THE 10 BEST READS OF 2017

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The House of Worth: The Birth of Haute Couture

This reader/reviewer was slack jawed when realizing the lasting influence that this designer/brand had on future generations as well as the foundation that was built for the art of haute couture. You might take notice that Worth influenced everyone from Jacques Fath, Charles James, Christian Lacroix, Giambattista Valli, and Christian Dior, as well as John Galliano’s oeuvre for Dior; frankly it’s an extraordinary accomplishment and legacy that few ever allude to.

All About Yves

All About Yves contains little that is new but with this unbelievably unique presentation, Örmen has unearthed a treasure trove of memorabilia that has only been previously written of but never seen in book form. The monograph was first released in France last year and now its translation appears here in the USA at a time that seems propitious given the very recent openings of the YSL museums in both Paris and Marrakech.

Fashion Together: Fashion's Most Extraordinary Duos on the Art of Collaboration, Trust, and Love

Fashion Together is a collage of 18 redacted interviews between Stoppard and her subjects. The primary or main topic is about the dynamics of working together as a team while involved in some creative process having to do with the world of fashion. What is most stunning in many ways is that the conversations range from intimate to vapid to enlightening to cases of TMI.

John Galliano: Unseen

Unquestionably Robert Fairer has delivered a gift, a paean, and a love letter to every fashion aficionado, the business of fashion, as well as to any fashion reader no matter their level of fashion education. This uniquely gifted visionary with exquisite talents has taken it upon himself to jolt our fashion consciousness and literally shout at us that John Galliano is undeniably one of the greatest designers of our generation.

Chaumet: Parisian Jeweler Since 1780

Be prepared to be dazzled by their work in pearls, cameos, and exotic materials that boggles the mind; who knew this was the favored jeweler of Napoleon and Josephine? Who knew that they centuries ago they collaborated with Breguet to produce timepieces? Who knew that there was such a thing as a “watch” that told time and a separate one to tell the day of the week? The book is full of bits and pieces of ephemera that will feed the most hungry and inquisitive of minds.

Dior: The Collections, 1947–2017 (Catwalk)

Alexander Fury has perhaps written one of the most insightful, intelligent, eloquent and detailed appraisals and assessments of all that was Dior haute couture—each designer, each collection, and each era. The introduction and text are head and shoulders above any before, especially when dealing with a singular brand or designer. What is confounding is that regardless of the superlative content and style with which it is written, there is nothing to prepare you for the visual and informational onslaught that lies within this epic 632-page tome.

Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion

Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion is a crash course in all things Cristobal Balenciaga but in a highly curatorial way. For the very well fashion educated reader there may not be a lot that is new, but Miller is so all encompassing and thorough that the book is remains a must read. For the less informed reader the book will give them everything they might ever need to know about this consummate creator and designer.

House Style: Five Centuries of Fashion at Chatsworth, Home to the Devonshires

One is given a rare glimpse into their sartorial choices, their impossibly luxurious living conditions as well as heirlooms, treasures and remembrances. The complex fabric of the Devonshire clan including friends, relatives, and preferences when it came to designers and where to shop, what to buy and what purpose they served is all laid out within.

Dior by Christian Dior

Saillard, who is an amazingly skilled and well-spoken historian and author, offers us just enough text to remind the reader of the history and the man and the genesis of the brand, but what happens outside the text is simply beyond one’s wildest expectations. The reader is transported to an exquisitely curated view of the Dior archive that will surely be a revelation to most. This reader came away with a new set of opinions and perspectives.

Italian Jewelry of the 20th Century

The narrative is encyclopedic in content yet enormously interesting and engrossing. If the prospective reader has more than just a passing interest in the finest of jewelry, this book will certainly satisfy or a fill a void that has been missing in the annals of jewelry makers and their histories.

FOR FULL REVIEWS PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK ….  https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/reviewer/jeffrey-felner

James Moore retrospective.. a book review

"James Moore, the book, is a dazzling and yes, astonishingly and sensationally assembled chronicle of one of the greatest fashion photographers of the last half of the 20th century. The book is the quintessential photographic catalog of a single artist whose work is far more visually ubiquitous than the recognition of his name. This was a man who had passion, talent, vision, and a spirit that was practically unmatched in the world of fashion."

