Weekend Review: Heart On My Sleeve

Heart on my Sleeve / Jeanne Beker
TO: Simon & Schuster, c2024. 
256 p.

This memoir by Canadian fashion icon Jeanne Beker was a delight. Unlike a traditional memoir, this is structured as a walk through memory, tied to specific pieces of clothing. It highlights how something we wear can carry history and family with it, beyond just being a piece of clothing or an accessory. I really liked this concept and the way it was carried out. She shares an item, then talks about how she got it and the resonances of the piece. Each chapter has a line drawing to illustrate it, drawn by her own artist daughter. And this book sounds just like she's talking to you - the style is intimate and authentic, highlighting both the glamorous parts of her career and her personal challenges. 

I've read her earlier memoirs (such as Finding Myself in Fashion), and some of the stories here are repeated from those earlier books, but still just as enjoyable. The chapters are short, but cover a range of life moments. From the satchel her parents brought with them when they immigrated as Holocaust survivors, containing the small amount of family items they still had, to a Chanel dress given to her by Karl Lagerfeld, this book moves from touching and serious to funny & fashion-related. The pace is good and the book shares so many elements of her life, from her parents, partners and children, to the many famous fashion people she met and befriended in her many years of hosting FashionTelevision. 

There are some great moments included, from the unexpected generosity of Karl Lagerfeld (one of my favourite stories from past books too) to her interviews with fashion greats or music luminaries like Paul McCartney, Keith Richards and more (she worked on MuchMusic before fashion). I really enjoyed the way she started with her wardrobe and let each piece draw out recollections - we all have the experience of knowing just when and where we wore something, and what the meaning of it was to us; some pieces that we've kept forever because of that, and some that we could never wear again. 

This covers fashion history, Canadian history (a fun story about Pierre Trudeau, for example), family stories, and traces the development of Canadian media in a way, too. I thought it was a great read, and one I'd recommend to anyone interested in fashion or Canadian women's lives - especially if you were a fan of FashionTelevision in the old days like me ;) I think it's also of interest to sewists because we really feel the connection to our clothing and can understand the concept of this book fully. Enjoyed this one! 

Weekend Review: Young Originals

Young Originals / Rebecca Jumper Matheson
Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech UP, c2015.
240 p.

This is a book about style, but in a very particular way -- it's all about the creation of a "teen" fashion category, created by American designer Emily Wilkens. 

In the early 40s, Wilkens arose from a career in fashion illustration and designing for children, to become a breakout success in the new area of teenage upscale ready to wear. She started out designing some stage costumes for a play in which the character laments being in between 'children' and 'junior miss' sizes for her clothing - Wilkens realized that this was a real life problem as well and set out to bridge that gap. 

She was very successful, both at designing and at connecting her business to opportunities like boutiques in department stores and lots of promotion. She was very active in the 40s and 50s, but kept working into the 80s, although later on she was more of a health/spa influencer, as I suppose we'd call it now. Her approach was focused on youth and health as the appeal of her clothing and of teens in general. Her aesthetic was the sporty, lean American look, throughout her career. Some of her prescriptive statements in an book aimed at teens that she wrote in the 60s doesn't sit well these days - she says, for example,  ‘All men admire a slender beautiful figure, and there’s no one thing that spoils a girl’s looks, fun and popularity as much as excess weight’. 

This book is really fascinating, however, as a study of a designer that is almost unknown today. It's comprehensive and includes many black and white images as well as a centre insert of some colour images. The author bases her research both in archives (press clippings, designs, etc) as well as on extant Wilkens pieces in various museum collections. The concept of teen fashion is well explored and there was quite a bit of fun information here that was new to me. While this is an academic book, it's written in an engaging manner for the interested reader. I'm glad I found it thanks to my library! 

 

Weekend Review: Dressing the Resistance

 

Dressing the Resistance: the visual language of 
protest through history / Camille Benda
NY: Princeton Architectural Press, c2021.
208 p.

I've been meaning to read this for quite a while; now is a good time for it. This is a wide ranging book of social protest via clothing and the signification of a piece of clothing (or lack of it). Benda explores many movements from across cultures, from 1970s anti-war protests to revolutionary France to farmer protests in India and much more. She's focused on style - how a look was chosen, what was the significance, and why a dress-oriented protest stood out. 

There are fascinating sections on the use of colour in various protests, from orange in Ukraine to pink in India. There are discussions of the use of gender expectations in clothing and how that could be subverted to make a point, as with the male protesters in India who donned women's saris during sit-ins or gatherings. Or of the use of a 'uniform' for protestors, to easily identify a stance and to create mass impact. I wasn't thrilled by the inclusion of far right protestors alongside those who try to make life better; there were a couple that slipped in, and although their visual impact is also notable, it's not what I think of as 'protest'. 

Colours and thematic dressing were in full force for UK suffragists in the last century, as they had white, purple and green as shared colours, and some wore dresses printed with newspaper articles to highlight their cause. I found the connection of craft with protest particularly interesting; Benda links handcraft like knitting and crochet, millinery or banner making, to various movements. 

