scores of outstanding fashion designers–all of whom make their appearance. The history of fashion from the mid 1860s is related in terms of profiles of the leading, most imaginative and skilled, most influential, and often most acclaimed fashion designers accompanied by abundant photographic material. One could follow the history just by following the copious, most color photographs. One sees how fashion spread out from its beginnings in Paris to the global, popular enterprise it is today. But one wants to read the profiles too for their colorful biographical material and ideas and approaches to fashion, and for putting the respective designer into the context of fashion history. Seeling has been a top editor at Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire…

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Louis Vuitton – The birth of modern luxury

December 10, 2013

The first in-depth portrait of one of the world’s best-known luxury brands, this elegant volume traces the remarkable history of the House of Vuitton, which has been making practical but stylish luggage, handbags, and accessories for more than 150 years. Written with full access to the company’s archives, the book itself demonstrates Louis Vuitton’s passion for fine design in a stunning array of archival art, historical images, product designs and sketches, and cutting-edge advertising. Author Paul-Gerard Pasols, former communications director and longtime consultant to Louis Vuitton, explores the company’s tradition of quality and innovation in the context of sweeping changes in society, art, culture, fashion, and, above all, travel. Examining the life and times of the company’s first three leaders-founder Louis (who invented the modern trunk), his son Georges, and his grandson Gaston-the text focuses on the firm’s development under their guidance. It also discusses Vuitton’s explosive growth toward the end of the 20th century, including the 1987 merger with Mokt-Hennessy that made it part of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods company, and spurred the expansion of its boutiques to more than 300 locations in 50 countries around the globe.

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100 Superlative Rolex Watches

December 3, 2013

The Rolex tagline, “an obsession with perfection,” is upheld by the brand’s popularity. Often copied but never surpassed, Rolex–headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with 28 affiliates worldwide and relying on 4,000 watchmakers in over 100 countries–has been the leading name in luxury watches and the symbol of exemplary performance and prestige for more than a century. John Goldberger, editor of 100 Superlative Rolex Watches, has spent many happy hours browsing through watch shops, flea markets, conventions and auctions around the world for the past 35 years, collecting and studying vintage watches. In this well-appointed volume he presents comprehensive descriptions of 100 of the finest Rolex watches ever made and provides an extensive overview of Rolex’s production, demonstrating the company’s innovation in the technical and aesthetic evolution of watch design. More than 600 color illustrations and 400 descriptions provide the collector and watch enthusiast with invaluable information: reference numbers, casing, movement, relative calibers and year of production for each watch. The book covers many styles, including the earliest models, the Oyster, chronograph and moon phases, the sports model and the Daytona.

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100 Dresses – The Costume Institute / The Metropolitan Museum of Art

November 26, 2013

What woman can resist imagining herself in a beautiful designer dress? Here, for the first time ever, are 100 fabulous gowns from the permanent collection of the renowned Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, each of which is a reminder of the ways fashion reflects the broader culture that created it. Featuring designs by Paul Poiret, Coco Chanel, Madame Grès, Yves Saint Laurent, Gianni Versace, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, and many others, this one-of-a-kind collection presents a stunning variety of garments. Ranging from the buttoned-up gowns of the late 17th century to the cutting-edge designs of the early 21st, the dresses reflect the sensibilities and excesses of each era while providing a vivid picture of how styles have changed—sometimes radically—over the years. A late 1600s wool dress with a surprising splash of silver thread; a large-bustled red satin dress from the 1800s; a short, shimmery 1920s dancing dress; a glamorous 1950s cocktail dress; and a 1960s minidress—each tells a story about its period and serves as a testament to the enduring ingenuity of the fashion designer’s art. Images of the dresses are accompanied by informative text and enhanced by close-up details as well as runway photos, fashion plates,…

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Mario Testino – In your face

October 31, 2013

Experience a world of glamour through Mario Testino’s boundless talent with a camera must be maddening for other photographers working in a highly competitive field, but he remains one of the most revered stars in his profession. Often imitated and never equalled, Testino is graced with a natural ability to float effortlessly from studio to backstage to after-party, producing stunning shots in any kind of situation. His generosity as an artist, coupled with his striking vision, infuses his work with a warmth and intensity that invites, rather than intimidates, the viewer. From royals to mega-celebrities, Testino has shot some of the world’s most inaccessible subjects, always with an ease that betrays the complexity of the task. When Testino gets “in your face” he captures you at your best–and that is what makes him the best. This unorthodox collection of various images chosen by Testino from the span of his 30-year career reflects the diversity of his work, ranging from fashion and advertising shots to sexually-charged images and autobiographical photos. Full of color, life, and humor, this selection is a testament to the sheer brilliance of a tireless chronicler of fabulousness.

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In Vogue: The illustrated History of the World’s Most Famous Fashion Magazine

October 17, 2013

In Vogue is a fascinating look at the history of the world’s most influential magazine. The complete compendium is illustrated with hundreds of covers and archival interiors of past Vogue editions, featuring the work of some of the twentieth century’s most respected artists, cover illustrators, and photographers—from Edward Steichen, Toni Frissell, and Erwin Blumenfeld to Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, David Bailey, Helmut Newton, Annie Leibovitz, Mario Testino, Steven Klein, Bruce Webber, and Herb Ritts. In 1909, an entrepreneurial New Yorker named Condé Nast took charge of a struggling society journal and transformed it into the most glamorous fashion magazine of the twentieth century. In Vogue traces the history, development and influence of this media colossus—from its beginning as a social gazette in the late nineteenth century, to the exploration of modern fashion photography and new visuals in the mid-twentieth century, to its status as the top style magazine today. The book explains the makings of the magazine—from runways, to editorial meetings, to the pages of Vogue. The thoroughly researched story incorporates first-person accounts, interviews with editors and photographers, and excerpts from stories written in the magazine by many world-renowned writers, including Truman Capote, Aldous Huxley, Richard Burton, Federico Fellini, and…

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