Synopses & Reviews
One of the most talented and influential couturiers of his time, Yves Saint Laurent began his career as Christian Diorand#8217;s protand#233;gand#233; and went on to become a legendary arbiter of twentieth-century style. Saint Laurentand#8217;s extraordinary taste went well beyond the world of fashion, and in this lavish volume, the eight splendid homes he shared with friend and lifelong business partner Pierre Bergand#233; are presented in immaculate detail. Notoriously shy, the designer and Bergand#233; lived in luxury, surrounded by incomparable collections of furniture and art. From the serene interiors of their apartment on the Rue Babylone to the incandescent beauty of the Villa Majorelle in Marrakech, Bergand#233; and Saint Laurentand#8217;s sensibilities come alive. Taken after Saint Laurentand#8217;s death in 2008, Ivan Terestchenkoand#8217;s photographs capture these exquisite surroundings in full, showcasing nineteenth-century French dand#233;cor, important paintings by modern and Romantic artists, and masterpieces of furniture, sculpture, and silver ranging from the Renaissance to the Art Deco era. Though the homes presented here are now empty,
The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergand#233; is a testament to a rare union of passion, elegance, and supreme connoisseurship. and#160; and#8220;The quintessence of very grand and highly personal French taste.and#8221;and#160;--
Le Figaroand#160;
and#8220;As he did with fashion, Yves seized at one moment in time, a taste that was in the air, only to show his mastery. During the 1970s exoticism and Marrakech were currents in the air and St. Laurent became the authority. He was interested in Art Deco before it became fashionable, even before Andy Warhol and Karl Lagerfeld . . . St Laurentand#8217;s and Bergand#233;and#8217;s taste is an expression of a culture and is always a story. When they decorated a house it was no longer an ordinary house: it became a story to tell.and#8221;--Jacques Grange and#160; and#8220;Takes readers . . . inside all eight of the couple's spectacular homes, from Paris to Marrakech.and#8221;--Elle Decor
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and#8220;Some of the most influential interiors of our time.and#8221;--Town and Country
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and#8220;(A) beautiful glimpse into their private world.and#8221;--Habitually Chic
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and#8220;A visually stunning book about a richly layered lifestyle built over the course of 40-plus years.and#8221;--Home Design with Kevin Sharkey
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and#8220;(An) amazing book.and#8221;--Decorati Access Interior Design Magazine
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and#8220;You'll agree that this is a book with which you will be enchanted. And if a little of that YSL flair rubs off on us, all the better.and#8221;--The Peak of Chic
and#160;and#8220;Terestchenkoand#8217;s photographs beautifully capture the opulence and eclecticism of their dwellings.and#8221;--Clear
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and#8220;In this lavish volume, the eight splendid homes . . . are presented in immaculate detail.and#8221;--California Home + Design
and#8220;Sumptuously showcase(s) the eight immaculately designed homes (of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergand#233;).and#8221;--Elle
and#8220;A stunning book.and#8221; ~ ESFN
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Review
andldquo;An idyllic collection of journal entries (penned in Bergandeacute;andrsquo;s handwriting), sketches, and photographs that will whisk you away to an earlier time.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Mesmerizes with its exotic imagery and the intimate memories of its author, Saint Laurentandrsquo;s lifelong partner.andrdquo;
Synopsis
Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008), who began his career as Christian Dior's prot g , was one of the most talented and influential couturiers of his time. But Saint Laurent's extraordinary taste went well beyond the world of fashion, and in this lavish volume, the eight splendid homes he shared with friend and lifelong business partner Pierre Berg are presented in brilliant detail. Notoriously shy, the designer and Berg lived in luxury, and Ivan Terestchenko's photographs capture their exquisite surroundings in full, showcasing 19th-century French d cor, important paintings by Picasso, Matisse, and other modern and Romantic artists, and masterpieces of furniture, sculpture, and silver ranging from the Renaissance to the Art Deco era. From the serene interiors of their apartment on the Rue Babylone, Paris, to the incandescent beauty of the Villa Majorelle in Marrakech, Berg and Saint Laurent's sensibilities come alive. Though the homes presented here have been sold, and their contents auctioned to benefit HIV/AIDS research,
The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berg is a testament to a rare union of passion, elegance, and supreme connoisseurship.