This is a colourful book in itself, with many photos to illustrate her points. It's a pleasure to look through, with such a visual record of different protests over so many different issues. Overall I found it a good read with so much of interest to those who believe that clothing can be a key signifier of identity or communication. Benda also refers to many other fashion historians and their work throughout, so this could lead you to many more books to explore. Definitely worth picking this one up. 

Weekend Review: Taylor Swift Style

 

Taylor Swift Style / Sarah Chapelle
NY: St Martins Griffin, c2024.
352 p.

This book came in to my library recently and I thought I would check it out. I'm not a Swiftie - I don't know much about her songs or persona other than the general stuff everyone knows. So I thought it might be interesting to see how her style works for her. 

This book was written by Sarah Chapelle, a blogger who has been writing the blog Taylor Swift Style for over a decade. There is a note at the beginning that this book is not officially endorsed by Taylor Swift or her team, it's put together by this blogger and it is her perspective. 

I found it quite fascinating, as I was not familiar with Taylor Swift's varied looks or 'eras' by album. This book does a good job of laying things out chronologically and explaining each album and its matching style, along with Taylor's life circumstances around each one. I feel a lot more knowledgeable about Swift's work and career now, so I don't sound so out of it when talking to music fans ;) 

Chapelle also talks about the haircuts and makeup choices that follow the fashion, and how it all works together. There is discussion of  'easter eggs' even in Swift's fashion that will lead superfans to speculate on what's coming next. It's clear that Chapelle is one of those superfans and sometimes the text here gets a bit fangirly for my tastes, but overall it is very informative and knowledgeable and really interesting. 

I did enjoy most of this book, and the 200 photos included really make it. I would have liked to hear a little more about the fashion houses that Swift works with and find out more about that aspect, but I guess that would have to come from Swift's team in another book. I liked seeing the evolution of her style and the many examples of how she creates personas for each album, and how the fashion is a big part of her messaging. Also I found a couple of dresses that I'd love to recreate for myself!  

A fun read if you're into celebrity fashion and the way that clothes can tell a story. I was reminded of Dolly Parton's book Behind the Seams, and think these two are both engaging fashion stories. 

Going Down Memory Lane with Paper Dolls

When I was going through some boxes of old stuff recently, I came across a book of paper dolls that I had forgotten I ever had. How it has stayed with me this long, I'm not really sure! But it was a delight to take a look through it. They even had accessories like a picnic table & croquet set 😄

It was a gift when I was quite young; I really loved Holly Hobbie, Strawberry Shortcake and similar things when I was young -- this set of paper dolls falls into the same general area. I guess my style preferences were quite clear! 

There were four dolls, each slightly different, with colour themed outfits for each. I hadn't even punched out some of the outfits!

But the most delightful thing about finding this old book was that when I opened it, homemade outfits fell out. I had not remembered doing this at all, but I think my interest in clothing started early! Looking at these, I do recall that my Mom would have us tape a doll to the window, and then we could trace outfits around the shape, and spend a lot of time colouring them in and adding decorative details. I'm sure she was happy that we had something we were focused on for so long ;) 

Do you remember paper dolls? Or did you have another way you showed an early interest in clothing and design? 

Weekend Review: Private Label

 

Private Label / Kelly Yang
NY: HarperCollins, c2022.
404 p.

I wanted to read this one because of its link to fashion -- the main character, Serene, is the daughter of a fashion designer, Lily Lee. And the fashion house is a big part of the story. 

Serene is 17, still at high school, and she also works at her mother's business - interns, really. It's difficult to see how she manages both, timewise, but you just have to go with it. She's also dating a big blond surfer, one of the popular kids, and hangs out with the popular girls, even though she is the only Chinese person in her entire area. Until Lian Chen shows up. He's moved to this California town with his family, thanks to his Dad's new job. But his parents are quite traditional, and both he and his little sister spend most of their free time prepping for college entrance exams. Well, they're supposed to be prepping, but his sister skips lots of her prep to go to a dance studio, and Lian is trying to become a stand-up comic. 

The good things about this story are the main characters - they are interesting and developed well. Their struggles with being Chinese in a bland white California town are clearly drawn, even if some of the other characters are a bit one dimensional in order to keep the story going. Serene's boyfriend is obviously a jerk right from the beginning, but she goes along with it. When she meets Lian there is an instant attraction but it's not really explained much, and it's hard to see how someone who has worked so hard to be one of the popular crowd would just suddenly flip to dating one of the very out crowd. Plus, how does she even have time for dating?? 

Lots of issues; her mother is diagnosed with cancer, and names Serene as the new head of Lily Lee, despite their investors' objections. The company investors want to sell; Lily wants the company to stay small and independent, and a couple of the board/investors are pretty cartoon villianish. Serene is also trying to find her birth father, in China, while dealing with her snobby social circles and her soon-to-be ex posting nudes of her online. Meanwhile, Lian is trying to develop his dreams of stand-up, against his parents' very clear expectations, and he's dealing with bullying and loneliness in America. Plus trying to date Serene on the q.t. without his parents finding out. 

