Download or read book The Couture Secrets of Shape written by Charles James and published by . This book was released on 2019-01-30 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Avant-garde designs from "America's First Couturier" British-American designer Charles James (1906-78), "America's First Couturier," is famed for the extraordinarily elegant evening gowns he created in the 1930s through the 1950s for society ladies on both sides of the Atlantic. From the beginning of his career, James also designed revolutionary unisex styles. The famous eiderdown evening jacket, designed in 1937 for women, was revived as a cult unisex design object in 1970s New York. The eiderdown jacket and James' other unisex designs share with his ball gowns a sculptural, architectural presence and a rigorously cerebral design process grounded in science and mathematics. James is regarded as a visionary thinker in the world of fashion, introducing lasting innovations in both technique and methodology. Charles James: The Couture Secrets of Shapegoes beyond the evening gowns, focusing on some of James' unisex designs and his life in the artist community at the Chelsea Hotel, where he lived from 1964 until his death in 1978. He remained restlessly creative in this period, his rooms at the Chelsea serving as a studio, workshop, and archive. In 1973 he wrote The Charles James Approach to Structural Design; this allowed a glimpse into his thinking at that time and is included in this publication in facsimile. Edited by Homer Layne, James' last assistant, and Professor Dorothea Mink, with a preface by fashion designer Rick Owens, this volume reveals a new facet of James' groundbreaking body of work.

Download or read book The Paris Secret written by Natasha Lester and published by Forever. This book was released on 2020-09-15 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan comes an unforgettable historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice. England, 1939: The Penrose sisters couldn't be more different. Skye is a daring and brash pilot, and Liberty the one to defy her at every turn. Even if women aren't allowed in the Royal Air Force, Skye is determined to help the war effort. She's thrilled when it reunites her with her childhood soulmate, Nicholas. She's less thrilled to learn Nicholas is now engaged to an enigmatic Frenchwoman named Margaux Jourdan. Paris, 1947: Designer Christian Dior unveils his glamorous first collection to a world weary of war and grief. He names his debut fragrance Miss Dior in tribute to his beloved sister Catherine, who forged a friendship with Skye and Margaux through her work with the French Resistance. Present Day: Fashion conservator Kat Jourdan discovers a priceless collection of Dior gowns in her grandmother's vacant cottage. As she delves into the mystery of their origin, Kat begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about her beloved grandmother.

Download or read book Vintage Couture Tailoring written by Thomas von Nordheim and published by Crowood. This book was released on 2013-06-30 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traditional tailoring is a fascinating craft, which has not changed for many centuries, however, the techniques are now known only by a few practising in the best couture ateliers and bespoke tailor's workrooms. Nothing feels quite so luxurious or sophisticated as bespoke clothes, but the tailoring skills they require are often seen to be shrouded in mystery and the clothes therefore only accessible to the rich and famous. This practical book reveals the trade secrets of couture tailoring and brings vintage couture tailoring within the reach of all. With step-by-step photographs and professional tips throughout, it shows how a ladies' jacket is made and thereby introduces a range of fundamental tailoring techniques. These can be used for garments for either gender, as well as other sewing projects: moulding fabric to shape with the iron; employing loose interfacings; hollow shoulder construction; pad stitching canvas; interlining and weighting hems;making tailored and bound buttonholes;.... and many more forgotten techniques.Written by a tailor of international repute, Vintage Couture Tailoring is dedicated to all who appreciate the highest standard of craftsmanship, and who like using their eyes and hands to produce beautiful garments.Vintage couture tailoring is practised by only a few establishments around the world today and this practical book reveals the trade secrets of couture tailoring. An invaluable guide for professionals wishing to further their skills, and for enthusiasts with an interest in traditional tailoring. Shows how to make a ladies' jacket from preparation through to assembly and reveals the exquisite finishing details that are the hallmark of couture tailoring. Superbly illustrated with 417 colour step-by-step photographs.Thomas von Nordheim is a tailor of international repute.

Download or read book Zandra Rhodes written by Dennis Nothdruft and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2019-01-01 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This beautifully illustrated volume surveys the textile and fashion designs of one of Britain's most distinctive creative voices, marking the 50th anniversary of the house of Zandra Rhodes.

Download or read book Charles James written by Harold Koda and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2014-06-03 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This catalogue offers the first comprehensive study of James’s life and work, highlighting his virtuosity and inventiveness as well as the colorful cast of benefactors and clients who supported him.

