Kylie/Fashion

Fashion and divas go together like chocolate and peanut butter, so a big, flashy, colorful book on pop music star Minogue feels like an easy indulgence. Published on the 25th anniversary of the release of this style icon’s first big hit, “Locomotion,” the book is coproduced by Barker, Minogue’s stylist and creative partner, who has helped her define her image in the media since 1994. Softer and sexier than Madonna, less controversial than Lady Gaga, Minogue triumphs as a classic pinup, as a sex kitten in a Dolce & Gabbana cat suit, and in a John Galliano showgirl concoction. It’s unanimous: designers, stylists, and photographers agree (the book is peppered with their quotes) that Minogue is sweet and petite, and, in the words of photographer Julian Broad, “great girl, great arse!” Minogue’s fight with breast cancer gave her additional legitimacy as a role model and provided a new direction for her image: “I am so proud of the ‘X’ tour images: Kylie literally riding death itself, as she entered the arena on a giant silver skull, or Kylie poised like a geisha,” writes Barker in one of the book’s weirder moments. In spite of—or perhaps because of—its occasional over-the-top artifice, this fun book challenges anyone not to fall a little in love with Kylie. Photos. (Apr.)