I found it a quick read with some interesting themes. But I did feel like there was a bit too much going on at times, and also that the romantic teenager elements clashed a bit with the Serene-as-business-maven parts. I'm not sure that both were equally believable. But as a teen read, it's quick and with lots of glamour, teen angst and rebellion to attract readers. A light summer pick with some more intense themes included. 

Weekend Review: The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon

 

The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon / Sarah Steele
London: Headline, c2020.
416 p.

This is a typical kind of British family saga, in that there are multiple generations involved, family secrets, and a young woman at the heart of it all. But it's also particularly fascinating since it includes two women who are fashion sewists, lots of talk of dresses, fabrics and vintage sewing -- the structure of the book depends on it. 

As the book begins, Flo is at her grandmother's funeral. She was mostly raised by her gentle grandparents, so this is particularly wrenching for her. Also, her marriage is cracking up due to a miscarriage she had in the last year. All the sorrow is getting to be too much for her. 

She decides to stay at her grandmother's house after the funeral for some alone time, and wandering about, looking for an old sewing machine she knows must be there somewhere (Flo is one of the sewists in the book) she stumbles across a box of vintage patterns in her grandmother's bedroom closet. Flo has never seen it before, and as she opens it, she discovers a seamstress named Nancy - who is unknown to her. 

Nancy is from her grandmother's generation; the reader certainly knows a lot more about Nancy Moon than Flo does. It's a long trek for her to find out more, and that is what the book is all about. Flo's husband goes to American for a teaching gig, leaving her at loose ends; with the encouragement of her friend Jem, she decides to travel across Europe, following Nancy's path as much as she can from what she can decipher from the sewing patterns, which have postcards, ticket stubs and fabric tucked into the envelopes. She also decides she is going to duplicate the dresses that Nancy made so that she can wear them on her trip. 

While we don't see or hear much about Flo's process of making the dresses (pretty quickly I'd say) we do follow her to Paris, and then to Venice and beyond, as she tries to replicate Nancy's movements and research where and what and why. Each section, based on a location, moves back and forth between Flo's era and Nancy's, and we get to engage with both of them and their varied experience in different decades. It's also interesting to read it this way, as the reader can follow Flo's investigations and see whether she's on the right track or not. 

I enjoyed the descriptions of the dresses that open some of the chapters, and the discussion of style and fabrics and individuals who are highlighted because of the statements they make with their wardrobe choices. The author has included a gallery on her website that shows all the vintage covers of the patterns she discusses in the book, if you want a good look at the outfits that both Nancy and Flo are making. 

There a few moments in this book in which coincidences strain credulity, but overall it was an engaging read with some good character development. And the settings are also quite lovely to read about! If you like books about family secrets and sewing, I'd definitely recommend you give this one a try. 

Weekend Review: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

 

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris / Paul Gallico
NY: Bloomsbury, 2022, c1963
320 p.

I've always known about this book but didn't read it until recently; I finally picked it up when this movie cover edition crossed my desk at the library. It's a fairly short book but it was a delight to read. It was published in the 60s but there isn't too much in it that is terribly dated to ruin it, which is always nice. 

Mrs. Harris is a London char-woman who is always positive and down-to-earth. She has her regulars who she cleans for; some are lovely and some are, well, not so much. But when she's cleaning Lady Dant's apartment, she sees the most beautiful thing she's ever seen in her life: a Dior dress. She determines at that moment that she is going to have one, despite how ridiculous it sounds. 

And so she embarks on a savings journey, squirrelling away every extra penny and even going to the track. After two years of determination, she heads to Paris on her quest. But there is so much she doesn't know, like that you don't just walk into Dior like it's Woolworths and pick up a dress off the rack. But fortune favours the bold, and despite barriers in her way, she is put in the path of so many people who decide to help this charming lady. And she passes any help and good fortune she has on to others, too, taking joy in the small things of life and valuing love and connection. 

There are some events near the end that I wished the author had decided differently about, but in the main this is a charming book with a sense of joy and community, leaving you with a definite feel-good vibe. I thought it was full of the delight of Paris and of course of Dior and dressmaking in general -- there are employees and customers of Dior who befriend and help Mrs. Harris, and even a cameo by the great man himself. There are dreamy descriptions of dresses and fabrics and ateliers, as well as of the beautiful streets and markets of Paris. It's so lovely. 

I enjoyed this one so much that I immediately watched the new movie. Unfortunately it doesn't have the same uplifting charm; it highlights a little more of the disappointments and dissatisfactions in the story. It was a good film and Leslie Manville was great as Mrs. Harris, but there is no real 'edge' to the book while there is in the film, and perhaps it was because I had just finished the book two days before the film that I wasn't completely taken with it. I'd say that with this one, as with most book to film experiences, be sure to read the book first if you can ;) This edition also included a second novel, Mrs. Harris Goes to New York, but that one is missable. There is none of the charm of dressmaking and Paris, and it definitely loses something for it, becoming more sentimental than delightful. Stick with Paris and Dior and you'll enjoy the reading!