Download or read book Forever Chic written by Tish Jett and published by Rizzoli Publications. This book was released on 2013-10-15 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For any woman who last saw forty on her speedometer comes a sparkling new primer for aging—the French way—with grace and style. Frenchwomen of a certain age (over forty) are captivating and complex. They appear younger than their years and remain stylish throughout their lives. They look at birthdays as a celebration of a life well-lived and perhaps a good reason to go shopping before they dress to perfection for a celebration of another anniversaire. American-born journalist and blogger Tish Jett has lived among the French for years and has studied them and stalked them to learn their secrets. Exploring how their wardrobe, beauty, diet, and hair rituals evolve with time and how some aspects of their signature styles never change, Jett shows how Frenchwomen know their strengths, hide their weaknesses, and never talk about their fears, failures, or flaws. After all, in France, beauty, style, and charm have no expiration dates!

Download or read book Couture Sewing Techniques written by Claire B. Shaeffer and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fashion historian Shaeffer opened the door to the exclusive realm of haute couture in her authoritative guide to the techniques that define couture sewing. And now, "Couture Sewing Techniques," has been revised and updated throughout. Full color.

Download or read book The Glitter Plan written by Pamela Skaist-Levy and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2015-05-19 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Part memoir, part business manual, and 100% juicy—the inside story of Juicy Couture, one of the most iconic brands of our times While working together at a Los Angeles boutique, Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor became fast and furious friends over the impossibility of finding the perfect T-shirt. Following their vision of comfortable, fitted T-shirts, they set up shop in Gela’s one-bedroom Hollywood apartment with $200 and one rule: Whatever they did, they both had to be obsessed by it. The best friends’ project became Juicy Couture. Pam and Gela eventually sold their company to Liz Claiborne for $50 million, but not before they created a whole new genre of casual clothing that came to define California cool. Pamela and Gela built an empire from the ground up, using themselves as models to build their patterns and placing their merchandise by storming into stores and handing out samples. They balanced careful growth with innovative tactics—sending Madonna a tracksuit with her nickname, Madge, embroidered on it—and created a unique, bold, and unconventional business plan that was all their own: the Glitter Plan. Now, Pam and Gela reveal the secrets of Juicy’s success: how they learned to find and stick with the right colleagues and trust their instincts when it became time to move on to their next project. They also share their missteps and hilarious lessons learned—like the time robbers stole one thousand pairs of maternity shortalls, which the partners took as the first sign to get out of the maternity clothing business. Told in the bright, cheery voice that defines Juicy style even today, The Glitter Plan shows readers how to transform passion and ideas into business success. Aspiring designers, Juicy fans, and business readers of all stripes will be enthralled by the story of spirit and savvy behind Pam and Gela’s multimillion-dollar fashion empire.

Download or read book What Becomes a Legend Most written by Philip Gefter and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2020-10-13 with total page 740 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Wise and ebullient . . . . Gefter takes the reader inside so many of Avedon’s photo shoots, and so deftly explicates his work, that you’re thirsty to sate your eyes with Avedon’s actual images . . . . One of the achievements of Gefter’s biography is to argue persuasively for Avedon’s place, as a maker of portraits, as one of the 20th century’s most consequential artists.” — Dwight Garner, New York Times "Gefter weaves the particulars of Avedon’s life story into a larger narrative about American culture in the decades after World War II . . . . Read in the context of our own precarious political and ecological moment, this assessment alone argues eloquently for the abiding, even urgent relevance of Avedon’s imperfect Art." — Caroline Weber, New York Times Book Review “Imagine the offspring of Marcel Proust and the Energizer Bunny—that’s who Richard Avedon was, a chronicler of fashion, an analyst of social types, the author in pictures of his era. And Philip Gefter captures him. His biography is an Avedon of Avedon.” — Louis Menand, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Metaphysical Club “Mesmerizing. . . . Like Avedon’s blank white backgrounds, blasted with light, Gefter’s pages expose in a controlled and intelligent manner all the bigness and littleness of one of the greats.” — Brad Gooch, New York Times bestselling author of Flannery and City Poet "A compelling, beautifully written examination of Avedon's life as it reflects the larger cultural milieu of post–World War II New York, and, more importantly, an argument for the role of the artist in contemporary society." — Stephen Shore, photographer "The portrait that emerges in these pages is not only a biography of the artist—his professional triumphs and disappointments and personal demons—but also a beautifully written assessment of his work, which brings Avedon to life and also vividly evokes his most memorable images." — Kate Betts, Air Mail “Revealing, fluent, and very well written—an exemplary biography of an underappreciated artist.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Gefter’s expert, comprehensive, and sensitive biography embodies the electricity and complexity of Avedon’s work as he centers Avedon within the crossfire of both the battle to legitimize photography as a fine art form and the struggle for gay rights… Gefter’s engrossing portrait of a master portraitist vividly proves his claim that Avedon is “one of the most consequential artists of the twentieth century." — Booklist, starred review "Definitive and insightful." — Publishers Weekly "With this engrossing biography, readers will come away with a greater appreciation of Avedon’s artistic strengths and achievements, as well as the complex man behind the camera." — Library Journal (starred review) "Philip Gefter’s welcome new biography . . . takes Avedon at his own estimation as a serious 20th-century artist. It creates a dense, convincing portrait of a man with huge talent and a gift for life." — Scott Eyman, Wall Street Journal

