Download or read book The Givenchy Code written by Julie Kenner and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2007-02-27 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As if bad-hair days, scrounging for rent money, and lusting after designer shoes wasn't enough to make Melanie Prescott's life interesting, suddenly she's chasing after obscure clues tossed her way by a madman.
Download or read book The Givenchy Code written by E. R. Escober and published by . This book was released on 2005-01-01 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The murder of a prominent French personality in the fragrance industry jumpstarts this exhilarating code-cracking ride all over Paris and deep into the heart of a religious conspiracy that centers around the real identity of a religious icon. In a spine-tingling blend of electrifying adventure, scholarly intrigue and unforgettable, unpredictable moments, The Givenchy Code gleefully, perversely parodies scenes and pays homage to that brilliantly written other code' novel, while poking benign fun at the fragrance industry and ultimately conjecturing an out-of-this-world theory that the most venerated relic of them all was indeed not a cup but something far more shockingly extraordinary!
Download or read book The Manolo Matrix written by Julie Kenner and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2006-02-01 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: USA TODAY bestselling author of The Givenchy Code Julie Kenner reloads for her second novel of high-heeled thrills as another woman gets pulled into a mysterious world of extreme gaming where she must play or die. Aspiring actress Jennifer Crane knows all about games—the games girls play to get a guy; the games actresses play to land a part; and the good old game of credit-card roulette. (How else is a girl supposed to afford her shoes?) But she never expected to be playing a game with life-or-death consequences. Unable to successfully score an acting gig, she has, instead, been cast in the role of reluctant bodyguard to a real-life assassin's target— a dashing FBI agent of all people!—and must embark with him upon a scavenger hunt across Manhattan in search of the ultimate prize: survival. Before this, Jenn's definition of fighting dirty has been elbowing her way to the front of the line at a Manolo sample sale. Now, if she wants to stay alive, she's going to have to learn a few new uses for her stilettos...and they ain't pretty. Fast, flirty, and full of great footwear, The Manolo Matrix is another electrifying adventure in this breakout series for fashionistas who love a perfectly appointed mystery.
Download or read book The Prada Paradox written by Julie Kenner and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2007-04-03 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: USA Today bestselling author Julie Kenner follows up her acclaimed thrillers The Givenchy Code and The Manolo Matrix with a whip-smart new adventure in code-breaking -- Hollywood-style! Devi Taylor was one of Hollywood's fastest-rising starlets -- until a crazed fan held her at knifepoint and she retreated to a life of privacy and Valium. Now recovered and ready for a comeback, Devi dreams of endorsing all things Prada, whose Rodeo Drive store she can't resist. Instead, she lands the starring role in The Givenchy Code, a high-budget action-adventure flick. But with the tabloids all over Givenchy and her recent split with her drop-dead handsome costar, Blake, Devi can't shake the feeling that another crazed fan is going to strike. Then a frightening message -- "Play or Die" -- is delivered to Devi's house, and she finds herself sucked into a deadly and cryptic game not unlike the one in the movie she's starring in. Hollywood has always been her life, but does Devi know its secrets well enough to follow the cinematic clues that might save her and her favorite Prada bag? Julie Kenner is the author of two previous novels in this series,The Givenchy Code and The Manolo Matrix, both available from Downtown Press. Her novel Aphrodite's Kiss was a USA Today bestseller, and Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom was a Book Sense Summer Paperback Pick. Her other acclaimed novels include Nobody But You and The Spy Who Loves Me. She lives in Georgetown, Texas, with her husband and daughter.
Download or read book Spy in a Little Black Dress written by Maxine Kenneth and published by Grand Central Publishing. This book was released on 2012-10-02 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An "inventive spy romp that's fast, playful and fun" inspired by an actual letter in the John F. Kennedy Library written by Jackie Kennedy, revealing her job offer from the newly formed CIA (Chris Ewan, author of The Good Thief's Guide to Venice). When young Jackie Bouvier receives her second assignment from the CIA, she knows it will go better than her first. She managed to survive the Paris job-while looking her best in Givenchy, no less-but now she's completed her official CIA training. So she's excited to show her boss exactly what she can do for her country. Her new mission: Go undercover in sultry Havana and investigate a young revolutionary named Fidel Castro. But before Jackie can infiltrate the communist cabal, she's in past her hemline in danger. In another exciting adventure, she colludes with Grace Kelly, dances with Frank Sinatra, and flirts with an up-and-coming congressman from Massachusetts. As the international intrigue escalates, Jackie must use all her finely honed skills to stay ahead of her enemies . . . and make sure spying never goes out of fashion.