Weekend Review: Willi Smith, Street Couture

 

Willi Smith, Street Couture / Alexandra Cunningham Cameron, ed.
NY: Rizzoli Electa, c2020
256 p.

Willi Smith: Street Couture is a companion to the exhibition Willi Smith: Street Couture, which was very briefly on view in person at Cooper Hewitt in 2020 but has a full online exhibit to experience!

It's a great read in its own right, and it was enjoyable to pore over the images. 

It's made up of 21 different sections, plus an introduction and timeline, and each chapter takes on a different aspect of Willi Smith and his fashion career. From personal recollections to examinations of his design aesthetic, retail growth, creation of sewing patterns, to even a look at the graphic design used by his company Willi Wear, there is a huge variety of intriguing info laid out here. There are also lots of images; Rizzoli does these kinds of books so well. It's a great overview of Willi Smith and the ways in which his designs were shaped, sold and have remained so fresh. 

I really became fascinated with Willi Smith earlier this year when I used a vintage Butterick pattern to make my project for the Black History Month Pattern Designer Challenge. I loved this pattern, and had known a bit about him but I felt that I wanted to learn more. This was a superb resource to do just that! 

I enjoyed the range and the organization of the book. There are discussions of his personal life, his business(es), partners, the actual clothes, his design visions, and a very relevant chapter on his work with McCalls and Butterick and why he believed that sewing patterns were an important part of his business. In that chapter, the authors point out that Willi Smith's mother and grandmother both sewed and he saw that you could be fashionable without being rich -- his position was that his designs were for the everyday person on the street, that they should be accessible. And as part of that, he respected home sewers. In fact, his viewpoint is quoted in this chapter: 

Smith respected the home sewers’ awareness of their bodies and willingness to take risks, and saw this audience as more intimately connected to fashion as a means of individual expression than the ready-to-wear shoppers who followed the colors and trends of the runway. He understood how choosing the pattern, selecting a custom fabric, and assembling the full garment allowed many possibilities for invention.  (you can read the full article about his patterns at the Willi Smith Archive)

I also appreciated that the book covers his strong relationships and support from both his sister Tookie (a model) and his business partner Laurie Mallet. The women in his life were huge supporters who helped him succeed, and it is acknowledged and shown here. There is also a frankness about his personal life as a gay black man in the 80s, which is such a key element of his work as well. And it affected his career, as he was one of the many victims of the AIDS epidemic, dying at far too young an age. 

I'd definitely recommend this book, as it is full of information, personal anecdote, fashion talk, and wonderful images. And if you can't find it, do check the online exhibit as much of it can also be found there. Enjoy! 

Weekend Review: Dress Code

 

Dress Code / Véronique Hyland
NY: HarperCollins, c2022.
288 p.

This is a book of essays by a fashion journalist, one which I picked up mainly because I was intrigued by the mention of "Millennial Pink" on the cover -- I hadn't realized that this journalist coined the term. It's a phrase that always makes me think of Connie Willis' novel Bellwether, about a fad researcher, in which "PoMo Pink" plays a big role.  

In any case, I ended up really enjoying this collection. It's broken up into four sections: 

• Underpinnings: Why We Wear What We Wear (five essays on trends, themes in fashion, fads and influence etc)
  
  
• The Top Layer: Fashion and the Wider World (four essays on how fashion shows up in everyday life, and how it's used in presenting the self in many settings)
  
  
• High Heels: Dressing Up for the Patriarchy (three essays on the male gaze, fashion in women's lives vs in men's, and politics and fashion)
  
  
• Moon Boots & Jumpsuits: The Future of Fashion ( three essays on how we are all dressing the same way, in life and in work settings, and musings on bodily expectations for women)

I found many of these intriguing, and the book was a lot more focused on the ways that fashion affects everyday life than I'd expected. From uniforms to dressing for court, she really digs into the way we can not opt out of "fashion" in life. There is also more political content than I'd anticipated, and it really brought up some great points. Patriarchy, sexual exploitation, equality -- lots of interesting conversation going on. There is also, of course, fashion oriented talk, like the discussion of how Millennial Pink started to appear everywhere (like on the cover of this book!) But even that has a deeper, societal meaning than simply being a colour fad. 

I enjoyed the way the book was organized, and thought the themes were developed well. There were one or two pieces that I found less engaging, but overall, there was something to discover in each one. There is history to back up her theses, there is discussion of contemporary events and fashions, there is politics and forecasting -- just about everything. I'd recommend reading this book bit by bit, not all at once, as it's easier to think about the essay you've just finished if you give it a bit of space. It's a good one to pick up between other books, to read one or maybe two essays. 

It is also very readable; the author is a journalist, not an academic, so her work does move along quickly and keep your interest. The essays are not very long so overall it's an accessible read that touches on topics that you don't have be a fashionista to understand and be interested in. It's more about fashion in many corners of daily life, so I think many readers would enjoy this one. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in how fashion threads its way through our lives. 

