Book Description
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (1883-1971) is a fashion icon unlike any other. She invented modern clothing for women: at the height of the Belle Époque, she stripped women of their corsets and feathers, bobbed their hair, put them in bathing suits, and sent them out to get tanned in the sun. She introduced slacks, costume jewelry, and the exquisitely comfortable suit. She made the first couture perfume-No. 5-which remains the most popular scent ever created.
In this beautiful volume, the glorious life of the incomparable Coco Chanel shines again through hundreds of illustrations and the lively prose of Edmonde Charles-Roux, her official biographer and close friend. Chanel knew and collaborated with the likes of Picasso, Diaghilev, Stravinsky, Cocteau, Jean Renoir, and Visconti-even as she matched their modernist innovations by liberating women from the prison of 19th-century fashion and introducing a whole new concept of elegance. The staggering collection of photographs amassed by the over decades of friendship with Chanel sheds new light on one of the great stories of the modern age. AUTHOR BIO: Edmonde Charles-Roux began her journalistic career at Elle and ultimately became editor-in-chief of French Vogue. She has published three novels, among them To Forget Palermo (Oublier Palerme), which won the Prix Goncourt in 1966.
Customer Reviews:
Chanel!.......2007-05-28
I paid almost full price for this book and I don't regret it. I found this coffee table book just lovely.
I am not a fashion expert. I'm just a reader interested in interesting people, so I was looking for a book on CHANEL that gave a brief background on her life and photos of Coco and some of her fashions. Well, this book seemed to fit the bill---for me. I was not disappointed.
I have enjoyed this book very much and it sits on my living room table , ----for the book to be browsed by others.
Entertaining book with mostly pictures.......2007-04-08
I was looking for a book showing photos of Chanel's clothing designs and styles. This book focuses more on her life and the celebrities and cultural/social trends of her era (spanning 1910's - 1950's), so if you are looking to see her clothing styles and designs, you will be disappointed as there isn't that much coverage of the actual clothing. However, it is a very absorbing, encyclopedic, pictorial collection of the people of Chanel's time and you can spend many a lazy Sunday afternoon thoroughly exploring les temps perdus. There are many many pictures of Coco Chanel - like Madonna, she looks different every few years, a real chameleon. It retails at $65, so the $37 Amazon price is a good deal. It is a heavy thick book with glossy pages.
Chanel and Her World.......2007-04-06
I was disappointed in the text. I guess from the title I should have expected some world history. The story line is somewhat incoherent and doesn't seem to present her life very well. I had to use the index to find a couple lines of reference to her "Boy", a romance started in the story and then dropped, only to be finished much later and with no real detail. Either Chanel was very closed mouth about a lot of her life or the author didn't know her that well. Also, there are a lot of pictures of rather irrelevant items. I wouldn't purchase it again.
Coco Chanel: The French self-made woman.......2006-06-01
From an orphanage in France to the Ritz hotel in Paris, Coco Chanel created an entire style empire that lives on. A French fasionista version of Eva Peron for the couture world. Coco remains an icon and legend.
A designer of authentic beauty.......2006-05-26
This is a substantial book in both size and pictorial content.
As an ideal complement to the Metropolitan Museum's Chanel exhibit last spring (2005), this book actually exceeds - and outlasts - the exhibit itself.
More than just an intelligent, fascinating woman, Chanel was a fascinating opportunist in the way that she manipulated and transformed the trends of her times (and many men of her times), turning them to her advantage. She was as much a businesswoman and social and cultural politician as a fashion designer, and to see her in this book's big, beautiful photographs, modeling her own creations, is an inspiration to any woman who disbelieves that humble beginnings and a less than conventionally perfect countenance can lead to high achievement.
The best photograph of all - the photograph that tells all - graces the book's cover: one look at that face of intelligence, intensity, self-composure, and elegance, and one knows what the book is all about (philosophically as well as biographically) even before opening it.
The classic Chanel endures as a legend and lesson in the achievement of authentic beauty, i.e., defined by compelling creation rather than passive, taken-for-granted standards of acceptance.
