The Fashion Book: New Edition

The updated edition of this 1998 “fashion bible” is again comprehensive, with 33 new photos and 72 new entries (Style.com, David and Victoria Beckham, Phoebe Philo, and others) among the 576 fashion influencers: designers, photographers, stylists, schools, models, editors, and icons. Also highlighting behind-the-scenes contributors, entries profile: milliners, hairdressers, make-up artists, cosmetics creators, retailers, illustrators, and tailors. Organized alphabetically, each fashion influencer is given a page and a photo that “illustrates a key aspect of the subject’s work.” The editors hope to show the “many collaborations and connections across the fashion industry,” thus the footnotes for each photo give credit to collaborators, many of whom are featured on additional pages as indicated in the index: Madonna is both an icon and Gianni Versace’s model. Accompanying the photos are brief descriptions, often 10 adjective-rich sentences or less, that describe the subject’s aesthetic, impact on fashion, and career arc, with a pithy quote from the figure if available. While the language is not entirely repetitive, the text takes on a promotional tone as the reader learns that each figure is an embodiment, enduring, timeless, or reflects the times. This substantial, richly illustrated introduction to the Western fashion world is best consumed in small bites. 315 color and 240 b&w illus. (Oct.)