Chic Lit: 10 New Fashion & Style Books
In our third edition of Chic Lit, we bring you news of upcoming fashion and style books that would make for a good addition to the bookshelves. Our first post suggested 5 books you should pick up, and the second post recommended another 5 books that were required reading for any hardcore fashionista. This time around, we highlight 10 recently launched books that combine the importance of photography, fashion and personal style.
Avedon Fashion 1944-2000
Publish date: June 1 2009
Richard Avedon was the quintessential photographer back in the heyday of 1950s black and white cinema. He shot famous actresses like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, rockstars like The Beatles, and for publications like Harper's Bazaar, Vogue and The New Yorker. Although he may be gone, his influence continues to stay through especially in most black and white portraits you see today. This book is a collection of 7 decades of his work - a sprawling photograpic memory of the man who delivered some of the best visuals right until his death in 2004. Have a look of some of his works over here.
The Sartorialist by Scott Schuman
Publish date: Aug 12 2009
A good measure to check anyone's fashion savvyness is to bring up the topic of The Sartorialist. Scott Schuman's chronicle of the stylish people he's met on the streets is common fodder in the global fashion community and has recently spawned into a book too. 'The Sartorialist by Scott Schuman' is now available at Soon Lee, the well-loved boutique at Haji Lane in Singapore (which we talked about here) and their sister store, rockstar at ION Orchard (most recently highlighted here)!
The Sartorialist is available in paperback version at Soon Lee and rockstar for the retail price of SG$48.15 a copy. Now you don't have to wait ages for it to be shipped from Amazon, or search for it at the biggest bookstore near you ;)
Soon Lee
Address: 56 Haji Lane, Level 2
Contact Number: +65 6297 0198
Website: www.ishopsoonlee.blogspot.com
Rockstar
8 Grange Road
Orchard Cineleisure
#03-08
Website: rockstar by soon lee
Who What Wear: Celebrity and Runway Style for Real Life
Publish date: Sept 1 2009
Popular fashion and style blog Who What Wear run by ex-fashion editors Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power have also got into publishing with their newly launched book that aims to apply celebrity glitz and style tips into your everyday life. Some of the contributors include Rachel Zoe, Nicole Richie, and Rachel Bilson - all regulars on style-inspiration lists. Their launch party featured a lot of stylish attendees like Jessica Alba, Emma Roberts and Lauren Conrad.
The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life's Lessons from the World's Most Elegant Woman
Publish date: Sept 1 2009
On top of having two upcoming movies about the illustrious pioneer of Chanel, it seems like there is no end to fashion's love affair with Coco Chanel. This pseudo self-help book written by Karen Karbo uses Coco's philosophy in matters relating to style, passion, feminity and living life your own way and applies it in the context of our modern world today. Readers will be able to get inspired as they familiarize themselves with the story of Coco's hard upbringing and her subsequent success in the fashion industry.
I Love Your Style: How to Define and Refine Your Personal Style
Publish date: Sept 15 2009
This Amanda Brooks in question is not to be mistaken with the former stripper and actress in the adult film industry as I learned after a bad, bad search result on Google. The Amanda Brooks behind this book is a fashion consultant who has written for publications like New York Times and Vogue. Here she refers to photos of iconic pieces and trendy actors to dole out personal style advice.
The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé
Publish date: Sept 1 2009
We all know Yves Saint Laurent as the decorated fashion designer. But did you know that he was a passionate art collector too? This book allows us a rare glimpse into his home, showing us that style to the designer was not constrained to the runway. Together with his lifelong friend and business partner, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé amassed an exceptional collection of furniture and paintings over some forty years.
It included works by Picasso, Matisse and Mondrian, Goya, Ingres and Géricault, and classic furniture, sculpture and silver from the Renaissance to Art Deco artistic movement. The collection is now scattered after Yves' death, but the memories will live on in this book right here.
Helmut Newton: Sumo
Publish date: Sept 21 2009
Helmut Newton is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and influential fashion photographers in the industry and his works were extensively covered in the first edition of SUMO in 2000. In this updated 10th year anniversary of the book, new information has been added like the trials and meticulous precision in the creation of the original book.
Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture Book
Publish date: Sept 22 2009
This book solidifies the theory of art, fashion and architecture being extensions and interconnected facets of style. As stated in the title, the book is divided into three sections to further expand on Louis Vuitton's rich historical melding of the three factors. Collaborations with artists like Stephen Sprouse and Takashi Murakami may be most visible on the bags and products itself, but walk into any store and you will see how these collaborations affect the identity of the store and its layout. A look through the book will also show how instrumental current Artistic Director, Marc Jacobs has been in creating the LV we know today.
100 Contemporary Fashion Designers (Taschen 25th Anniversary)
Publish date: Oct 1 2009
In line with the 25th anniversary of publishing company Taschen (i-D magazine), a hardcover of the fashion industry's most notable designers and contributors will be showcased in this mammoth 800-page book. The aim of this book is to chronicle 100 of the most contemporary fashion stalwarts, so alongside industry giants like Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld, upcoming designers like Tao Kurihara and Wolfgang Joop of Wunderkind are featured as well.
Alexander McQueen
Publish date: ETA - 2010
There are whispers of a book that allows us a peek into the backstage of Alexander McQueen. Photographer Nick Waplington apparently followed the designer around during the preparations for the Fall/Winter Paris Fashion Week 2009 collection and his book will chronicle the behind-the-scenes adventures that he witnessed at the McQueen show.
[Image credits: The Sartorialist, Taschen, I'm Flashy, I Love Your Style - Amazon, The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge - Amazon, Helmut Newton: Sumo - Amazon, ]
