5 comments about Vanitas: Designs.

1. "From the theatrical to the whimsical, Gianni Versace's designs have something for everyone. On these pages, his sketches and finished works of haute couture, ready-to-wear, accessories, jewelry, and opera and ballet costumes as well as artworks created by and for Versace are interpreted by top photographers such as Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Bruce Weber. The pictures are accompanied by three very different kinds of writing: commentary by Hamish Bowles, Style Editor of American Vogue; a new short story by Isabella Bossi Fedrigotti, an Italian journalist and award-winning novelist; and a text by Lady Julia Trevelyan Oman."



2. 
   Gianni Versace - just the name brings to mind visions of high fashion, haute couture, incredibly beautiful fabrics swishing by on colt-like mannequins with arched eyebrows and the highest cheekbones. Vanitas: Designs is glamour between covers as it presents the designs, ready-to-wear, accessories, jewelry and costumes by Versace.
   
   The almost 300 folio-size, full-page startlingly colorful picturers are accompanied by texts penned by Hamish Bowles, Lady Julia Trevelyan Oman, Andre Leon Talley, and Isabella Bossi Fedrigotti. Quotes by Versace enliven the already quick paced commentary.
   
   The section on embroidery, from buttonholes to ball gowns, features garments decorated with threads of gold and silver, bugle beads, all reflecting Versace's eye for the imaginatively stunning.
   
   Here is a beautiful, bold, sometimes brash collection of some of the most opulent designs in our world of fashion.
   
   - Gail Cooke



3. I am 14 years of age, and thought this book was excellent. Any Versace fan would love this. The book is so bright with beautiful Miami inspired colors, very artistic illustrations, and wonderful pictures of his great creative designs. Though this is only up to his 1994 designs, it shows many of his best of all time. In this book, there are pages of his designs, theater designs,and more. This book is great. You never get bored when either reading the few pages to read, or when you are looking at the pictures and illustrations. It is a must have for the fashion lover, especially for the Gianni fan.



4. I am 14 years of age, and thought this book was excellent. Any Versace fan would love this. The book is so bright with beautiful Miami inspired colors, very artistic illustrations, and wonderful pictures of his great creative designs. Though this is only up to his 1994 designs, it shows many of his best of all time. In this book, there are pages of his designs, theater designs,and more. This book is great. You never get bored when either reading the few pages to read, or when you are looking at the pictures and illustrations. It is a must have for the fashion lover, especially for the Gianni fan.



5. This is my favorite book on Gianni Versace! It does an excellent job of showing excellent examples of the beautiful embellishments that make Versace what it is...SPECTACULAR. The art work is beautiful and the full color pictures are why this book is on my cofee table. It sums up Versace's work wonderfully!

3 comments about A Flowering of Quilts.

1. this is a magnificent collection of quilts. like many other quilters, i have quite a few books devoted to antique quilts--whether museum or state project collections or the quilts of other countries. this is one of the best.
   
   many of the quilts shown are unlke any others i've seen in any source. the range and wealth of design and originality are breathtaking and inspirational.
   
   the sections dealing with women's roles in 19th century america and their relation to botany is well written and very interesting.
   
   the photos and written descriptions of the quilts are very good. it would, of course, have been lovely to have had detailed shots of the quilting, but that is possibly the only criticism i have about this book.
   
   definitely a book for any quilter's library, and also valuable to anyone interested in the lives of 19th century women.



2. This book presents 53 full color quilts from the Ardis and Robert James collection at the Nebraska State Museum. The quilts are all superb examples of cut-out chintz applique, album style, applique, pieced and some crazy quilts. It examines the influence of gardening and botanizing on 19th century quilt designs. I highly recommend this book to the quilter, or quilt lover. It gives a detailed description of each quilt, and brings out design elements that might otherwise be overlooked. I own many quilt documentation books and have not seen most of the quilts in this book before. Many have never been publicly displayed before. It is absolutly gorgeous. Buy it!!! You will not be disappointed.



3. Enhanced with 53 color plates, 11 b/w illustrations, five charts and an index, A Flowering Of Quilts is a superbly presented compendium of the quilter's art with selections drawn from the Ardis and Robert James Collection of the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska. A spectrum of quilting styles is presented including cut-out chintz applique quilts, album-style quilts, red-and-green floral applique quilts, pieced quilts, crazy quilts, and more. Each botanically inspired quilt is supported with a detailed description of its applique, piecing, and quilting techniques, as well as historical, horticultural, and botanical background information on the quilt's design and execution. Informative essays explore the nineteenth century women's sustained interest in botany and examine the parallels between their flower garden designs of the era. A Flowering Of Quilts is a strongly recommended addition to any personal, professional, academic, or community library needlecraft reference collection.

No comments about LOST Ultimate Guide Season II: The Unauthorized Guide to the ABC Hit Series Show LOST Season Two.