Book Description
A sumptuous retrospective of one of the greatest houses in international fashion
Balenciaga Paris traces the designer's collections year by year, from 1937 to 2006, using photos, press cuttings, sketches, and other archival material. The book explores two main periods in depth: 1937-1968, when Cristobal Balenciaga made his name during Paris's golden age of fashion; and 1996-2006, charting the dramatic revival of the House of Balenciaga under Nicolas Ghesquière, one of the most widely admired and celebrated new designers in contemporary fashion. He has co-directed the book's production with Pamela Golbin, curator at the Musée de la Mode et du Textile, Paris, who has compiled the text.
Described by Christian Dior as "the master of us all," Balenciaga's bold genius with cut, line, and fabric mark him out as one of the most daring and original designers in the world of haute couture. His virtuoso command of technique and imaginative exuberance recall his Spanish roots as well as assuring his place in the pantheon of twentieth-century style and elegance. 280 illustrations, 200 in color.
Customer Reviews:
As a history, wonderful. As an exhibition catalog, worthless........2007-09-02
As a history of Cristobal Balenciaga, the founder of the original Balenciaga house of haute couture, this volume is quite good in its informative and studied approach to the origins and success of M. Balenciaga. However, as an exhibition catalog it is, in a word, worthless. Nowhere in its 227 pages does it show any of the creations displayed in the Parisian exhibition. All associated with this publication should be ashamed for offering this as an exhibition catalog and should have paid heed to such genuine exhibition catalogs as The Philadelphia Museum of Art's 2003 Shocking! The Art and Fashion of Elsa Schiaparelli by Dilys Blum (at this juncture the absolute gold standard for Costume exhibition catalogs) or The Costume Institute's 1996 Christian Dior by Richard Martin and Harold Koda. Ms. Blum accomplishes what Balenciaga is unable to accomplish, the mix of history within the context of a present reality. By this I mean, she offers the reader a detailed, exciting read by supporting her text with specially commissioned photographic examples of the creations actually displayed at her museum during the exhibition. For me, such exhibitions are marvelous, as one is afforded to see just how certain creations have weathered the storm of time, something not afforded in the Balenciaga catalog.
Also, while I grasp the marketing reason behind this particular catalog, it should be pointed-out that Balenciaga, as it exists today, is no longer a house of haute couture, but a resurrected brand of ready-to-wear apparel. Anyone viewing the original creations of M. Balenciaga should be able to see at once, how ill-suited is Nicolas Ghesquière to be passed-off as the torch bearer of Cristobal Balenciaga. It's perfectly horrendous to view page after page of M. Balenciaga's exquisite creations to then be faced with the ugliness of M. Ghesquière's.
Historical but not enough photos.......2007-08-31
This book is good if you are interested in contemporary reviews of Balenciaga shows and information about the house and the designer. But it is not as well illustrated as I might have wished. For fashion retrospective books such as this, I want hundreds of clear color photos of garments! I am not as interested in reading about fashion as I am in looking at it. At the risk of sounding like a kid who can't read, this book has too much text and not enough pictures.
A tale of two Balenciagas.......2007-06-22
This gigantic book by Pamela Golbin (author of the excellent overview "Fashion Designers") really tells the story of two houses of Balenciaga - the original, helmed by the great Cristobal Balenciaga, and the modern-day couturier. I'm not a huge fan of the 2000's Balenciaga lines, so I won't say much about them here - though, in all truth, this book does cover modern-day Balenciaga quite thoroughly for anyone who's interested.
The real heart of the book for vintage-fashion mavens, however, is the first half of the book, detailing the work of the illustrious Senor Balenciaga. The gentleman was probably the finest designer of the "New Look" era after M. Dior himself, and worked for much longer than Dior did. He excelled particularly, in my own opinion, at lush, silken, flowing gowns, which are copiously - and beautifully - detailed here. It's all here; biographical information, design sketches, behind-the-scenes photographs, catwalk shots. If you've been having trouble finding Marie-Andree Jouve's huge (and very expensive) Balenciaga retrospective, this is a perfect way to satisfy your desires!
EXCELLENT FASHION REFERENCE.......2007-05-27
A beautiful history of the great Balenciaga. His work was wonderful.