Download or read book Sewing Secrets from the Fashion Industry written by Susan Huxley and published by Rodale Books. This book was released on 1999-10-01 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sewing secrets from the fashion industry Look over the shoulders of sewing experts as they show you how to cut and sew the professional way. From sample rooms to production sewing factories, the authors gleaned the best and the fastest garment-sewing techniques and treatments. Sew fast. Sew smart. Make clothes that look better than ready-to-wear. Hundreds of step-by-step photographs and easy-to-understand directions help you: * Master bound button holes * Imitate professional seam finishes on your machine * Create an innovative button placket * Eliminate ease stitching and basting * Sew a lined vest in three hours without any hand stitching * Choose a pocket and waistband that's right for you * Use industry techniques to interface like the pros * Make clothing that fits perfectly no matter what your size

Download or read book Focus written by Michael Gross and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-07-05 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “This thoroughly absorbing narrative dazzles with the most profound investigation and research. Focus is an enthralling and riveting read.” —Tim Gunn “Smart, well-researched…engaging…canny” (New York Times Book Review), Focus is a “fast-paced—and clearly insider—look at the rarefied, sexy world of fashion photography” (Lauren Weisberger, author of The Devil Wears Prada). New York Times bestselling author Michael Gross brings to life the wild genius, egos, passions, and antics of the men (and a few women) behind the camera, probing the lives, hang-ups, and artistic triumphs of more than a dozen of fashion photography’s greatest visionaries, including Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Bill King, Helmut Newton, Gilles Bensimon, Bruce Weber, Steven Meisel, and Bob and Terry Richardson. Tracing the highs and lows of fashion photography from the late 1940s to today, Focus takes you behind the scenes to reveal the revolutionary creative processes and fraught private passions of these visionary magicians, “delving deep into the fascinating rivalries” (The Daily News) between photographers, fashion editors, and publishers like Condé Nast and Hearst. Weaving together candid interviews, never-before-told insider anecdotes and insights born of his three decades of front-row and backstage reporting on modern fashion, Focus is “simply unrivaled…a sensation….Gross is a modern-day Vasari, giving us The Lives of the Artists in no small measure” (CraveOnline).

Download or read book Chanel The Making of a Collection written by Laetitia Cenac and published by Harry N. Abrams. This book was released on 2019-09-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A gorgeously illustrated exploration of the history, culture, and design process of the famed fashion house Chanel Chanel: The Making of a Collection traces the design process of the world-renowned fashion house, revealing how a collection is created. Moving from the studio to the fashion show, fashion writer Laetitia Cénac has unprecedented access to explore a world that is usually carefully guarded from the public eye. With hundreds of beautifully rendered fashion illustrations from acclaimed artist Jean-Philippe Delhomme, Karl Lagerfeld's approach to design is brought to life, as are the talents of the masterfully skilled artisans--the embroiderers, flower makers, shoemakers, hat makers, and more--who specialize in everything from buttons and leather to lace, silk, and cashmere. Delving into the history and culture of the brand, while also detailing contemporary collections, Chanel: The Making of a Collection is a richly visual insider's look at the enduring creative legacy of this haute couture icon.

Download or read book Effortless Style written by June Ambrose and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2006 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 edition. Excerpt: ...The first amendment of the committee, in paragraph 757, was, page 110, line 23, to strike out "3 cents" and to insert in lieu thereof "three-fourths of 1 cent," so as to read: Teanuts, not shelled, three-fourths of 1 cent per pound. Mr. WALSH of Massachusetts. I understand that a negative vote will restore the House rate, and an affirmative vote support the Finance Committee in the lower rate? The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is correct. The question is on the committee amendment to strike out "3 cents" and to insert in lieu thereof " threefourths of 1 cent." The yeas and nays were ordered, and the reading clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. WATSON of Indiana (when his name was called). I transfer my pair with the senior Senator from Mississippi Mr. Williams to the junior Senator from Vermont Mr. Page, and vote "nay." The roll call was concluded. Mr. CURTIS. I desire to announce the following pairs: The Senator from Delaware Mr. Ball with the Senator from Florida Mr. Fletcher; The Senator from Vermont Mr. Dillingham with the Senator from Virginia Mr. Glass; The Senator from New Jersey Mr. Edge with the Senator from Oklahoma Mr. Owen; and The Senator from West Virginia Mr. Sutherland with the Senator from Arkansas Mr. Rorinson. Mr. NEW. I transfer my pair with the junior Senator from Tennessee Mr. Mckellar to the junior Senator from Maryland Mr. Weller and vote "nay." Mr. McKINLEY. I transfer my pair with the junior Senator from Arkansas Mr. Caraway to the senior Senator from Pennsylvania Mr. Crow and vote "nay." Mr. CAMERON. I transfer my pair with the junior Senator from Georgia Mr. Watson to the senior Senator from Iowa Mr. Cummins and vote "nay." Mr. FERNALD....

