Synopses & Reviews
Who first introduced Manolo Blahnik to Americans:
Vogue, or a canny buyer at Bendels? Where under one roof can shoppers find Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada, and Hermès? Here are the great retail palaces—from Harrods to Barneys to Galeries Lafayette—where shoppers spend their day in opulent settings, drifting from cosmetics to shoes, stopping for lunch, the hairdresser, and endless temptations along the way. With photographs and ephemera from all over the world, this lavish book goes beyond in-store extravaganzas to the history of these consumer institutions, the personalities behind them, their vast range of goods, unique architecture, advertising, and associated sociological trends. With perfumed air and chandeliers, department stores have lured millions for over a century with that enticing, dizzying sense that no matter how much you already have, there is always more.
Praise for The World of Department Stores:
“Since my visits as a child to La Opera Department Store in Santo Domingo, I have believed that the best department stores are merchants not of clothing or shoes or cosmetics but of dreams. Whitakers book is a remarkable around-the-world look at these dream factories. It is an invaluable resource to anyone interested in the business of retailing and to shoppers everywhere.”—Oscar de la Renta
“The World of Department Stores is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the foundations of the urban experience in the West and the department store as the ultimate expression of the needs of the rising middle class and its tastes.” —Leonard Lauder, Chairman Emeritus, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
“I have nothing but good memories about the many department stores that played an important part in my business, [and] I warmly welcome the publication of this wonderful and unique book on department stores throughout the world.” —Hubert de Givenchy
"The birth of the department store in the late 19th century brought everything glamorous together under one roof—from inviting, intelligent architecture and design to the latest fashions. Jan Whitaker's The World of Department Stores looks back to the biggest and brightest shops—
including the belle epoque splendor of Paris's Bon Marché, the block-long, palatial GUM in Moscow; and the always outrageous holiday windows at Barneys New York." -Elle Décor
"In photos and art, this visual feast details the extraordinary history of the world's "great retail palaces" from the past century. With authoritative and informative text." -Sacramento Bee
"Illustrated with photos of window displays, catalog covers and the Gilded Age architecture of institutions from Philadelphias long-gone Wanamakers to Pariss still-strong La Samaritaine, The World of Department Stores makes a worthwhile gift for the history, sociology or shopping buff on your list. " -Washington Post
Review
andldquo;A tribute to the late, lamented andlsquo;most beautiful store in the world.andrsquo;andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;This eye-popping book focuses on the labelandrsquo;s enduring fashion legacy, and is packed with gorgeous photos. . . . It documents the vibrancy of the swinginandrsquo; andlsquo;60s and the effect of one womanandrsquo;s vision on the way we dress today.andrdquo;
Synopsis
A revealing look at the fashion revolution of the 1960s and andrsquo;70s through the groundbreaking, hip, and now-legendary London emporium Biba, this book looks at andldquo;the most beautiful store in the world.andrdquo; Biba, founded in 1963 by designer Barbara Hulanicki, quickly gained cult status and outgrew several locations before the five-story andldquo;Big Bibaandrdquo; opened in 1973. More than a store, it was a haven of cool for artists, movie stars, and rock musicians. This book tells the story of the Biba decade, and how the label revolutionized retail and fashion culture. With a wealth of previously unpublished material, including full-color facsimiles of the six luxurious Biba catalogs and archival photographs, The Biba Decade looks at the first retailer to bring affordable fashion to young consumers. Stunning new photography documents the unique Biba look, and the designer and her contemporaries offer their personal insights.
About the Author
Barbara Hulanicki, co-founder of Biba, is a photographer, illustrator, and designer whose career in fashion has spanned five decades. Martin Pel is a curator of costume and textiles at Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton, where he curated Biba and Beyond: Barbara Hulanicki (2012).