A true artist and a fine gentlemen.
the master.......2007-05-20
My third book on Balenciaga and what a thrill it is. But if you love his work as much as me, you can never get enough. To my great relief more than half the book is on 'the master' and not the 'new guy'. Nothing nice to say about the new guy, so best not to say anything.....BUT the other....I'm a nut for fashion (lots of the great designers I like) but Balenciaga was inspired by Heaven, I think. I wish I could have been at one of his shows!
Book Description
The buzz created by the hardcover of this "engaging, tart, saucy, and very frank memoir" (Liz Smith) ran from a first serial in W to an "Absolut Doonan" ad to Hollywood film rights. 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.
Customer Reviews:
Totally brill, and he makes you laugh, too.......2006-06-03
Not really sure how Simon Doonan managed to fail the Eleven Plus; he's (among other geniuses) a Comic Genius. Confessions of a Window Dresser has (surprisingly!) turned out to be an excellent read-aloud.
Mr. Doonan's life is awfully fascinating even without the window dressing (hehe), but if you're interested in display in general, and window dressing in particular, I recommend this book as a Must Have. The archived photos merit close study.
I received the paperback version as a gift. Sadly, it's true about the binding, so the copy i bought for my baby brother is hardcover, built to last!
Pluses & Minuses.......2005-07-19
This book is a ride for sure, an artistic roller-coaster with a nice beginning, no ending and a meandering middle. I think it would be appropriate to call this book self-absorbed and it is up to you to decide if that is what you want to read. Some of the problems I encountered: First, I really should have bought the hardcover; the [paperback] book literally fell apart in my hands. By page six, the cover was off and soon after that I was picking little bits of glue off my lap. About one third the way through the book, I gave up and tried to stay ahead of the mess by picking the glue off the binding myself. I have read hundreds of books, many of them paperbacks, and I have probably never seen a book so poorly bound; by the end of the book it started to look and feel like a newspaper! Additionally, for what is mostly a color-picture book the quality of paper used is also astonishingly low; the total lack of quality of this book is depressing. Perhaps this is what you get when you manufacture in China and don't have someone watching who speaks Chinese.
Second, I found the text of this book hard to follow. The whole thing should have been arranged better, the captions for the volumnous pictures were all ploped down in paragraph-form and the main text was constantly cut up for random, unpredictable, lengths by the pictures. On the other hand, with careful reading I thought the captions explained the pictures very well.
Third, I would have liked to learned more about his early career in London and L.A. It felt to me that the middle of the "how-I-got-to-where-I-am" story was a soft, like part o the story was missing. Overall, I enjoyed the story.
Wise advices by Doonan himself..........2002-06-20
Fashion Marketing is everywhere, especially in Fashion Windows where's the retailer's most economical form of advertising; bring glamour, fun, theatre and art to the streets, while visibly expressing the store's image. Of his approach to visual merchandising, Simon Doonan brings a wealth of personal experince and insight to these window displays. The ones who are interested in Fashion Windows, Fashion Marketing and Fashion Advertising, must have this book. (P.S. I bought this book from Amazon and received it at the right time and with no harm. Thanks Amazon.com )
A Fascinating & Colorful Memoir.......2001-10-13
I bought this book for a gift, but was so intrigued by Doonan's windows I had to read it myself. From the minimal and sometimes upsetting displays of his early years to the more recent, gaudy and pop-influenced windows of Barneys, Doonan's book shows and tells the craft, work, and often times controversy that went into his displays. An incredible glimpse of one man's work, and the importance of a store display to grab and interact with the customer. Never bores, never falters.
"The Lucky Leprechaun".......2001-08-31
Simon Doonan gives us a gift in this delectable bon-bon of a book! The self-professed "Lucky Leprechaun", Doonan proves it does indeed take more than luck-it takes talent, drive, and vision to become a success. Dispelling the myth that all "window dressers" are poisonous, bitter, queens, this insanely funny, engaging, and gorgeously illustrated biography is the perfect late summer book. A must read!
Average customer rating:
- Superstar Edie!