Weekend Review: By Her Own Design

 

By Her Own Design / Piper Huguley
NY: William Morrow, c2022.
367 p.

This is a novel based on the life of Ann Lowe, a Black designer who sewed for high society; she's probably best known for Jacqueline Kennedy's wedding dress. However, 'best' known is still not widely known, and when author Piper Huguley discovered her story she decided to write a novel to spread her story. 

Huguley has written three earlier novels, all romance, and that shows in this book. The first half of the book, as Ann is growing up and experiencing her two marriages (she was first married at 12 years old), is rich and dense with detail and emotion. The genesis of her desire to be a designer, and the development of her sewing skills at the feet of her mother and grandmother, is all laid out, explaining Ann's devotion to her dreams of being an artist. The relationships between Ann and her mother, grandmother, and sister are deeply drawn, followed with the appeal of her two husbands and then her love for her only son -- all these elements are compelling reading. 

Once Ann has shaken off the relationships that are holding her back, though, and sets a course for her new life in New York, the story moves more quickly, skimming over a lot of the many storied years Ann spent running various shops and designing for a multitude of famous people. There are highlights of some of the most dramatic moments of her later life - the Kennedy wedding dress and a closely averted disaster, the loss of family members, a retrospective gala for her in her later years -- and each moment is certainly affecting. But the second half focuses less on her personal life than the beginning. 

Still, I really enjoyed this book. The writing brought this woman to life, and evokes an era in which her success was much more unlikely than otherwise. Huguley captures small things that really illuminate the wider world, and Ann is a great character to follow through the many changes across the 20th century. And even better, if you're intrigued, you can look into more about the real Ann Lowe and see some of her work after you've finished the novel. I think this is a great introduction to her life and story, and would recommend for any fashion lovers. 

Weekend Review: Clothes-Pegs

 

Clothes-Pegs / Susan Scarlett
London: Dean Street Press, 2022, c1939.
206 p.

This is a reprint of the first romance by Susan Scarlett, the pen name of well known author Noel Streatfield. She wrote a dozen romances under this name, and I was obviously drawn to this one! 

It's the story of Annabel Brown, a nice girl from a middle class English family who works as a seamstress at Bertna's, a higher end fashion house, to help with family finances. Annabel is also young, slender and lovely, which works in her favour when one of the mannequins (models) from downstairs quits, and the owner needs a quick substitution. She decides to pull Annabel from the sewing room to the front lines, so to speak, and gives her a quick training to become of one of the four models showing off new collections. 

Two of these models are catty, the other is fairly mysterious but kind to Annabel. And on one of Annabel's first turns in her new job, she sees wealthy Lord David de Bett in the audience and falls for him at first sight. Of course she also catches his eye, despite the fact that he's there with the Honourable Octavia Glaye, who isn't very honourable in real life; she is really quite awful! This scene reminds me a little of the beginning of The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz. 

A cross-class romance ensues, with ups and downs and misunderstandings, as in all good romance novels. But Annabel's goodness overcomes class lines, as well as David's obsession with the madonna/whore complex. He is the sticking point in this book for me; he's not good enough for Annabel, jumping to unsubstantiated conclusions about Annabel near the end and only relenting when he finds out the truth accidentally from someone else. It felt a little icky for a reader of today, really. Other than his character, though, this story was charming - the Brown family is the heart of it and Annabel's work as a seamstress and as a mannequin are both frothy with clothing description and the way clothes make a woman feel. Bertna's was a delight to read about and while the romance felt a little clunky, the rest of it - especially the family interactions - was enjoyable and engaging. Definitely worth a look. I found this one through my library's online collection so perhaps you will be able to as well! 

Weekend Review: Finding Myself in Fashion

 

Finding Myself in Fashion / Jeanne Beker
TO: Penguin, c2011
230 p.

Canadian readers will recognize this author immediately! Jeanne Beker is an icon in the Canadian fashion scene, as the long-time host of FashionTelevision among many other roles.

This memoir from a decade ago covers 40 years of her work in the tv world -- and this is an interesting mix, because it's about fashion but really more about fashion from the perspective of a journalist than someone on the inside of design house. It sheds another light on this world. 

Jeanne was always energetic and ambitious, and she chronicles her youthful character and escapades that led to her work in theatre (she's a trained mime!), radio, and then eventually tv. She moved into fashion journalism after working in the music field at MTV for a while, and that gritty energy helped her make FashionTelevision into a more interesting show than a simple model host might have. Plus she had all sorts of interesting connections from her earlier work to bring into their show. 

I really enjoyed reading about the work angle of this book -- it was fascinating to see her career trajectory, and how she also lost her job due to ageism -- still happening in the tv world for sure! But she found other fashion focused work to move to. She shared stories of meeting fashion greats like Karl Lagerfeld or Alexander McQueen, and shared how her down-to-earth persistence got her access and built relationships. The story of how she was sent to interview Karl early on, while hugely pregnant, was quite entertaining -- and she got an original Chanel out of it! 

The book also talks a lot about her personal romantic relationships, from the breakdown of her marriage to the many dates and relationships she had after that. I wasn't as interested in this element of the book at all, but these stories do round out the picture of her life and how her work affected all parts of it. 

If you want a look at the fashion world from another angle, and you also fondly remember watching FT and Jeanne Beker, this might interest you too. 

Weekend Review: Behind the Seams

 

I first encountered Esme Young via the Great British Sewing Bee, and had a vague idea that she was a fashion person brought on to the show. I feel some affinity with her as a fellow short person with a similar hairstyle, too ;) 

So when I saw this title I was very interested, and fortunately a friend gave me a copy! I really enjoyed reading this relaxed memoir. It has stories about her life from young girl to present day, but it's not just a chronological progression. It covers various times in more detail; the highlights are her years running Swanky Modes, a design house/storefront with 3 friends -- they were one of the first to use Lycra as a fashion fabric, not just for workout gear -- as well as her work with Central St Martins as a pattern cutter instructor. And of course, there are the years of the Great British Sewing Bee! 

The style is quite relaxed and fun; if you are familiar with her from the Sewing Bee, you'll recognize her 'voice' as it is the same in her writing. She has some great anecdotes from her time in the fashionable crowd in London, especially in the years of Swanky Modes - like meeting David Bowie, or even the small, homely details of how she built relationships with the children of her business partners. I found this different from other fashion memoirs in that she had a different relationship to fashion -- she wasn't a trained designer trying to make it in couture, she was a rather down to earth pattern maker who decided to start a boutique with three of her friends and just had fun with it.  

And sewists will enjoy reading about her pattern work and the way it shaped her career. At Central St Martins she mentored designer Ashish Gupta, and talks about their work together even now -- one of her most memorable outfits on the Bee was a sequined granny square pattern jacket made by Ashish so it all makes sense! I enjoyed this story of a woman who followed her passions and did it all on her own. She talks about work as a key element of her life, and when she was asked to be on the Bee she seemed surprised that she was invited to audition; there was no snobbiness or sense that she was assured anything due to her history or connections. And she seems happy with this new gig - as she says, she wants (and needs) to work until she dies, and this is just one more new experience for her that has brought opportunity. 

This was an enjoyable read. The tone felt very natural and entertaining, and I learned quite a bit about her life, and fashion in England over the past few decades. There's nothing too dark in it, and you get a sense of her habit of just getting on with things. Recommended for any fan of English fashion personalities or the Great British Sewing Bee! 

Weekend Review: Anna: the Biography

 

Anna: the biography / Amy Odell
NY: Gallery Books, c2022
447 p.

I've always been intrigued by Anna Wintour, and since this new biography arrived in my library I thought I'd grab it -- it's an authorized bio, and very lengthy, but not gossipy like earlier unauthorized attempts at writing about Wintour. 

It's quite thorough, beginning with Anna Wintour as a child; it talks about her family beginnings and her parents, explaining how both their personalities and their family backgrounds and careers affected Anna's direction. Unlike her siblings, she was more interested in fashion and journalism than university, and once she found her direction she went for it with precise aim. 

It covers all her early jobs and how they shaped her career in magazines, both by her successes and by those places and roles that she wasn't so successful at. It was interesting to see that here was somebody with a distinct vision and a particular personality, who wasn't too good at all the things that people are supposed to do to "pay their dues", but was superb at the role she wanted and finally got - editor of Vogue. 

She found early on that she didn't like many of the elements of a fashion job; going out on site as the producer of a shoot wasn't for her, and many of the daily grind kind of things weren't either. It was running the show and shaping the vision for the magazine that she wanted and was really good at. This kind of focus on doing what she wanted to be doing was interesting to me - how did she keep on with everything else in the meantime? I guess thinking about it as a step toward the ultimate goal. 

Anyhow, the book does talk about her personal relationships to a degree, and does point out some of the missteps she made at other magazines as well as the one or two big errors at Vogue. But it was written by a fashion insider (Odell is the editor of Cosmopolitan.com) and depends heavily on interviews with friends and family, as well as being okayed by Wintour, so there isn't too deep of a discussion of the various criticisms she's faced over the years. 

Along with the personal, there's quite a bit about the workings of the fashion world in general, and about Condé Nast in particular. A reader finds out a lot about the bosses and the work culture at this magazine consortium, and my lord, you'd have to have a thick skin to make it there. I've noticed that Anna Wintour was not front and centre at every runway show in the past while, and wondered about it, but here I discovered that she is no longer the editor of Vogue but the overall content manager for Condé Nast as a whole -- so now it makes sense. 

