Book Description

Fashion in one form or another has been a catalyst, a lightning rod, even a dominant player at many of the central events in history-bringing down dynasties, crowning queens, jailing criminals. While critics and moralists through the ages have raged against fashion's essential frivolity, many cultural and political leaders have intuitively understood its centrality to human concerns, its deeply subliminal, theatrical power. This book sets out to put style in its rightful place-at the center of the historical stage. From toe-warmers to tiaras, we have gathered forty of the most notorious, celebrated, myth-making sartorial symbols of historic times, places, and persons in one entertaining, thought-provoking book. From Jackie Kennedy's pink suit and pillbox hat (worn on that fateful day in Dallas in 1963) to Mao's signature blue jacket and notched collar, from O.J. Simpson's blood-stained leather glove to the dramatic entrance Mary Queen of Scots made at her own execution (a black velvet cape thrown open to a blazing red dress, designed to match the color of her own blood as the sword descended on her royal head), in images and short essays, fashion's supreme importance in our cultural memory, almost Proustian in its power to mark notable times and places, is hereby footnoted. From the fig leaf of Adam and Eve, to Abe Lincoln's top hat, to the space suit Neil Armstrong wore for the first walk on the Moon, clothing icons have a powerful life of their own. An anthropologist's dream source for studying ongoing political, sexual, and social trends, these fashion talismans offer attentive future generations an extended, if quirky, index to past centuries. Who can imagine the 50s without Marlon Brando's signature black leather jacket, or Gregory Peck's Man in the Gray Flannel Suit? The topless bathing suit was as headline-making a symbol of new sexual mores as blue jeans were in the 60s, sexy and radical in their androgyny, where 1980s excess had its apogee personified by Imelda Marcos' shoe closet. This provocative, lively little book addresses the way we look, proving that in the eyes of history we are what we wear. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Engrossing.
When I first saw the book, I was transfixed. I must have spent quite a number of hours going through the pages, standing up, the world dissolving around me. My particular favorite is one picture of Gary Oldman lying in a coffin. It captured him perfectly. I don't know much about photography, but the beauty of his works is that it can be understood and loved by anyone - there is a human association within every shot. For a while I was reluctant to buy it - the price was a bit too much for me, but I kept on returning to the bookstore to see it, taking a half an hour bus ride each time at the other side of the city. I grew restless when I didn't take the ritual visit. Eventually I did get it - and I finally feel complete. He captured perfection.

Impressive value
Not much to pay for a book that is this outstanding. The photographs themselves are really beautifully reproduced, very high quality printing supporting how good the photos themselves are. Fascinating layout also. Great photos. This is one of those books that you keep going back to and still enjoy. You will be happy that you got this book.

Ultimate Black & White Images
Albert Watson's images in this book are quite simply some of the best images of Black & White photography in any book! They are technically perfect and arrestingly beautiful. His images are powerful, moving, creative, and always well composed. Furthermore, the printing in this book is one of the best I've ever seen.

If you appriciate masterful black & white images you would probably be happy with this book even if you had paid 5 times what this costs!

This book is truly a must-have for anyone who appriciates great photography

An unsurmountable piece of work by Albert Watson.
Cyclops is more than a vision, but some of the most emotionally moving frames one will ever look upon. He is a genius and can capture beauty, pain, anger, and delight all in one single image. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Like the photos of crosses in this abundant collection, author andphotographer Kelly Klein manages to illuminate the intersection of two edges. Onone edge, she brings forth reverence for this ancient symbol of Christiandevotion and sacrifice. On the other edge she dares to dally in irreverence, notallowing her vision to be muddied with Christian dogma, etiquette, or protocol.As a result, she presents the cross within a telephone pole as respectfully asshe captures the cross that dangles from a nun's habit. In a stunning piece ofdouble photography, we see Malcolm X's FBI file overlaid across his mug shot.Blend the two images together and there's a cross stamped across his heart likean ominous target.