Download or read book Creating the Illusion written by Jay Jorgensen and published by Running Press Adult. This book was released on 2015-10-06 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marilyn Monroe made history by standing over a subway grating in a white pleated halter dress designed by William Travilla. Hubert de Givenchy immortalized the Little Black Dress with a single opening scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's. A red nylon jacket signaled to audiences that James Dean was a Rebel Without a Cause. For more than a century, costume designers have left indelible impressions on moviegoers' minds. Yet until now, so little has been known about the designers themselves and their work to complement and enrich stories through fashion. Creating the Illusion presents the history of fashion on film, showcasing not only classic moments from film favorites, but a host of untold stories about the creative talent working behind the scenes to dress the stars from the silent era to the present day. Among the book's sixty-five designer profiles are Clare West, Howard Greer, Adrian, Walter Plunkett, Travis Banton, Irene, Edith Head, Cecil Beaton, Bob Mackie, and Colleen Atwood. The designers' stories are set against the backdrop of Hollywood: how they collaborated with great movie stars and filmmakers; how they maneuvered within the studio system; and how they came to design clothing that remains iconic decades after its first appearance. The array of films discussed and showcased through photos spans more than one hundred years, from draping Rudolph Valentino in exotic "sheik" dress to the legendary costuming of Gone with the Wind, Alfred Hitchcock thrillers, Bonnie and Clyde, Reservoir Dogs, and beyond. This gloriously illustrated volume includes candid photos of the designers at work, portraits and wardrobe tests of stars in costume, and designer sketches. Drawing from archival material and dozens of new interviews with award-winning designers, authors Jay Jorgensen and Donald L. Scoggins offer a highly informative, lavish, and entertaining history of Hollywood costume design. About TCM: Turner Classic Movies is the definitive resource for the greatest movies of all time. It engages, entertains, and enlightens to show how the entire spectrum of classic movies, movie history, and movie-making touches us all and influences how we think and live today.
Download or read book Enchant Me written by J. Kenner and published by Martini & Olive. This book was released on 2021-10-26 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In our years together, I’ve heard all the rumors, faced all the dark secrets, and survived the danger that comes hand-in-hand with loving a powerful magnate like Damien Stark. Now we’re ready to celebrate our legacy and turn our eyes toward the future by renewing our wedding vows. I didn’t expect anyone to object… Especially not the son my husband never knew existed. But he’s here, he’s real, and he’s absolutely livid. Our vows of love and fidelity are forgotten as this wayward heir instead promises to destroy everything we hold dear, everything that should have belonged to him instead of my children. Our world falls to chaos, Damien is wrecked, and I don’t know where to turn. What might this unexpected blast from the past mean for our family’s future?
Download or read book Chic Stays written by Melinda Stevens and published by Assouline Publishing. This book was released on 2016-10-01 with total page 5 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Sofia Coppola’s luxurious family retreat in beautiful Bernalda, Italy, to the beaches of Kate Winslet’s secret Scottish hideaway of Eilean Shona, to Kate Moss’s favorite beach in the Maldives, each of these thirty-six personal tales of the loveliest spots around the globe are packed with anecdotes and lyrical descriptions to transport readers. The photography bursting across each page—from the crystal waters and azure skies of UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa, to the lush hillsides of Sri Lanka, to the hipster hangouts of Portland, Oregon—adds to the allure, inspiring a new desire to discover these beloved corners of the world. Condé Nast Traveller Britain has been setting the luxury travel agenda for almost twenty years, providing inspiration and advice for discerning travelers looking for unique, unforgettable experiences. Editor Melinda Stevens, named BSME New Editor of the Year in 2013, began her career at Vogue, followed by roles at Tatler, The Sunday Times and the London Evening Standard. Fiona Kerr is features editor and Matthew Buck is photographic editor of Condé Nast Traveller.
Download or read book Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume written by Jennifer OConnell and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2007-06-05 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I wonder if Judy Blume really knows how many girls' lives she affected. I wonder if she knows that at least one of her books made a grown woman finally feel like she'd been a normal girl all along..." —from Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume Whether laughing to tears reading Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great or clamoring for more unmistakable "me too!" moments in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, girls all over the world have been touched by Judy Blume's poignant coming-of-age stories. Now, in this anthology of essays, twenty-four notable female authors write straight from the heart about the unforgettable novels that left an indelible mark on their childhoods and still influence them today. After growing up from Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing into Smart Women, these writers pay tribute, through their reflections and most cherished memories, to one of the most beloved authors of all time.