- The Girl Is On Fire
- Edie: Girl on Fire Review
- Edie: Girl on Fire
- Edie:Girl on Fire!
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Edie: Girl on Fire
David Weisman , and
Melissa Painter
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
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Edie Factory Girl
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Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film
ASIN: 0811855260 |
Book Description
Model, film star, socialite, friend, lover, addict, Edie Sedgwick was the first "it" girl of the Andy Warhol Factory scene and later muse to Bob Dylan. The arc of Edie's life traced the rise and fall of the 1960s from idyllic experimentation to dissolute recklessness. After being toasted by the whole of New York City, Edie died alone of a drug overdose in California at the age of 28. David Weisman (with John Palmer) filmed Edie for the last five years of her life in his cult film Ciao! Manhattan. When he recently uncovered lost footage of Edie, David was inspired to create Edie: Girl on Fire, a book and a documentary film that explores Edie's true story. He and coauthor Melissa Painter have tracked down and interviewed many of Edie Sedgwick's surviving intimates, including Danny Fields, Baby Jane Holzer, and Ultra Violet. They also unearthed hundreds of never-before-published photos portraits, professional ad shoots, and heartbreaking snapshots of the girl who won New York's heart and nearly burned down the Chelsea hotel. The book also features a CD with Edie's last interview ever, a riveting account of a rollercoaster life. Sure to be seen as a rebuttal to Hollywood's highly fictionalized film Factory Girl (coming this fall), Edie: Girl on Fire creates an insightful and startling portrait of a woman that nobody quite knew.
Customer Reviews:
Superstar Edie!.......2007-05-13
I adored it...full of photo's I'd never seen before of Edie...new quotes, etc. Really gave me insight into her whole vibe & electricity. major fun! and it comes with a great CD with an interview.
The Girl Is On Fire.......2007-04-23
Edie: Girl On Fire is chalked full of rare pictures and new commentary from the people who knew Edie the best, her husband, friends & family. The co-author of the book, David Weisman, not only shares never-before-seen pictures of Edie but, also marvels at the Edie obsession some 36 years after her death. Weisman & Painter do an excellent job of portraying the real Edie through pictures & stories shared by Edie's family & friends. They don't romanticize Edie as being an victim. In fact, they show that Edie was just like the rest of us. A flawed human being who was trying to find a place in the world during a turbulent time period. Edie's flaws are not glossed over or explained away. Instead, they show what a disturbed and lost young woman she was. Weisman himself knew Edie personally for years. Weisman saw Edie at her zenith and watched her fall apart and ultimately lose her life because of her own addictions & obsessions.
One of the best parts of the book is the pictures. After years of seeing the same Edie pictures over & over, there are finally pages & pages of glorious "new" pictures including scrapped "Life" magazine photoshoots and newspapers covering one of the many fires that Edie started at various hotels due to her speed usage. Another awesome part is the cd of audio interviews Edie conducted towards the end of her life for what would be her last movie "Ciao! Manhattan!" (made by co-author Weisman). Edie talks about her many drug trips and her time at the Factory. She's candid, well spoken and heartbreaking. When listening to this cd of Edie's voice and looking at the pictures, you almost want the ending to change. You want Edie to pull through all this garbage and rise from the ashes like a phoenix. Just like any story, the ending never changes and there's really no happily ever after.
Edie: Girl on Fire Review.......2007-03-25
The book is filled with many great photos of Edie. Many I've never seen before. The text if fine, mostly quotes from many different people. I think I would have given this book a 5 if it contained more of a narrative type of text vs. many quotes.
Edie: Girl on Fire.......2007-03-21
This book is excellent. The pictures really tell the story of
Edie Sedgwick, '60's Warhol groupie, actress, model who lived a "roller coaster" life. Comments by those who knew her make the tale of her life
interesting & real.
Edie:Girl on Fire!.......2007-03-18
Hot coffee table book with lots of rare Edie interviews & photos! A must for all Edie fans & a great companion to the Ciao Manhattan DVD! Brilliant!
Average customer rating:
- excellent work
- Master of his art
- A Coffee table book of mammoth magnitude...