While conservative Christians will no doubt find some of the images offensive,most viewers will find them simultaneously beautiful and unsettling. In fact,the cross is meant to be a symbol of contradiction, notes Kelly Klein in herintroduction. "Even within Christianity it is paradoxical: an image transformedfrom an instrument of torture and death into a symbol of hope, life and love."--Gail Hudson ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Sacred and the Profane
Klein's eye for beauty and diversity shows through in this eclectic collection of cross-like images from every walk of life. Telephone poles, ornate crucifixes, and yes, human nudes display one of the most profound and most ignored symbols of our century. If you have a spiritual hunger, an interest in art, and a mind open to possibility, get this wonderful collection for your coffee table and prepare for fascinating conversation ahead. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In Front Row/Backstage, Mario Testino's relaxed photos capture the fantasy of the high-fashion world. They take readers to recent fashion shows and are organized in an almost play-by-play manner. In the book's introduction, Vogue editor Anna Wintour reminds readers how Testino's signature style is clearly visible in his portraits of the late Princess Diana: "Although we had seen a million pictures of Diana, we had never seen her looking so relaxed, accessible and modern as when Mario photographed her." This accessible feeling is one that Testino projects onto all of his subjects. Here Testino shows the backstage preparation for the top designers' runway shows, the photographers preparing, the audience being seated, the models dressing, and the show itself. He has captured some of the most groundbreaking collections and innovative presentations, such as Alexander McQueen's flooded runway and his winter collection, during which snow poured down onto all of the models. Other noted shows include Yohji Yamamoto, Givenchy, Chloe, Christian Dior, and John Galliano. The moments Testino captures are timeless: they seem to hold so much beauty and effortless style that they feel current. Only a peek at the date of a show reveals that some images are from many collections ago. The action and movement of the shots give a whole new life to past and present visions of our fashion gurus and icons. --Amra Brooks ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Being there
I think Amazon's review comes close to capturing my sentiments about this book. Yes it's grainy, that's what the shows feel like with all of the smoke and noise and haste of all the magazine editors swooping in and out again for the next venue (did you read Suzy Menkes' Preface?); I find this to be a truthful documentary on what a fashion show IS. As far as Joesmoe taking these pictures...was HE there to do it? Only disappointment: where is that splashy production quality one associates with the jetset fashion world? Hint: is the next project going to be the longawaited book of masculine nudes!

i'm straight and i love your book
like his last book, testino explores the subcultures of society, this time the catwalks of fashion capitals. sure we may have seen this subject attemted before, however, testino's eye is less forgiving, bringing us the gritty realism of supermodeldom. long live testino

I wish I could give it NO stars at all!
The pics are AWFUL-extremely grainy black and whites,I mean I suppose they're meant to appear that way but WHY I haven't a clue.They just look blurry and EXTREMELY grainy to me.And they look like they could have been taken by any average Joe or Jane off the street.Furthermore,you can barely make out the people,and definitely not the fashions.I actually returned this book,I hated it so.Obviously,I do NOT reccomend it.Mario Testino's OTHER book,however,called Any Objections,is really cool and fun.It has a priceless shot of a lesbian trio of models,including my fav,Jenny Shimizu(plus Alice Temple-cool tattoo!-and some other gorgeous one I don't know the name of,but she has a cool lip ring...).By all means,buy that one.But don't waste your money on this one.

Mario is back!!
And again, with a great book. He is one of the best photographers in the world. Hey Mario, when's your new book coming out?!

When is your next book coming out?
Great book, can't wait for the next to come out. Great photographer ... Read more

Book Description

For decades the king of Paris fashion, Karl Lagerfeld is an artist whose work comes to life in front of the camera. But what happens when this legendary designer steps behind the lens? Magic, mystery, and more, as is evidenced by this volume of beautiful, sensual, and imaginative images that reveals an entirely new dimension to Lagerfeld’s genius.