Download or read book Magnolia Parks written by Jessa Hastings and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-07-13 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “How many loves do you get in a lifetime?” She is a beautiful, affluent, self-involved, and mildly neurotic London socialite. He is Britain’s most photographed bad boy who broke her heart. Magnolia Parks and BJ Ballentine are meant to be, and everyone knows it. She dates other people to keep him at bay; he sleeps with other girls to get back at her for it. But at the end of every sad endeavor to get over one another, it’s still each other they crawl back to. But now their dysfunction is catching up with them, pulling at their seams and fraying the world they’ve built; a world where neither has ever let the other go completely. As the cracks start to show and secrets begin to surface, Magnolia and BJ are finally forced to face the formidable question they’ve been avoiding all their lives: How many loves do you really get in a lifetime?
Download or read book History of International Fashion written by Didier Grumbach and published by Interlink Books. This book was released on 2023-06-13 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First English translation of critically-acclaimed book opens the door to the fascinating universe of fashion. This book is not just a history of fashion from the early days of the creation of dressmaking fashion to the development of ready-to-wear manufacturing and the global enterprise it is today. Its ambition is to be the story of the creation, the evolution, and the implosion of the fashion related professions. With readable, highly-informative, and entertaining text—coupled with stunning photography—this book offers valuable insights into a profession which, unlike any other social body, is determined as much by its origins as by its economic context. Didier Grumbach walks you down the runways of fashion history and unfolds the secrets of the industry with stories and accounts from those who have played an active part in its development from the 1920s to the present. And he knows what he is talking about: he was born, grew up and made his mark in the circle that he opens for us here. For decades, he has collected archives, met with witnesses, interacted with the most influential players, and opened doors which are normally kept firmly shut. In his international bestseller, he finally offers us a 20th century illustrated history of fashion like no other—a saga, a family business, with noble fathers, prodigal sons, enthusiasms, passions, hatreds, strokes of genius and, of course, failures. The heroes are Dior, Saint Laurent, Kenzo, Sonia Rykiel, Prada, Hermès, and others. Their adventures are presented in an innovative chronological—and logical—order. From haute couture to the boom in ready-to-wear, the clothing industry, creators and designers, we witness the evolution in techniques, the shifting trends in the market, how an art matures and a culture changes. We also discover how the French ventured out of Paris to meet New York, London, Tokyo and Beijing. This book is a must for fashion lovers, professionals, and students who will find a thousand references never before presented. It will also enlighten the curious reader who wishes to go behind the scenes of this most seductive of theatres.
Download or read book So Audrey written by Cindy De La Hoz and published by Running Press Adult. This book was released on 2016-03-08 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: So Audrey is the most coveted of compliments among women who emulate Audrey Hepburn. To her legions of female fans, from teens on up, she is a paragon of class and style. Little black dress? That's So Audrey! Ballet flats? So Audrey! of you! A generous spirit? Well, it doesn't get any more Audrey! than that. Legendary superstar, trendsetter, and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn remains the epitome of style, charm, and humility in the face of enviable beauty for women of all ages. Filled with fashion and beauty advice inspired by Audrey, paired with gorgeous photos, this book imparts 59 little ways to put some Hepburn in your step.
Download or read book Tulum Gypset written by Julia Chaplin and published by Assouline Publishing. This book was released on 2019-08-01 with total page 3 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A hub for barefoot bohemians and glamorous goddesses, Tulum is a Mayan hideaway that perfectly distills the gypset lifestyle. An off-grid escape for nomadic creatives, it is a playground for spirituality and community. This tiny, idyllic eight-mile strip of sand on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is tucked between a tropical jungle, Mayan ruins, and the Sian Ka’an biosphere: It’s a heady vortex. Tulum’s isolated and breathtakingly beautiful environment also makes it the perfect place for those craving a deeper connection with themselves, others, and nature. Seekers (sun, spiritual, and otherwise) pilgrimage to this beach settlement in droves to join this avant-garde template for a new bohemian lifestyle that prioritizes healing, eco-friendly practices and organic cuisine. The boho-chic crowd’s home away from home, Tulum is a rare and successful modern experiment in both consciousness and sophistication, bolstered by its down-to-earth hotels, mesmerizing cenotes, and lush backdrop.