- positively excellent
- BEYOND WACK
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Blood Sweat And Tears: Or How I Stopped Worrying And Learned to Love Fashion
Manufacturer: Te Neues Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Woman in the Mirror: 1945-2004
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Jacques Helleu and Chanel
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Slim Aarons: A Place in the Sun
ASIN: 3832790985 |
Customer Reviews:
excellent work.......2007-08-23
Bruce Webber is the best photographer there is. Each picture makes you want to take the time to apriciate his work.
Master of his art.......2006-12-23
Bruce is the master of two dimensional space. As always, interesting and provocative.
A Coffee table book of mammoth magnitude..........2006-11-10
An amazing Bruce Weber portfolio and everything a good coffee table book should be. It's size is amazing pound for pound and filled to the brim with Bruce's ad campaigns for Versace, Abercrombie & Fitch, endless fashionista mags as well as a plethora of portraits. Quite a treat for the eyes for no one takes a picture like Bruce Weber. Never have I seen a photographer who can capture the ultimate essence of beautiful youth like this man. Indulge yourself with this one...
positively excellent.......2006-11-10
Probably the best photo book I have ever seen. Excellent quality and one to keep for life. In the Netherlands it would cost be 150. Bij Amazon just a little over 80.
BEYOND WACK.......2006-01-03
You have got to be kidding me. This stuff was tacky when it ran in magazines... so now a book of it? Whatev... not to mention the horribly CHEAPO paper and way crummy binding. What was the guy thinking? Filthy lucre, I suppose. Three to six months until it hits the remainder table. A better subtitle might have been, "How I Stopped Worrying About What a Decent Book Should Be". Save yourself the bread.
Average customer rating:
- A must have for the Yohji Fan
|
Yohji Yamamoto: Talking to Myself
Peter Lindbergh , and
Nick Knight
Manufacturer: Steidl/Carla Sozzani
ProductGroup: Book
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Yohji Yamamoto (Memoirs)
ASIN: 3882438258
Release Date: 2002-11-02 |
Book Description
French electronic musician Jean-Michel Jarre once defined Yohji Yamamoto's style like this: "For me, a woman in Yohji is like a nymphomaniac nun. His clothes are at once sensual and very ritualistic." This about a man whose reputation marks him as a designer of clothes for earnest intellectuals. This about a man whose 1998 "wedding" show featured a bridal striptease which took models from inflated Victorian crinolines down to slim-line dresses and pants. This about a man who is one of the most revered and idiosyncratic of 20th century designers. In Talking to Myself, Yamamoto has created an illustrated notebook that recounts the phases of his life. A work in progress punctuated with multiple images, Talking to Myself is the only book in which Yamamoto has become personally involved, making it a veritable extension of his own private world. In it, he "talks to himself" and with philosopher and art/fashion critic Kiyokazu Washida about himself and the objects he creates, objects that meld, blend with, and are assimilated by the person they seek to enhance. Pages marked by Yamamoto's pen and brush with Japanese ideograms, striking sketches, and abstract compositions help decipher his desire to achieve anti-fashion through fashion itself. Yamamoto's world is one of black and white symbols, a world in which color makes only a fleeting appearance.
Customer Reviews:
A must have for the Yohji Fan.......2003-11-28
Just beautiful...Unfortunately it is completely focused on the women's collections. They really must do one for the men!
Average customer rating:
- We might be Fruits too.
- Nice!
- This is a great photo book.