Spanning all aspects of the genre from classic to avant-garde, these photographs—many of which have never before been published—recall the work of Atget, Richter, and Peter Lindbergh. Scenes of Paris streets and buildings, fashion models, celebrities, nudes, still-lives, and other objects of beauty provide insight into Lagerfeld’s aesthetic. And his discerning eye captures the life of high fashion, while also possessing a reverence for the unexpected moment. Known for his exacting demands when designing and producing clothing, Lagerfeld is an equally precise photographer. His technical skills, use of lighting, and sense of composition rival that of his most accomplished contemporaries. Anyone new to the talents of Karl Lagerfeld will discover a practiced and often surprising sensibility, while his many fans will delight in the designer’s newest collection, one that exposes him truly to be a man of many talents. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Really, an amazing bargain
As an earlier reviewer pointed out, there are problems with image oversizing (but, to my mind, it's not a significant problem). I would also say that too much space is devoted to reproducing the covers (some of which are identical) and not enough space given over to those wacky and surprisingly still erotic photo spreads. It's also true that this is a reprint of another Taschen book, but this time it comes with hard cover and glossy pages (as opposed to the hard-cardboard backs and pulpy pages of the original). This book is practically being given away at this price and while I might have made different editorial choices, I am very happy with this book as is.

Should have been a lot better.
Reading the review from a reader in Seattle I wonder if I have the same book. My 'American Girlie Magazines' is about Robert Harrison and his pulp girlie titles Beauty Parade, Eyeful, Titter, Wink, Whisper and Flirt. They were published between 1942 and 1958 and the contents mostly showed black and white photos of scantily clad ladies (Harrison did not approve of nudity) in slapstick situations...all very tame by todays standards. The book reproduces covers and spreads from these magazines.

The contents of these magazines are basically trash but they do have one thing of interest, their covers, these were paintings rather than photos. Pin-up artist Peter Driben painted hundreds of covers for the six titles and dozens are shown in this book, some other pin-up artists are included as well.

Before you rush out and buy the book you need to know that all the covers and the spreads have been sized sligthly bigger than the book. This does not matter too much with the reproduced spreads but all the covers have been ruined because of this enlargement, the title logos and coverlines run of the side of the page.

Two better Taschen cheesecake titles are 'The Rottenberg Collection', seven hundred pages of American pin-ups (mostly nudes) from the forties to the sixties from the collection of Mark Rottenberg. European pin-ups are covered in 'Serge Jacques' by Gilles Neret. Both these titles are far superior to 'American Girlie Magazines'

Covers of Classic Pin-up girls! This is a great reference!
If you like pin-up girls and the 40's and 50's style pictures. This is the book to get! It is filled cover to cover with amazing art work. There are a variety of artists shown. The art varies from movie posters to pulp fiction book covers and magazine covers. I have never found a book with such a great range, as I said a real resource for fans of pin-up girl art. ... Read more

Book Description

Producing a book on fashion in the 1980s is not merely a question of immortalizingone of the most feverish periods of invention, creativity, and variety in our recent history. It also means providing a window on the increasingly pervasive advance of show-business society, and on the origins of the designer "total living" environment in which we are now permanently submerged. Ralph Lauren pillowcases, anyone? How about a sip of Absolut from my Calvin Klein Home champagne glasses?
Excess: Fashion and the Underground in the 80s chronicles the achievements of the fashion establishment in Italy and the rest of the world via its protagonists and trends. It considers the who, what, where, when, and why of an industry that has become an economic phenomenon, with enormous influence on global culture and communication. It catalogues a world in which fashions by Armani, Versace, Valentino, Gianfranco Ferré, Fendi, Missoni, Moschino, Dolce & Gabbana, Fiorucci, Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Katherine Hamnett, Azzedine Alaïa, Calvin Klein, and John Galliano appear in magazines like Vogue, Elle, Donna, Mondo Uomo, Harper's Bazaar, The Face, i-D, Interview, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Visionaire. It features work by 80s hotshot artists like Helmut Newton, Bruce Weber, Cindy Sherman, Nan Goldin, Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer, Robert Mapplethorpe, Barbara Kruger, Gilbert & George, Pierre et Gilles, and Leigh Bowery.
Empirically organized as an index, Excess offers an indispensable point of reference for fashionistas, critics, and students. Rather than operating chronologically, it functions thematically, under such categories as Career Women, Sexy Women, American Gigolo, Night Clubbing, Wild Boys, Yuppies, and Graffiti. A special section curated by Peter de Potter is dedicated to the Neo ‘80s, featuring fashions by Jeremy Scott, Louis Vuitton, Berhard Willhelm, Balenciaga, Veronique Branquinho, and Bottega Veneta, as seen in the pages of Butt, Dazed & Confused, SleazeNation, Spin, Self Service, and Another Magazine. Additionally included are a series of appendices--equally balanced between mainstream and underground--which catalogue the new professions, new words, and new fashions.

Edited by Maria Luisa Frisa and Stefano Tonchi. Essays by Stefano Tonchi, Ingrid Sischy, Guy Trebay and Peter De Potter.

Paperback, 6.75 x 9.25 in./446 pgs / 700 color. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Enjoy The Pics-Forget The Text!
I wholeheartedly agree with the previous review! The book is LOADED with glaring errors! 3 that come to mind: North By Northwest's famous cropdusting scene was set in Illinois, not Texas, which he mentions more than once. Grace Kelly did not die in 1979 and there is a great picture, elsewhere, of GK and "Hitch" at the function this author uses for a reference point of Hitch's dead friends and sad end of life, and he refers to Patricia Collinge as Joseph Cottens mother in "Shadow Of A Doubt": She was his loving sister. He also misquotes Psycho and several of the biggest films in AH career. Didnt this guy have a fact checker to help him? He is also very coarse in his descriptions of people in Hitchcocks life: Anthony Perkins looked like a retarded child? I only gave it 3 stars for the rare pics that are included. Buy it when its in the remainder bin or used on Ebay!

Big Disappointment
I purchased this book after seeing it in a brief magazine write up. The book has way too much text and a fraction of the documentation of the Hitchcock Style that I had anticipated. I attempted to read the text, but the the author's frustrating writing style kept me from succeeding. Maybe something got lost in the translation from French to English? Anyway, for those able to survive the awkward jumping back and forth between periods in time, beware. Just from skimming the text I found one glaring error. The author refers to Grace Kelly as being deceased in 1979, when she actually passed away in the early 1980s. Save your money. You can thumb through this book in a few minutes at your local library or bookstore. ... Read more

Book Description

What is allure?Who had or has allure?Every era has chosen its own models.Who are they? How did they differenciate themselves?How did they style their lives?The Allure Of Women highlights our most well-known icons, women recognized all over the world, for their style and elegance.Francois Baudot also invites you to discover lesser-known women of allure, envied and copied by people within their own world.Chic, natural and elegant, women are captured in lavish photographs and compelling text, making The Allure Of Women impossible to put down. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Roversi's Photographic "Sketches"
While looking through the pages of Nudi, one is often reminded of nudes in an artist's sketchbook. Roversi's images are closer to drawing, borrowing heavily from an artist's pencil, rather than straightforward photography. Reducing the final image to a creamy-white, the strength of the photographs rely on what little remains: the hair - so much more noticeable due to its contrast against the overexposed subjects; the expressiveness of the eyes; and, most striking - the dark lines that outline the naked body. The viewer is relentlessly forced to concentrate on the natural shape of the women's bodies that come to life through the simplicity of this technique. That these women are models is irrelevant; they are not photographed to represent fashion. The women are photographed with the conviction of showing a model as Woman, and not the opposite. There are critics who complain about Roversi's style, while also pointing out the redundancy of the images in this book. What Roversi has done with Nudi is use the book to define a style of photographing that will indelibly link him to his images - it is his signature. A signature style is what makes an artist unique; it defines them, while setting them apart from other photographers and above all, it is one of the most difficult challenges in the creation of noteworthy photography. I applaud Roversi for his aesthetic convictions. By reducing the presence of his female subjects to highlight the subtle contrast between light and dark, Roversi leaves us to concentrate on the beautiful minimalism of line, shape, and expression. In the end, the book's minimalism allows us to see so much more.

Not great but very good.
Not much of a theme (aside from nude models). You get the sense he more wanted to publish a book of many of the current top models(Fall of 1999). And not so in making a photographic statement.