FEATURED ON THE TODAY SHOW: Holiday Guide: Find the Perfect Book for Each Person on Your List (http: //today.msnbc.msn.com/id/33508940/ns/today-holiday_guide/#34431010)
Synopsis
One of the most talented and influential couturiers of his time, Yves Saint Laurent began his career as Christian Dior's protege and went on to become a legendary arbiter of twentieth-century style. Saint Laurent's extraordinary taste went well beyond the world of fashion, and in this lavish volume, the eight splendid homes he shared with friend and lifelong business partner Pierre Berge are presented in immaculate detail. Notoriously shy, the designer and Berge lived in luxury, surrounded by incomparable collections of furniture and art. From the serene interiors of their apartment on the Rue Babylone to the incandescent beauty of the Villa Majorelle in Marrakech, Berge and Saint Laurent's sensibilities come alive. Taken after Saint Laurent's death in 2008, Ivan Terestchenko's photographs capture these exquisite surroundings in full, showcasing nineteenth-century French decor, important paintings by modern and Romantic artists, and masterpieces of furniture, sculpture, and silver ranging from the Renaissance to the Art Deco era. Though the homes presented here are now empty, The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge is a testament to a rare union of passion, elegance, and supreme connoisseurship. The quintessence of very grand and highly personal French taste. --Le Figaro
As he did with fashion, Yves seized at one moment in time, a taste that was in the air, only to show his mastery. During the 1970s exoticism and Marrakech were currents in the air and St. Laurent became the authority. He was interested in Art Deco before it became fashionable, even before Andy Warhol and Karl Lagerfeld . . . St Laurent's and Berge's taste is an expression of a culture and is always a story. When they decorated a house it was no longer an ordinary house: it became a story to tell.--Jacques Grange
Synopsis
Exuberant Chinese-inspired drawing rooms, Persian-style boudoirs, bulbous Mogul domes, and Turkish smoking rooms were once the rage in avant-garde circles and are undergoing a resurgence in popularity today as the global economy brings attention to the styles of the Far East, India, and the Islamic world. Emmanuelle Gaillard and Marc Walterand#8217;s lavish new book traces the Asian sources of this fashion, and its transformation in late 19th- and early 20th-century Western settings. Illustrated with extraordinary vintage and contemporary interior photography, fabrics, wallpapers, patterns, decorative objects, and costumes, this volume tours the houses of writers, thinkers, business tycoons, princesses, and even the Russian empress Catherine the Great.
Exotic Taste is a rich treat for anyone drawn to the fantastic, elaborate style of Orientalism.
Praise for Exotic Taste:
"Beginning in the 18th century, European tastemakers, chafing under the constraints of classicism, turned to the exotic East, swooning over the intricate patterns and scenes and lush, sensual colors found in the arts of China, Japan, India, and the Arabic world. Exotic Taste: Orientalist Interiorsand#160;examines the craze for all things Eastern that resulted in such anomalies as English country houses with onion domes and the tiled fantasia, complete with trickling fountain and pool, that the Victorian painter Lord Leighton build in his London home."and#160;and#8211;Elle Dand#233;cor
"The lengths that collectors will go to, the money and legwork they will sink into exotic antiques completely unrelated to their daily lives, can make for transporting reading. [One of] the yearand#8217;s five best books in the genre,and#160;Exotic Tasteand#160;makes particularly good holiday reading because of Ms. Gaillardand#8217;s descriptions of jolly multicultural parties and intense shopping sprees." --The New York Times
From Chinese-inspired drawing rooms and Persian-style boudoirs to graceful Mogul domes and Turkish smoking rooms, stylistic influences from the Far East, India and the Islamic world have inspired Western architects, artists and designers for nearly 400 years. Dripping with exotic colors and tiles, this sumptuous tome is a history lesson and design book packed into one." --Detroit News
"In 'Exotic Taste,' Emmanuelle Gaillard and Marc Walter appeal to those interested in collecting, design, architecture and art history and take readers on an artistically historical journey by illustrating, through more than 200 images, the development of Orientalism through the 19th and 20th centuries." --Newsdayand#160;
"Exotic Taste:and#160;Orientalist Interiors [is] a sumptuous look at how decorative styles from the Far East, India and the Islamic world found their way to the west."and#160; - Houston Chronicle
About the Author
Robert Murphy is an antiques dealer specializing in twentieth-century decorative arts and a journalist. and#160;He was formerly Paris correspondent for
W and
Womenand#8217;s Wear Daily and his work has appeared in
Architectural Digest, Details, the International Herald Tribune, and other major publications. He lives in Paris
.Photographer Ivan Terestchenko is an internationally renowned photographer whose work has appeared in several books and in W, Casa Vogue, World of Interiors, Elle Decor, and Architectural Digest.