- A Birthday Gift
- Colorful World
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Fruits
Shoichi Aoki
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
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Amazon.com's Best of 2001
If you ever wondered where the catwalk got its claws, then the portraits gathered in photographer Shoichi Aoki's book Fruits, from the streets of Harajuku in Tokyo, point the way to an extraordinarily imaginative and invariably stunning glut of mongrel fashion heists. A best-of collection from the fanzine of the same name, and published for the first time outside Japan, Fruits keeps its style clean: front-on, razor-sharp images, ranging from the deadpan to the manic, of the sharpest collages of sartorial influence that, usually, little money can buy. From off the peg to off the wall, kitsch to bitch, each person bears a combination and philosophy as distinctive as DNA. All shades of aesthetic are raided, with exquisite, scrupulous attention to detail. Punk is a favorite, as is, appropriately, Vivienne Westwood, alongside Milk and Jean-Paul Gaultier, and the occasional Comme des Garçons. Many of the outfits, though, are second-hand or self-assembly, such as a skirt drooping petals of men's silk ties, Wa-mono, when tradition Japanese clothes are topped with, say, an authentic bowler hat, EGL (elegant gothic Lolita), and a swathe of tartans, pinks, and turquoises. The most malleable feature, unsurprisingly, is hair, with dreadlocks, mohicans, back-combing, and crops dyed an irradiated spectrum. While the eye is drawn, obediently, to the mannequins, the background is often worth a look, either for the vending machines against which a number are shot, or the ubiquitous Gap store and bags, a constant reminder of the global mass market.
One enterprising man wears a genuine British paperboy's delivery bag, and, to pick but one profile, Princess, 18, is trying to be a doll and is currently preoccupied with body organs. Mmm. All the subjects are asked the source of their clothes, as well as their "point of fashion" and "current obsession." The scope for sociopsychological discussion is vast, particularly with the preponderance of infantilization, through dolls, bonnets, pop socks, and Barbie, but this is a joyous documentation of the innovative, celebrating the inspirational polytheism of street fashion, captured with provocative, political zeal. Best let the street cats prowl. --David Vincent
Book Description
If you ever wondered where the catwalk got its claws, then the portraits gathered in photographer Shoichi Aoki's book Fruits, from the streets of Harajuku in Tokyo, point the way to an extraordinarily imaginative and invariably stunning glut of mongrel fashion heists. A best-of collection from the fanzine of the same name, and published for the first time outside Japan, Fruits keeps its style clean: front-on, razor-sharp images, ranging from the deadpan to the manic, of the sharpest collages of sartorial influence that, usually, little money can buy. From off the peg to off the wall, kitsch to bitch, each person bears a combination and philosophy as distinctive as DNA. All shades of aesthetic are raided, with exquisite, scrupulous attention to detail. Punk is a favorite, as is, appropriately, Vivienne Westwood, alongside Milk and Jean-Paul Gaultier, and the occasional Comme des Gar+ons. Many of the outfits, though, are second-hand or self-assembly, such as a skirt drooping petals of men's silk ties, Wa-mono, when tradition Japanese clothes are topped with, say, an authentic bowler hat, EGL (elegant gothic Lolita), and a swathe of tartans, pinks, and turquoises. The most malleable feature, unsurprisingly, is hair, with dreadlocks, mohicans, back-combing, and crops dyed an irradiated spectrum. While the eye is drawn, obediently, to the mannequins, the background is often worth a look, either for the vending machines against which a number are shot, or the ubiquitous Gap store and bags, a constant reminder of the global mass market.One enterprising man wears a genuine British paperboy's delivery bag, and, to pick but one profile, Princess, 18, is trying to be a doll and is currently preoccupied with body organs. Mmm. All the subjects are asked the source of their clothes, as well as their "point of fashion" and "current obsession." The scope for sociopsychological discussion is vast, particularly with the preponderance of infantilization, through dolls, bonnets, pop socks, and Barbie, but this is a joyous documentation of the innovative, celebrating the inspirational polytheism of street fashion, captured with provocative, political zeal. Best let the street cats prowl. --David Vincent
Customer Reviews:
We might be Fruits too........2007-09-26
My high school art class, Costume Design, LOVE this book. It's fun to see teenagers in another culture taking western fashion and personalizing it. Every time I pick up the book I see something new. We've only had the book a couple of weeks and it is already dog-eared.
Nice!.......2007-03-27
Great book, made my girlfriend quite happy. She is very into Japanese street fashion and this book just captivated her, she looked through it about 20 times the day i gave it to her.
This is a great photo book........2007-02-04
Even if you aren't particularly interested in Japanese youth culture, this book is just a great example of fashion or humanity and the expansion of western culture into the eastern. The photographs are all high quality and just about every page also has a little questionaire filled out by each subject so you get to know a little more about them then their outrageous fashion sense.
A Birthday Gift.......2007-01-10
I got this for my 14 year old son who is into Asian pop culture.
He enjoyed the book but thought it had too much FASION aspect.
Colorful World.......2006-09-30
I had the good fortune to run into this book on vacation. As soon as I got home I ordered both Fruits and it's companion. As a self motivated student of fashion and all of it's off-shoots, I immensely enjoy this book. It is a plethora of individuals, and not a duplicate picture in the book. It features mostly youth (teenagers) but that is to be expected. But it doesn't limit itself to just the very young. There are a few family photos and "older" individuals. It is a monument to anyone who creatively clothed themselves. It gives brief details: name, age, point of fashion, fashion brands and makers. A lot of the "point of fashion" remarks seem like nonsense at first. After reflection, I think they are just 'smart allec come-backs', much like what you'd get from someone in the American Gothic culture if you asked one of them why they wear black all the time. Even with brief details you can start to see patterns in clothing styles seperating themselves out from one another. By age particularly, and by preference to designers within a group of friends. The only problem I had was reading some of the bubble gum colored print that it was done in.
Book Description
Among the significant projects of the last year of his life, Richard Avedon (1923-2004) completed a book of his photographs of women. Always transcending categorization-he was both a fashion photographer and known as a "poet of portraiture"-Avedon was interested in seeing how elemental facts of modern life and human existence were reflected in his work. And what could be more elemental than women, who have mesmerized artists across the centuries?
Looking at his work in this way, Avedon was able to create an unparalleled view of women in his time, a tumultuous half century of rapidly changing social facts, cultural ideals, popular styles, and high fashion. As an artist, Avedon was deeply responsive to nuances of expression, gesture, and comportment, and his photographs unfailingly opened a window to the interior lives of his subjects. These ranged from celebrities (Marilyn Monroe), artists (Marguerite Duras, June Leaf), and high-fashion models (Suzy Parker, Dovima) to anonymous people that simply drew his attention. Like the best of art and literature, they evoke rich lives and complex experiences.
An incisive essay by art historian Anne Hollander offers an overview of a half century of Avedon's images of women.
Customer Reviews:
Breathtaking.......2007-07-31
The quality of this publication is very impressive indeed and the fashion photography is excellent.
However, as one reviewer said, some images are cut instead of being represented on a full page. At the same time, despite this flaw, this is a collection worth having in your library.
Also, if this pleases you, I would take a look at Steve McCurry's "Portraits." You know an image is powerful when you start pouring tears because it represents humanaity in the most profound way. I have provided the link below.
Steve McCurry: Looking East: Portraits by Steve McCurry
Richard Avedon Woman In The Mirror.......2006-02-24
This latest by our recently departed R.A. ( I cried like a little girl when he died) is one of his best. With images in his beloved black and white but also rare color that I've never seen before the book is a classic portryal of Avedon's images of women. Dovima with elephants, Suzy Parker, Rose Kennedy, the most erotic image of Stephanie Seymour ever. The color images of Nadja with a skeleton in fashion images that will stay with you for ages, this book is a fantastic portfolio of Americas greatest photographer,( ok Irving Penn & Avedon share that title). If you were not in on Made In France,(which is now a $1500.00 book )get this one it has more substance aside from the beautiful design of MIF. I miss Avedon and this book brought some memory of his brilliant approach to photography once again.
Avedon's Last Gasp.......2006-02-12
Avedon's last book. He died in October 2004. This is a beautiful collection, all are full-page and a few double-page spreads. Many are fashion pieces, but a number are of the famous, including a wonderful Janis Joplin!
The essay by Ms. Hollander starts a bit slow, but once up to speed
provides some interesting insights. A fyne, hefty tome worth the bucks.