Download or read book A Saint from Texas written by Edmund White and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2020-08-04 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Edmund White, a bold and sweeping new novel that traces the extraordinary fates of twin sisters, one destined for Parisian nobility and the other for Catholic sainthood. Yvette and Yvonne Crawford are twin sisters, born on a humble patch of East Texas prairie but bound for far more dramatic and tragic fates. Just as an untold fortune of oil lies beneath their daddy's land, both girls harbor their own secrets and dreams-ones that will carry them far from Texas and from each other. As the decades unfold, Yvonne will ascend the highest ranks of Parisian society as Yvette gives herself to a lifetime of worship and service in the streets of Jericó, Colombia. And yet, even as they remake themselves in their radically different lives, the twins find that the bonds of family and the past are unbreakable. Spanning the 1950s to the recent past, Edmund White's marvelous novel serves up an immensely pleasurable epic of two Texas women as their lives traverse varied worlds: the swaggering opulence of the Dallas nouveau riche, the airless pretension of the Paris gratin, and the strict piety of a Colombian convent. For nearly half a century, Edmund White's work has revitalized American literature, blithely breaking down boundaries of class and sexuality, and A Saint From Texas is one of his most joyous, gorgeously written, and piercing works to date.
Download or read book The Battle of Versailles written by Robin Givhan and published by Flatiron Books. This book was released on 2015-03-17 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On November 28, 1973, the world's social elite gathered at the Palace of Versailles for an international fashion show. By the time the curtain came down on the evening's spectacle, history had been made and the industry had been forever transformed. This is that story. Conceived as a fund-raiser for the restoration of King Louis XIV's palace, in the late fall of 1973, five top American designers faced off against five top French designers in an over-the-top runway extravaganza. An audience filled with celebrities and international jet-setters, including Princess Grace of Monaco, the Duchess of Windsor, Paloma Picasso, and Andy Warhol, were treated to an opulent performance featuring Liza Minnelli, Josephine Baker, and Rudolph Nureyev. What they saw would forever alter the history of fashion. The Americans at the Battle of Versailles– Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass, Anne Klein, Halston, and Stephen Burrows – showed their work against the five French designers considered the best in the world – Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro, and Marc Bohan of Christian Dior. Plagued by in-fighting, outsized egos, shoestring budgets, and innumerable technical difficulties, the American contingent had little chance of meeting the European's exquisite and refined standards. But against all odds, the American energy and the domination by the fearless models (ten of whom, in a groundbreaking move, were African American) sent the audience reeling. By the end of the evening, the Americans had officially taken their place on the world's stage, prompting a major shift in the way race, gender, sexuality, and economics would be treated in fashion for decades to come. As the curtain came down on The Battle of Versailles, American fashion was born; no longer would the world look to Europe to determine the stylistic trends of the day, from here forward, American sensibility and taste would command the world's attention. Pulitzer-Prize winning fashion journalist Robin Givhan offers a lively and meticulously well-researched account of this unique event. The Battle of Versailles is a sharp, engaging cultural history; this intimate examination of a single moment shows us how the world of fashion as we know it came to be.
Download or read book The Audrey Hepburn Treasures written by Ellen Erwin and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Audrey Hepburn legacy is one marked by both elegance and excellence. From her timeless style to her extraordinary acting talent, from her devotion to home and family to her tireless work with UNICEF, Audrey's life has served as an example to her many fans as one of style and purpose. The Audrey Treasures will share with fans an intimate and revealing portrait of the woman they admire and adore. Throughout, Audrey's own words, drawn from existing interviews, will be given centre stage, to create a unique personal narrative for the story of her life. The surrounding manuscript will be lavishly illustrated with approximately 200 black-and-white and colour photographs and documents from the Hepburn Estate in addition to reproduced mementos from Audrey's life that will be housed in 13 glassine envelopes throughout the book.
Download or read book The Lost Symbol written by Dan Brown and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2012-05-01 with total page 625 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 WORLDWIDE BESTSELLER • An intelligent, lightning-paced thriller set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., with surprises at every turn. “Impossible to put down.... Another mind-blowing Robert Langdon story.” —The New York Times Famed Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon answers an unexpected summons to appear at the U.S. Capitol Building. His plans are interrupted when a disturbing object—artfully encoded with five symbols—is discovered in the building. Langdon recognizes in the find an ancient invitation into a lost world of esoteric, potentially dangerous wisdom. When his mentor Peter Solomon—a long-standing Mason and beloved philanthropist—is kidnapped, Langdon realizes that the only way to save Solomon is to accept the mystical invitation and plunge headlong into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and one inconceivable truth ... all under the watchful eye of Dan Brown's most terrifying villain to date.
