A good book should leave you… slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it.
~William Styron 1958.
I’ve made no secret of the fact I love to read – fiction, non-fiction, autobiographies you name it and I’m willing to read it, curled up with a cuppa and square or two of chocolate – especially when the weather continues to be rather cold and unwelcoming outside.
So imagine my delight when I came across a couple of new books on the subject of another passion of mine – fashion!!
The first is ‘How to Read Fashion’ , a crash course in understanding styles by Fiona Ffoulkes.
Fashion is all around, and most of us are affected by it whether we like it or not. Yet how many people know the origins of the little black dress, the stiletto or a lady’s handbag? How many people know why the Chanel bag is known as the 2:55 bag? Or how the main fashion trends of the past 200 years relate to contemporary styles?
Author Fiona Ffoulkes has worked in costume and design for the past thirty years including fifteen years as a stylist for ITV and BBC. She says that the top fashion houses have always made use of styles from the past to re-invent new designs but adds that there are always technical, social and cultural factors to transform original concepts into something new. Here are a few classics . . . .
THE LBD
Use of black in women’s clothing has a complex history. It has been used for mourning, particularly in the 19th century and has been used for dramatic effect when combined with contrasting textures and colours.
In the 1920′s designers such as Chanel promoted the idea of the simple short black dress that was suitable for all occassions.
When you can’t decide what to wear, the little black dress always comes out on top.
So it’s no surprise that the black Givenchy gown, worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, has been named the greatest screen outfit of all time.
The ultimate LBD starred in the opening credits of the 1961 film, and one of the three original versions of the dress sold for £410,000 in 2006.
Simple and classic every girl should have a LBD in their wardrobe !
THE HANDBAG
In the 18th century, a pair of pockets were worn under full skirts to keep small items like handherchiefs. The alternative was a simple bag with a drawstring used for needlework. As gowns became narrower it was more practical to carry a small bag called a ‘reticule’, the forerunner ot the modern handbag.
In the 1920s, Coco Chanel became tired of having to carry her handbags in her arms and decided to design a handbag that freed up her hands. Inspired by the straps found on soldiers’ bags she added thin straps and introduced the resulting classic quilted design to the market in 1929. After her successful comeback to the fashion industry in 1954, Chanel decided to update her handbag, for the modern women. The resulting design was called 2.55 after the date of creation, February 1955.
Stylish and classic, a thing of beauty, don’t you agree??
THE STILETTO SHOE
The term ‘stiletto’ comes from the name of a type of slim dagger. It was first used in the 1950′s to describe shoes that had heel tips of just a quarter inch diameter. This was made possible by a metal shaft support within the heel. Some of the most infamous high, thin heels have been produced by shoe designers such as Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo.
Strappy and stylish from Jimmy Choo
Classic and chic from Louboutin
These facts are just a few of the myriad on offer in the book, so for everyone who loves fashion, treat yourself to a copy of How to Read Fashion by Fiona Ffoulkes ( £9.99 Herbert Press).
And remember as lovely as the designer offerings are above, there are plenty of shoes and handbags to suit all tastes and all pockets coming soon to MODA. We will do our best to finish off your special Summer outfit perfectly!
Another literary offering is ‘Postcards From the Edge of the Catwalk’ by Iain R Webb.
Paula Reed, style director at Grazia magazine said of this book,
“At every fashion event there is the invited audience, and then there are the privileged few, whose access transcends the velvet ropes and vip rooms. For longer than I can remember, Iain R Webb was one of the few who was invited everywhere and had the presence of mind to take pictures of what was happening. There is no better guide to fashion’s inner sanctum. This book is the next best thing to actually being there.”
Iain R Webb’s ‘Postcards from the Edge of the Catwalk’ is a personal photographic portfolio spanning three decades that documents the glittering furore surrounding the ready-to-wear and haute couture fashion collections in New York, London, Milan and Paris. The photographs, snapped by the award-winning fashion journalist from the insider vantage point of his front row seat and invite-only parties, capture a world of show-stopping creativity and inspirational individual style. It features supermodels and style icons that include Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, , Erin O’Connor, Kate Moss and Anna Wintour.
Mr. Webb, who has been involved with fashion for over 30 years, has assembled a snap shot collection of photographs that not only focuses on the designers but also on the entire cast of what it takes to produce a successful fashion show, something I personally find fascinating. (Another secret treat of mine is watching ‘Kell on Earth’ on the IMAX channel where PR Guru Kelly Cutrone struts her stuff at many a fashion show – riveting and hilarious! Deffo worth a watch!)
Through this book we are given the opportunity to see, almost first hand, what it’s like backstage, who is in the audience—and not just the famous—and the obsession that all these people have in common: the love of fashion.
It’s the perfect coffee table book and available from Amazon and all good book shops.
Another must read is ‘Fashion Babylon, a 2006 book by British author and journalist Imogen Edwards-Jones and anonymous – “anonymous” being a ‘wide and varied collection of people who all work at the heart of the fashion industry’. According to the author, her top three sources are all very high profile and very much at the top of the fashion world. And like me you will dying to know exactly who they are!
The book is set to follow the life and times of a small fashion house based in London. Over a six month period from the day after the house’s fashion show in London to their next season, the narrator describes the journey for producing a new collection.
From the blurb, you get immediately why I’m recommending it:
What is fashion? What is fashionable? Who decides what’s in and what’s out? Why is it green one year and blue the next? Why is one little black dress worth £3000 and another thirty quid? Is the catwalk really that catty? Is everyone high on drugs and full of champagne? What makes a supermodel so super? And a designer too hot to touch? Who is making the money? Who owns who? Who hates who? And who’s in each other’s pockets?
This book is really fiction in disguise but it is full of facts and anecdotes about the thrilling world of fashion that cause a definite double take as you struggle to put it down. How much is true?? Who knows but it is an entertaining and very enjoyable read. Highly recommended!
So there you have it. A few ravishing reads for the dark Winter nights when you just want to snuggle into your duvet in fleecy PJ’s . But fear not girls tomorrow is the first of February and Spring IS coming.
At MODA we are eagerly awaiting our new stock which is due anytime. Again here are a few choice titbits to tantalise you for when the days are long and luscious . . . .!
White and stylish from United Nude
Miss L Fire Summer 2011
Happy reading and please let me know what you think of any of the above or if you’ve something to recommend yourself, I’d love to hear it!
Karen x
Article source: http://modashoes.co.uk/blog/2011/01/31/manolo-jimmy-choo-chanel-supermodels-fashion-trends-fashion-babylonaudrey-hepburn/
Filed Under Fashion News
Tags: Ladies Shoes Fashion