If you're also interested in fashion journalism and the history of Vogue magazine, and have a fascination with Anna Wintour like I do, this is a good read. Lots to think about here even if it isn't an "exposé" of anything, but more of a putting on record of Wintour's career overall. I feel like it did a good job of tracing her personality and how it developed and worked for her (and against her) in her chosen field. And it also pointed out how many of those traits were only criticized or examined because she was a powerful woman - many men in the same roles were far worse but never got a comment on their leadership at all. Fascinating read about a huge figure in the fashion world, I enjoyed it. 

Weekend Review: Fashion Manifesto

 

Fashion Manifesto / Sofia Hedstrom
trans. from the Swedish by Sarah Snavely
NY: Skyhorse, 2013, c2011
184 p.

August is Women in Translation Month, and to celebrate here I'll be reviewing fashion titles this month that were originally published in a non-English form. (for lots of fiction in translation, you can also check out my book blog, The Indextrious Reader, during August, too).

I'm starting with this book from my local library. I've looked through a few times over the years, but realized I've never shared it here. It's very much on trend right now, despite being published almost a decade ago. The author, a fashion journalist, decided to set herself a one year shopping ban challenge, after realizing her purchases were taking over her life and her closet, and that she had clothes stored not only in her own apartment, but her parents' home and even in an ex-boyfriend's parent's place. She was super strict about it, not buying anything new at all for a full year, not even shoes or undies. 

She started her challenge on August 1 so the story of her year of no buying is right on track for this week! The book is fascinating; she's a fashion writer so her style is very engaging and lively. The book is laid out very well, with an intro by Vivienne Westwood, well-known for her motto of "Buy Less, Choose Well". There is an intro of how Hedstrom decided on this project, and then a month by month timeline of her experience -- temptations, alterations, her feelings about the challenge and so on. It was interesting to see the initial 'withdrawal' period followed by more confidence about her existing wardrobe and finally the feeling that her shopping addiction was under control. Creativity came to forefront as she put together new combos of outfits, used things in different ways, learned some mending and dyeing techniques, and borrowed from and swapped with friends. 

Her own story is the main focus here, but she also interviewed other people about their sustainable (or 'style-savvy') shopping habits. The middle of the book is the actual Manifesto, laid out like a cool poster that you can copy and sign and post for your own purposes. And the second half of the book is projects with a variety of people she's interviewed, showing how they maintain and refashion their own wardrobes. It's fascinating, ranging from regular clothing to accessories like shoes and hair stuff, including jewellery. There's a nice mix of young and old, men and women, and some diversity though mostly people on the thinner side.

The projects are great as concepts even if the more edgy, punky ones aren't my style at all. But there are ideas for quilting and mending as well as fishnet jeans or leggings made from sock cuffs. It's interesting to see someone who is travelling around to the high pressure fashion weeks, where it is expected that you'll be dressed in the latest, who is able to redo her existing clothes and not stand out as an oddball. She mentions how not giving in to the temptations for all the latest things helped her sense of self as well as her wallet. Overall, this is probably familiar to you if you've paid attention to the "shop less" sustainable movement of the past decade, but this book is well done and fun to read. I enjoyed it and you might too!

Weekend Review: Fashion Forward

 

Fashion Forward: Striving for Sustainable Style / Raina Delisle
Victoria, BC: Orcabooks, c2022.
52 p.

This children's book is a colourful and positive introduction to the idea of sustainable fashion for middle schoolers. It's short but covers a lot of ground. 

It has four sections: Dressed to Impress, Fashion's Footprint, Taking Action on Fashion, and Be a Fashion Hero. Each of these sections cover the realities of fast fashion, the peer pressure of trends, environmental and human rights issues with fast fashion, alternatives to buying new and lots of it, history of shopping and production, and more. The book finishes up with some encouraging information on ethical fashion and how to participate in various movements to increase sustainability in the fashion realm. There's even a final page with a few other reading suggestions and lots of websites to check out. 

I think the author has done a good job of covering these complex subjects in short bites appropriate to the age of the targeted readers. The tone is positive and encouraging, and there are lots of suggestions on how to improve on the problems she brings up. The photos are also plentiful, colourful, and feature a diverse range of people. 

As an introduction to these topics, which many younger readers are already talking about, this is a great addition to a library collection alongside other books on fashion and on the climate crisis. I'd definitely suggest it to any younger reader who is a budding fashionista or is involved with a "green" group through their school or community. It's informative but not overly depressing, which is important - we can only change things when there's still some hope there. 

Weekend Review: Bloom

 

Bloom / Kyo Maclear & Julie Morstad
Toronto: Tundra, c2018.
40 p.

I saw this intriguing picture book biography at work; Kyo Maclear and Julie Morstad are two of my favourite Canadian picture book duos so I obviously had to read this. It's an unusual book - told very simply and illustrated with the specific style I expect from Morstad. It's lovely, and features the colours and designs Schiaparelli is known for. 

It tells the life story of Elsa Schiaparelli, all the way from the beginnings when two disappointed looking parents stand above her crib, sad she isn't a boy. And as she grows, she finds that unlike her older sisters, she is "brutta" -- ugly. She becomes enamored with flowers, which represent beauty to her.