Download or read book Romaine Brooks written by Cassandra L. Langer and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book High Fashion Sewing Secrets from the World s Best Designers written by Claire B. Shaeffer and published by Rodale Books. This book was released on 2001-02-24 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In High Fashion Sewing Secrets from the World's Best Designers internationally known sewing expert Claire Schaeffer reveals the secrets of high-fashion legends such as Geoffrey Beene, Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta, Yves Saint Laurent, Liz Claiborne, and Calvin Klein. Claire's illustrated, step-by-step instructions let you duplicate the design details made famous in expensive ready-to-wear. Plus, Claire's timesaving patternmaking and copying methods can be used to create one-of-a-kind, original garments. Only a few simple tools and patternmaking skills are needed to copy your favorite garments.

Download or read book Unlabel written by Marc Ecko and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-05-05 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "One of the most provocative entrepreneurs of our time, who started Eckō Unltd out of his parents' garage and turned it into a media empire, Marc Eckō reveals his formula for building an authentic brand or business. Marc Eckō began his career by spray-painting t-shirts in the garage of his childhood home in suburban New Jersey. A graffiti artist with no connections and no fashion pedigree, he left the safety net of pharmacy school to start his own company. Armed with only hustle, sweat equity, and creativity, he flipped a $5,000 bag of cash into a global corporation now worth $500 million. Unlabel is a success story, but it's one that shares the bruises, scabs, and gut-wrenching mistakes that every entrepreneur must overcome to succeed. Through his personal prescription for success--the Authenticity Formula--Eckō recounts his many innovations and misadventures in his journey from misfit kid to the CEO. It wasn't a meteoric rise; in fact, it was a rollercoaster that dipped to the edge of bankruptcy and even to national notoriety, but this is an underdog story we can learn from: Ecko's doubling down on the core principles of the brand and his formula for action over talk are all lessons for today's entrepreneurs. Ecko offers a brash message with his inspirational story: embrace pain, take risks, and be yourself. Unlabel demonstrates that, like or not, you are a brand and it's up you to take control of it and create something authentic. Unlabel is a groundbreaking guide to channeling your creativity, finding the courage to defy convention, and summoning the confidence to act and be competitive in any environment"--

Download or read book Entangled Life written by Merlin Sheldrake and published by Random House. This book was released on 2020-05-12 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “brilliant [and] entrancing” (The Guardian) journey into the hidden lives of fungi—the great connectors of the living world—and their astonishing and intimate roles in human life, with the power to heal our bodies, expand our minds, and help us address our most urgent environmental problems. “Grand and dizzying in how thoroughly it recalibrates our understanding of the natural world.”—Ed Yong, author of An Immense World ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—Time, BBC Science Focus, The Daily Mail, Geographical, The Times, The Telegraph, New Statesman, London Evening Standard, Science Friday When we think of fungi, we likely think of mushrooms. But mushrooms are only fruiting bodies, analogous to apples on a tree. Most fungi live out of sight, yet make up a massively diverse kingdom of organisms that supports and sustains nearly all living systems. Fungi provide a key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel, and behave. In the first edition of this mind-bending book, Sheldrake introduced us to this mysterious but massively diverse kingdom of life. This exquisitely designed volume, abridged from the original, features more than one hundred full-color images that bring the spectacular variety, strangeness, and beauty of fungi to life as never before. Fungi throw our concepts of individuality and even intelligence into question. They are metabolic masters, earth makers, and key players in most of life’s processes. They can change our minds, heal our bodies, and even help us remediate environmental disaster. By examining fungi on their own terms, Sheldrake reveals how these extraordinary organisms—and our relationships with them—are changing our understanding of how life works. Winner of the Wainwright Prize, the Royal Society Science Book Prize, and the Guild of Food Writers Award • Shortlisted for the British Book Award • Longlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize