Vogue

[Review of earlier edition: ] An art book about gowns must be as opulent and enchanting as its lavish subject. So it is with this grandly produced and mesmerizing celebration of Vogue's devotion to the ultimate haute couture confection. Ellison, features director at British Vogue, has astutely curated a collection of 300 romantic, irreverent, and racy photographs from the 1920s to the present of gowns worn with poise and attitude in mise-en-scenes stark and sumptuous, indoors and out. The gowns are marvels of grace and audacity, sophistication and mischief, and the images are sequenced not according to date but rather to style, categorized as classical, fantasy, drama, decorative, and modern. Gowns have inspired photographers, from the renowned Cecil Beaton, Edward Steichen, and Herb Ritts to current adventurous players Corinne Day, Mario Testino, and Tim Walker, to feverish creativity as they seek to capture allure, sangfroid, and rebellion. And how magnificent the models are, from Hollywood stars to such fashion royalty as Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Kate Moss, as they bring each gown and vignette to glamorous, sexy, or playful life. A stunning volume.--Donna Seaman"Booklist" (11/01/2014) [Review of earlier edition: ] Ellison, features director at British Vogue for nearly a decade, mined the archives for this sumptuous love letter capturing the essence of Vogue: beautiful women in beautiful gowns. Expertly arranged to rhyme across the years, images are not chronological parades of similar dresses but rather echoes of posture, spirit, and drape that illuminate the appeal of the gown in many guises. Ellison's text divides gowns into classical, fantasy, drama, decorative, and modern categories. The author also offers chatty, thematic essays, and annotates each photograph or illustration with an extended caption. The book itself is appropriately well dressed, with hundreds of full-color images on heavy paper in a foil-embossed satiny cover and slipcase with Vogue logo-print endpapers. It seems designed to be pored over or dipped into for inspiration, rather than read cover to cover. Now fashion editor for the Financial Times, the author lends a historian's eye to this inaugural volume in the series--highlighting photographers, designers, models, and famous women of the past century. Its index is a who's who of fashion history, and the foreword is by Alexandra Shulman, editor of British Vogue. VERDICT This extravagant compilation will seduce anyone who is drawn to powerful photographic images and the visual sweep of Vogue's history.--Lindsay King, Yale University Libraries"Library Journal" (11/01/2014) There's no better couture combo than Vogue and gowns... A book featuring some of the most incredible haute couture designs from the early 20th century to today.--Kelli Acciardo"Brit and Co" (07/29/2017) This is a sumptuous book celebrating the elegance and style from the world of haute couture! From the early 20th century to present day, the 300 photographs have been themed and featured in five chapters entitled: Classical, Fantasy, Drama, Decorative, and Modernist.--Ann Coombs"Ann Coombs Annual Holiday Gift Guide List 2017" (11/01/2017) Explores and commemorates the power of gowns over the years as photographed by Vogue magazine.--Sabrina Maddeaux"National Post" (12/06/2017)