The photos are also developed in a very pale (annoying) form. I guess to give the illusion of art? Too bad really. Photography doesn't need to be about art. Just interesting. And interesting this book is. Beautiful current top models.. who can you go wrong? Whether it's Devon Aoki thinking she's the Venus. Audrey Marnay and her over-exaggerated scared expression. Milla looking like she just woke up. Kristen Owen and her show stealing "out of the shower" look. Or Tasha Tilberg just standing there. Where Paolo lacks a theme, the models improvise, some better than others. But all beautiful. Over forty pages! Well over 30 different models! Worth checking out if you like fashion.

Not for the main stream crowd
Some twenty to thrity pages of washed out frontal nude shots of women set against a stark white backdrop, this is not for someone wanting plain pretty pictures of Playboy variety. There's often little variety in the poses (standing front, side and sometimes back, leaning over a little) and no action - on the other hand I found that very aspect accented the minute differences in women. Indeed, just glancing through it it's easy to see how wide a variety of body shapes and faces are presented - at least in subtle differences. Overall, for people who like "experimental photography", who are explorers of the obscure, who are willing to spend money on the unusual and risk loss, not necessarily for main stream nudie picture fans. If he branched out into a wider somatotypology (all these gals are thin model types) I might buy another, but for me this fulfilled all the interest I have in this style. See the provided front picture for what you basically get throughout.

Nudi, A New Way of Seeing.
This is an excellent collection by one of the worlds finest Fashion Photographers. The almost white on white technique is as fascinating as the well know subjects.
The presentation of the book is superior and as a figurative gallery photographer I can say that I will refer to it and get ideas from it for many years. Solid Five stars. I think you will agree.

Painterly Light,
Paolo Roversi is a master photographer and this monograph of work shows why. His magical portraits of famous models more familiar to us from the pages of Vogue extends to us the progression of photography. Roversi clevely use photographic techniques that result in lush, translucent images that are attractive and senuous.Creamy Pale, almost washed out black and white pictures with soft tones and gossamer texture. He has captured an incredible intimacy that reveals to the viewer the sheer beauty of human form, naked. This Master Italian photographer's resultant work is immative of, and reminds us of The great Italian Rennaisance Masters' sketches and drawings but that in no way diminishes the sheer beauty of the work. The images in their light, almost washed out form, work wonderfully. The models gaze at us with a conniving innocence, there is no background to clutter the image, just simplistic, yet emotively powerful posing. The poses contrast with the texture of the pictures, no attempt at "classical" figurative posing, yet the models still reveal the body as a beautiful form. Roversi's work is internationally famous especially his beautiful editorial work for Italian Vogue, and his advertising campaigns for various fashion houses and he has worked with many of these models before. Here in this collection we are not looking at fashion but art and it is interesting to note that fashion models today are lending themselves to more and more art inspired projects. Roversi has a distinct approach to photography and this monograph is another salutation to a man whose influence in the art world transcends his own discipline. This is a book to buy and treasure. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

I like this revised edition
I bought the hardcover edition -- it was my favorite fashion book. But now, the revised edition with the introduction that involves new stars and their photos (Gwyneth Paltrow, Whoopi Goldberg, Drew Barrymore and Cher) adds a new dimension to the story. I'm really happy and for a paper back, the quality is EXCELLENT. Thanks Patty Fox!

Great look at Hollywood style icons
This is a lovely book with wonderful photographs of Hollywood fashion icons. Another thing that is great about this book is that it features those who are not as popularly remebered, such as Delores Del Rio, along with more popular icons such as Audrey Hepburn. Great book! Highly recommended!