The book focuses on the 20s and 30s, when she becomes a part of the surrealist art movement, and shows how that shapes her as a designer who can't actually sew, but has a vivid, experimental imagination. Because it's a picture book format, it's of necessity brief and glosses over quite a lot, but at the end there is more info and some suggested reading to learn more. I found this both useful and a little strange; all the suggested readings are books for adults, and it left me wondering who exactly the audience for this book is. The content is more suited to older readers; the style is more suited to younger ones. It lives in our children's department so perhaps those older middle grade readers or younger teens who have a passion for fashion might want to pick it up. So far it's been mostly adult readers enjoying this one here. 

But it could be included in an art classroom for sure, and would stand up to other titles about creativity and art. I liked it, and as always, found the illustrations charming. 

Weekend Review: Zero Waste Fashion Design

 

Zero Waste Fashion Design / Timo Rissanen & Holly McQuillan
London: Bloomsbury, c2016.
223 p.

I requested this book via Interlibrary Loan after reading about it in Liz Haywood's Zero Waste Sewing. She mentions that these makers inspired her to design with zero waste techniques, and so I wanted to check it out too. 

It's fascinating, but quite dense. It's noted that this is focused on being a textbook for fashion designers and students, and if you were either I think this book would be invaluable. For home sewists with an interest in the area it is a bit overwhelming! But, as mentioned, still pretty intriguing. If you have an interest in sustainable fashion, this would be a great addition to your reading.

The book goes over many areas of zero waste - history and basics of zero waste designs, pattern cutting and manufacturing zero waste garments including using digital technologies, adapting existing designs for zero waste, and looking forward in the design field. Lots of information and a wealth of illustrations of finished designs as well as cutting layouts are given. In between there are interviews with designers who use these techniques or are experts in pattern cutting - from Winifred Aldrich to Yeohlee and many more. These were interesting and added a lot to the reading experience. You can find a complete list of the contents on the publisher's page if you want to get a closer look at what's inside.

If you're confident with how to put together zero waste patterns from the pieces on a diagram, you might be able to make a few of the pieces illustrated in the book. If not, it's just a great start to understanding the concepts and purposes of zero waste design. I find that many of the designs are pretty shapeless and bulky for my own tastes so will keep watching the zero waste space for future growth. I know that already, Liz Haywood has been able to design some pieces that are more fitted and "traditional" looking so I'm sure that style will develop further. But just reading the interviews and the explanations of various collections was informative and worth the time to explore this book.

Definitely worth taking a look at this one if you can find it in your own library. It is rather expensive so probably best purchased if you're a fashion student or someone interested in designing your own zero waste patterns. 

Weekend Review: An Anti "Black Friday" Book List!

I just read an intriguing article over at Book Riot, all about setting yourself your own Mini Reading Intensive. Basically creating a self-made syllabus on a subject you're intensely interested in. Author Laura Sackton had some good tips, like making sure the authors you are reading have varied perspectives, and reading across genres, from non-fiction to memoir/biography to fiction, poetry, and articles. Also, she suggests not overdoing it and expecting yourself to read multiple books a month, rather to set a reasonable goal and spread it out. I like this concept -- and we all know that textiles are a subject that I, and probably most of you reading this, are especially concerned with.

So no specific book to review today -- in dubious honour of it being the Black Friday weekend, I thought instead I'd share a book list or two with you instead. The terrible rate of fast fashion increases over this weekend, causing more and more waste than ever. I follow Fashion Revolution, and they have a special focus on the effects of Black Friday on their blog & socials. They shared a great list of books to read if you want to find out more about how fast fashion affects us all. This is a great resource if the fashion industry is an area you'd like to set a Mini Reading Intensive for. 

I've read and reviewed just a few of these titles so far -- Loved Clothes Last, The Conscious Closet, and Wardrobe Crisis. Now many of these others are in my sights. I've also read a couple of others that would fit into this theme, like Dress With Sense (a really good one!) 

If you are thinking about sustainability more in the area of home sewing and your own practices, there are some great titles out there on mending, refashioning, upcycling and so on, that can inspire. Here are a few I've reviewed in the past: 

The Refashion Handbook by Beth Huntington

Mend by Kate Sekules

Wear, Repair, Repurpose by Lucy Fulop

Joyful Mending by Noriko Misumi

Generation T by Megan Nicolay

Mend It, Wear It, Love It by Zoe Edwards 

Visible Mending by Jenny Wilding Cardon

Mending Matters by Katrina Rodabaugh

Or you might want to approach something like this by choosing an area of sewing to focus on, like doing a deep dive into the history of textiles and techniques (Threads of Life, The Subversive Stitch) or investigating a particular natural fabric - history of, how to sew it, best projects for it, where to source it sustainably etc. 

Is this kind of Mini Reading Intensive something you do naturally? I like to read by mood and interest, so do kind of follow this type of thematic reading, but I like the idea of setting a syllabus so that the perspectives I'm reading are varied and cover a lot of ground. Sounds like a great plan for 2022! I might be pondering something now...