Synopses & Reviews
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (1883and#150;1971) is a fashion icon unlike any other. She invented modern clothing for women: at the height of the Belle and#201;poque, 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 perfumeand#151;No. 5and#151;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 Viscontiand#151;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 author over decades of friendship with Chanel sheds new light on one of the great stories of the modern age.and#160;and#160;and#147;A model pictorial biography.and#8221; ~
New York Timesand#160;
and#147;This Chanel biography is as elegantly turned out as its subject.and#8221; ~ The Washington Post
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and#147;This lavish photo tome brings depth to Chaneland#8217;s sleek faand#231;ade while revealing the fascinating woman behind it.and#8221; ~ W
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and#147;Edmonde Charles-Roux (is) one of (Chaneland#8217;s) best biographers.and#8221; ~ The New Yorker
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and#147;There have been many books about Chanel, but this is the great classic.and#8221; ~ Art of the Times
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and#147;This beautiful volume contains hundreds of photographs and lively prose by its author, Edmonde Charles-Roux.and#8221; ~ American Salon
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and#147;Provides insight into the development of her sense of style and underscores the timelessness of her vision.and#8221; ~ Veranda
Synopsis
and#147;Never in the history of fashion had a single designer made such a revolution in his first showing.and#8221;
Timeand#160;In 1947 Christian Dior rocked the fashion world with his New Look, which dominated postwar fashion and firmly secured the name of his house in the minds of the public and the industry. Based on new research, this absorbing and beautifully illustrated book examines the seminal years of Christian Dior, 1947 to until his death in 1957, from a truly international perspective.
Dior drew on historical models of femininity and utilized the unique skills of the Parisian haute couture in textiles, embroidery, cutting, and sewing techniques to produce stunning designs that captured the new mood of optimism after World War II. and#160;Dior also designed and marketed ready-made luxe lines and broke new ground by creating and controlling innovative licensing agreements for all Dior products, from perfume to stockings, jewelry, bathing suits, and even menand#8217;s ties.
Synopsis
One of the most distinctive and influential designers of the second half of the twentieth century, Yves Saint Laurent takes his place in the pantheon of French couturiers, alongside Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Jeanne Lanvin.
Yves Saint Laurent, the first comprehensive retrospective of his lifeand#8217;s work, will accompany an exhibition of some 250 garments from the collection of the Fondation Pierre Bergand#233;and#150;Yves Saint Laurent at the Petit Palais in Paris.
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From his early days working under Dior and heading the House of Dior after his mentorand#8217;s death, to the opening of his first prand#234;t a porter shop on the Rive Gauche and the debut of the Le Smoking tuxedo, to the muses he adored, Loulou de la Falaise and Catherine Deneuve among them, this volume reveals the breadth and scope of the designerand#8217;s entire career. With a preface by Pierre Bergand#233;, author Faride Chenoune explores the sources of inspiration that drove Saint Laurentand#8217;s continuous innovation, drawing upon painting, sculpture, theater, opera, literature, and cinema.
About the Author
Farid Chenoune is a fashion historian and author of several books, including
A History of Men's Fashion and
Beneath It All: A Century of French Lingerie, as well as a contributor to French
Vogue. He lives in Paris.
Florence Mand#252;ller has written many books and catalogues and organized several exhibitions on fashion history and the phenomenon of contemporary fashion. She teaches these subjects at the Institut franand#231;ais de la Mode. She worked as UFAC Director and Curator at the Musand#233;e des Arts de la Mode, Paris. Among other titles, she has published Costume Jewelry for Haute Couture and Art and Fashion.and#160;