I Love Your Style: How to Define and Refine Your Personal Style

Farid Chenoune, Florence Muller

Yves Saint Laurent

One of the most distinctive and influential designers of the second half of the twentieth century, Yves Saint Laurent takes his place in the pantheon of French couturiers, alongside Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Jeanne Lanvin. Yves Saint Laurent, the first comprehensive retrospective of his life's work, will accompany an exhibition of some 250 garments from the collection of the Fondation Pierre Berge-Yves Saint Laurent at the Petit Palais in Paris. From his early days working under Dior and heading the House of Dior after his mentor's death, to the opening of his first pret a porter shop on the Rive Gauche and the debut of the Le Smoking tuxedo, to the muses he adored, Loulou de la Falaise and Catherine Deneuve among them, this volume reveals the breadth and scope of the designer's entire career. With a preface by Pierre Berge, author Faride Chenoune explores the sources of inspiration that drove Saint Laurent's continuous innovation, drawing upon painting, sculpture, theater, opera, literature, and cinema.

Sarah Jane Downing

Fashion in the Time of Jane Austen

The broader Regency period 1795-1820 stands alone as an incredible moment in fashion history unlike anything that went before or after. It was the most naked period since Ancient Greece and before the 1960s, and for the first time England became a fashion influence, especially for menswear, and became the toast of Paris. With the ancient regime deposed, court dress became secondary and the season by season flux of fashion as we know it came into being, aided and abetted by the proliferation of new ladies' magazines. Such an age of revolution and innovation inspired a flood of fashions taking influence from everything including the newly discovered treasures of the ancient world, to radical new ideas like democracy. It was an era of contradiction immortalized by Jane Austen, who adeptly used the newfound diversity of fashion to enliven her characters, Wickham's military splendor, Mr. Darcy's understated elegance, and Miss Tilney's romantic fixation with white muslin.

Nadine Coleno

The Hermes Scarf: History & Mystique

The Hermes scarf is a style icon. Worn by royalty and celebrities, coveted and admired, and now avidly collected, this deceptively simple square of silk is much more than just a fashion accessory: it is the stuff of legend. Since the first scarf made its debut in 1937, the House of Hermes has produced more than two thousand different designs. From the classic scarves that embody the Hermes tradition to the wildly imaginative stylings of contemporary designers, the House is always forging new paths and yet is never afraid to take a fresh and often witty approach to its own heritage. A scarf is not the work of a single individual; at each stage of its creation, talent and craftsmanship combine to create a work of art. These qualities shine through in the illustrations, by turns playful and poetic, which lead the reader into a richly colored world with a multitude of motifs. They range from the equestrian themes that are internationally associated with the Hermes brand, through French history and the natural world, to global cultures. From vibrant opulence to subtle harmony, every scarf conveys a mood and every one tells a story.