FOR FULL REVIEW... click the link...  www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/james-moore

THE REVIEWER New York Journal of Books

http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/reviewer/jeffrey-felner

The Interviewer's interview

Editors note - I decided that it would be fun to interview all the various people that write here on Shrimpton Couture's Curate and also work behind the scenes to bring you all the amazing content and Vintage Couture that you see posted daily on our sites. I asked Maria to set up interviews with everyone (and then I will turn the tables on her at some point). We decided to break each interview into two sets of questions - the first set is a more focused and in-depth look at each member of our team and then the second set quick round that will be asked of everyone. Today we meet Jeffrey ....


If we read to feel we are not alone, then Jeffrey Felner’s world is one of unmatched sartorial splendor. Felner has penned hundreds of book reviews spanning every topic of personal adornment, and along the way, has acquired an invaluable wealth of fashion knowledge. And while his career was focused on production and sales, Felner has the soul of a critic. His voice is as discerning as it is bright, and one would be smart to follow his guidance up and down the world’s glossiest runways, not to mention along the ever-growing bookshelves of fashion tomes. Be sure to catch his wonderful series “Impossible Conversations” on CURATE, and if you are feeling frisky, head over to his blog for the latest review of the Fall 2014 Haute Couture presentations.

I’d like to start with your Impossible Conversation features, which are a real gas. Have you always been imaginative and clever?
I am pretty savvy when it comes to life so I hope I am very clever even though I can honestly say it is a skill that gets honed over the course of one’s life. The “ghost” interviews or the truly “impossible conversations” are fabulous for me as I get to play a character after having read and studied about the person. I try to be faithful to the subject and I try very hard to be a bit bitchy but honest as that surely adds to the fun of it.

One of the points I take away from the series is that fashion is an industry full of strong voices – in your opinion, what individuals have the strongest voices in fashion?
I have little to no use for those who regurgitate press releases and discuss front rows and venue when reviewing a collection. Today we have fawners and panderers for the most part who are afraid of insulting a potential or existing advertiser. I don’t buy into the Tavi’s and Bryan Boys as I believe that in order to truly open a discourse on fashion, one needs to be educated by what they read, by literally working in the trenches of fashion, whether it is retail or wholesale, and being able to apply experience to knowledge and then translate that to what is presented to you. There are very few reviewers that I truly respect but I do like Robin Givhan as she is bright, articulate and knowledgeable.

I really enjoyed your book reviews, which are concise and instructive. Can you tell us your favorite fashion book?I have come to enjoy so many of my books … my favorite subjects rather than specific books are Mrs. Vreeland who I find endlessly astounding and inspiring; Dior, both brand and designer as they are an endless source of history and education; and Karl who is a walking book in himself exclusive of his creative output but there are so many fabulous one off books that I have loved. Books need to be impulsive, covetable and visceral for the reader.

What is your least favorite?
Without naming names let’s say that there was a book on Minimalism in fashion that was written in the most arcane and esoteric language and manner that I found it almost laughable. It might be trite to say it but it is clothes not rocket science and while I take fashion very seriously, I understand that it is not a cure for cancer or a solution to world peace. What also causes me to be offended is when I believe that the author has no clue about the subject or that some information within a book is incorrect and has not been thoroughly fact checked.

You have worked in many facets of the fashion industry, as a textile designer, buyer, critic. I was wondering how you felt about the current pace of fashion, and the hoopla that surrounds the shows? What improvements would you make and do you think change is possible? I think designers talk too much for starters. They design clothes and while it may be perfectly fine to discuss one’s inspiration for a collection there is no reason for a treatise on the subject... What is often ignored and rarely spoken of when a collection is reviewed is whether or not a collection is salable, merchandised well or who the target audience might be. Another factor that seems to be excluded is the price of some of these wonders which does play a part in the business of fashion. Lastly it would be nice for the reviewer to be smart enough to make a reference if a theme has been done before or a style or technique etc.

What is your favorite thing about New York?
New York City is a living breathing runway show every single day no matter where you go and no matter what you do. For me, it is just a visual feast that allows me to see a variety of subjects whether it is people in the street, store windows, buildings, and subway riders or dogs being walked. I am educated and enlightened every day even if I have only been to the supermarket and the dry cleaner that day.

TO READ THE INTERVIEW IN ITS ENTIRETY ....PLEASE  VISIT ...http://www.shrimptoncouture.com/blogs/curate/14793641-meet-our-team-jeffrey-felner