Female in the lens.......2005-11-17
Richard Avedon selected a portfolio of women he has photographed over the last 60 years for "Woman in the Mirror.". Here are 125 images ranging from 1946 (Zazi, a street performer in Rome) to 2004, the year Avedon died. Some of the images have been published but many have not. The majority of photos are from Avedon's career as a fashion photographer - familiar faces like Dorian Leigh, Dovina, Jean Shrimpton, Penelope Tree and Suzy Parker (who is featured on the cover). Women from other walks of life are featured as well - actresses (Katharine Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Tilda Swinton, Marilyn Monroe), writers (Isak Dinesen, Marguerite Duras, Renata Adler), singers (Tina, Turner, Patti Smith, Janis Joplin, Maria Callas) and many more. And there's also Elton John in drag! Fifteen pages are reproductions from a "photographic fable" titled "In Memory of the Late Mr. and Mrs. Comfort" (1995) which features models in bizarre poses with skeletons. An essay by Anne Hollander covers the career of this fascinating photographer.
Good photographs, poor design.......2005-10-23
This is a book of excellent photographs from one of the great masters. The design of the book is so bad that almost all of the square or horizontal pictures are"cut". What a shame that the designer didn't understand what a book of photographs is.
Average customer rating:
- Really great book with a few minor flaws
- Fashion Photography as ART!
- I like it.
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Javier Vallhonrat
Manufacturer: Actar/BOM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 8493487902 |
Book Description
Javier Vallhonrat burst into the world of fashion photography in the early 1980s and rapidly codified a sensual discourse of his own, rich in cultural references. Since 1984 his work has appeared in Italian and British Vogue as well as a variety of other publications. He has collaborated with designers such as Christian Lacroix, Comme des Gar ons, Sybilla, Jil Sander, Martine Sitbon and John Galliano. Profoundly reflective, his work combines formal investigation with a tremendous creative sensibility. This book provides the opportunity to take an emotional journey through the visual universe of Javier Vallhonrat.
Customer Reviews:
Really great book with a few minor flaws.......2007-09-24
The photos in this book are reproduced very well. They are the full size of the page and in bright, vibrant color. Some photos span across 2 pages, which means that there is a crease in the middle of the photo. I personally don't mind this much, but I know there are people out there who don't like it, so I feel it's worth mentioning. Most of the book is of female models, but there are some photos of other objects such as trees, houses, etc.
In my opinion, there are too many great photos by Javier Vallhonrat to fit into one book. Vallhonrat has photographed many wonderful series, but usually only 1 to 3 photos from each series make it into this book. For instance, Vallhonrat did a series for Vogue UK of Gemma Ward in front of an ocean backdrop wearing white eyeshadow, but only one of these photos made it into the book. The book does get a good overview of many different models though, which is good. Also, there is an index in the back of the book that tells you who each model is, which I found useful.
If you want to get a good idea of what the inside of this book looks like, I recommend you check out the publisher's website, [...].
As far as I'm concerned there are only 2 negative things about this book. One is that I wish it contained more photos, and the other is that the binding wasn't put together very well. It was probably just my copy, but the first day that I took it out of the plastic wrap, some of the pages were already coming loose from the binding.
Overall, it's a beautiful book. I just wish that there was a more comprehensive 500-something page book of Vallhonrat's work.
Fashion Photography as ART!.......2007-08-14
This book is a beautiful, highly polished production that showcases the level of artistry possessed by the acclaimed photographer, Javier Vallhonrat. Much of the material is fashion-oriented, which is not surprising given Vallhonrat's famed career in this industry. But it's the still-lifes that are most astounding! The mix here of fashion shots, nudes, and still-life's is a bit incongruent, but the highly stylized and consistent "Vallhonrat" touch more than makes up for this break in the flow. The visual genius contained within this hardcover book is not to be missed. All those who love fashion photography and art photography too, will adore this work.
I like it........2007-07-09
I'm a big fan of Mr. Vallhonrat's fashion work. He photographs can be seen on a semi-recurring basis in German Vogue, Flair, Vogue UK, etc.
I tend to favor his more recent work done for the aforementioned publications but, this book is a good collection of some earlier and near-recent pieces. It's always interesting to see from where an artist came and how they developed through the years and I think this book gives the viewer a pretty good idea of that. All is in color and included are a few conceptual pieces... interiors and, what I would call for lack of a better term, 'landscape vignettes' some with constructions. It is a beautifully printed, quality tome of approx. 9.5 by 12 inches. If you like his stuff, at all, I don't believe you would be disappointed with this volume.
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