A fantastic book!
I think this is the best Hollywood fashion book there is! The photos are great and the stories are fun. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Panama A Legendary Hat
This "coffee table book" is a must for every Panama Hat lover. The exotic and beautiful photographs only enhance and clarify the well written text. From the forward by Brent Black (leading world authority on Panama Hats - hand-woven in Ecuador!) through the chapters on Montecristi woven fino hats, onto the Cuenca hat story and ending with a list of retailers specializing in this unique product - this book answers most, if not all, questions about this legendary hat. ... Read more

Book Description

Anton Corbijn’s "firstborn child" Famouz, our own publication launched in 1989, really sparked things off. All of a sudden, the photographer, who had long been a nominee for success behind the scenes of the pop world and record industry, entered the limelight. His portraits of rock and pop idols had a completely different, completely novel slant: they were pensive, melancholic, more personal, galaxies away from the world of showbiz, glamour and image makers. Corbijn is now famous all over the world.His photographs, which led to a new era of music photography, are on display at international exhibitions. With an introduction by Bono and designed by star designer Peter Saville, the book contains photos of Tom Waits, Sinéad O’Connor,Pete Townsend, Joe Cocker, Siouxie Sioux, David Bowie, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Bono, Kate Bush, Sting, Leonard Cohen and many more. ... Read more

Book Description

Although he’s most widely known for his artistic vision of the fashion world, Peter Lindbergh is also a science fiction nut. This fun and fantastic collection of rarely seen photos demonstrates Lindbergh’s flair for the dramatic, the weird, and the downright spooky. These images of aliens and explosions, flying saucers and dumbstruck models venture into the realm of film and pop art, but they are every bit as glamorous as his fashion work. From UFOs over a modern city and frightened figures wrapped in mist, to an elegant couple witnessing a desert explosion and their capture by extraterrestials, Lindbergh’s attention to detail, his sophisticated sense of irony, as well as his wit and charm make these colorful explosive photos a dynamic addition to an already brilliant career. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Invasion
This Collection is simmilar if not completely the same as the book Stories by Lindbergh. i would suggest the other book As i felt this collection was good but the other seemed to be more complete. ... Read more

Book Description

In his youth, Dorian Gray had his portrait painted and, because the painting wonderfully preserved a carefree moment, Gray begged for a trade-off: the painting would age and he himself would remain young and handsome forever. That's exactly what happened until one day, in a rage, he stabbed the canvas and died. What remained was a flawless portrait of youth.

Karl Lagerfeld has staged the core of Oscar Wilde's famous novel in his own way. He shows a luxurious Bohemian world as in the freeze-frames of a film. Young people celebrate, paying homage to beautiful bodies and devoting themselves to the moment. Right up until the metamorphosis begins. Then the young man changes into an old man and the pretty woman into her own death mask.

This book tells the story as a film, reflecting a world of fashion and glamour, and suggesting the aesthetics of Caravaggio or the pre-Raphaelites. With this publication, Karl Lagerfeld, one of the great protagonists of the fashion scene, makes his contribution--not entirely irony-free--to the subject of the transitory nature of beauty. Clothbound, 9.75 x 10.25 in. / 88 pgs / Illustrated throughout. ... Read more

Book Description

Sophisticated, chic, decadent, brilliant—these words describe both the life and the art of Horst P. Horst. The premier fashion photographer, Horst delved into the worlds of style and celebrity with equal zeal, and his impact on those worlds will be felt for decades to come. Horst’s taste for glamour and elegance, simplicity and perfection are everywhere in evidence in this marvelous array of photos which features renowned fashion spreads, as well as landscapes, flowers, and nudes. But the focus of this volume is the celebrity portrait, a medium in which Horst excelled, as he relished the experience of turning his many friends into subjects, and his subjects into friends. Pablo Picasso, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel, Salvador Dalí, Katherine Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, Steve McQueen, Mick Jagger, and Andy Warhol are among some of the unforgettable faces made immortal by Horst’s unerring eye. His best photographs, which exhibit both his love for the ancient Greek ideal and his interest in Surrealism, are considered icons of photographic history. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

the man has style
well i got to this book as a aprt of an erotic photography search and though the front cover does look very erotic, at least to me, the rest of the book isn't that alureing, it is however a great though a bit too short collection of a great inovating photographer which is just so plesent and interesting to look at, i got it a few weeks ago and i simply can't stop looking at it, the power and delicute of those photos, everything's done to it's extream styling which just send you stright away into a total fantasy world.

so, it's not what i was looking for, but i'm very very pleased with it. ... Read more