2 comments about Fashion through the Ages: A Dress-Up Lift-the-Flap Book with Portfolio.

1. I LOVE this book. I've reciently used it in school to do a big project on Elizabethan fashion and it help me get an A+ on it. If your looking for a GREAT book to use on a project or just a COOL book to read then THIS is the book for you!



2. This book has wonderful illustraitons with lift up flaps that give you information on the outfit. For every Era they show what a woman would wear, what a man would wear, what a girl would wear and what a boy would wear. They do more than just describe one layer of clothes. If you lift up a shawl for example they will describe it. Then you lift up the dress and read the discription then you lift up the petticoats and read the discription. An added bonus is that there are facts and mini drawings all around tha pages borders.

3 comments about Leg.

1. If you like legs, this cute coffee table book is perfect for you. In a word this gem is legi-licious.



2. I would have liked to seen more attractive legs in it but it's a cute book.



3. This book contains many different pictures throughout the ages of the shape of the woman leg in every possible situation. In stockings, bare leg, with platform shoes, or flats, you will find a picture for your foot or leg fancy.

No comments about Human Game: Winners and Losers.

No comments about The Essence of Perfume.

5 comments about Dress to Express: Seven Secrets to Overcoming Closet Trauma and Revealing Your Inner Beauty.

1. A book on style that starts from the inside--yes, please! It's great to feel good in your clothes, but that's frosting on the cake. To feel beautiful inside and out takes so much more than a great scarf or well-cut jacket (fabulous as those are!), and this book is one of the very few that truly recognizes that. It's a shame that some people spend a huge amount of time and money on trying to perfect their outer image without realizing that there are people who feel (and are!) beautiful in thrift-store clothes and there are people wearing clothes from Vogue and W who feel flawed and ugly. This book goes much deeper than many books on style, and for that reason it's a fantastic addition to the books that focus only on fashion tips.



2. This book is o.k., just o.k.. The advice is fine but not revolutionary. There are other resources which can and do, cover the same subjects with greater clarity.
   
   I recommend The Pocket Stylist which remains my all-time favorite (I am a bit addicted to books on fashion and style).



3. Too much psychology and not enough strategies...
   Try "Ready to Wear", "The Pocket Stylist" or "Does This Make Me Look Fat?".



4. This is a great book which will help you to re-evaluate your wardrobe and identify items which can work for you.
   
   If nothing else it might help you get the strength to clean out your closet:)



5. 
   Dress to Express is an empowering book that shows you how to look and feel your absolute best. It gives you the tools to define the image you want to project, and then how to select the right clothing and accessories to suit your personality and body shape. It also helps you overcome all types of clothing issues, including our emotional patterns regarding clothing.
   
   It's also such an inspiring book as the emphasis is just as much on inner beauty, confidence and self-esteem. I loved all the exercises and checklists throughout the book, especially the personality clothing types. The book has really made shopping so much easier and more enjoyable. I can't recommend it highly enough!
   
   Erica

5 comments about Chasing Rainbows: Collecting American Indian Trade & Camp Blankets.

1. "Chasing Rainbows" is beautiful, profoundly informative and more fun to read than any collecting book you've ever owned...period!



2. I received this book as an early Christmas gift and now I'm buying a dozen copies to give to friends and family. This is the most beautiful and interesting collecting book I've ever read. The author is remarkably funny while delivering all the information on the subject anyone could possibly absorb. Just a fantastic effort.



3. Most books about collecting have lovely photos and dull text. This is an exception! Friedman's text is fun and helpful, with photos used as examples.



4. Wow- that's entertainment. Who knew blankets could be so fun and interesting? Now I do! A unique era in American history is crystalized in this book. If Barry writes it- I'll read it. Laughed out loud- often.

   Superb- buy it and will it to your favorite child.




5. I own a massive library of books on every imaginable collecting subject and none has given me more joy than "Chasing Rainbows". Barry Friedman has intertwined his vast knowledge of Indian blankets, American history, the antiques business and garnished the result with a unique sense of humor and breathtaking photos to create a book that is an absolute gem. This is a great book from a very gifted man.

2 comments about Dress in Eighteenth-Century Europe 1715-1789 (Revised Edition).

1. One of the most beautifully illustrated books I have read, the text and gorgeous images combine to create a fascinating, informative, detailed book. Ribeiro does a magnificent job explaining the portraits and the era, explaining trends, exceptions to the general fashions, discussing icons that changed styles, and getting into the nature of fashion and costume. The myriad of color illustrations show differences between French and English fashions, middle and upper-class looks, day and evening wear, and some fantasy and extreme costumes of the era.



2. It's hard to encapsulate everything that the 18th century was into a single volume, but as far as fashion goes, this book gives a darn good try. The pages are filled with period paintings and portraiture - excellent primary resources for research, but it would have done better to have photos of actual garments to survive the era (there are plenty in excellent condition in museums and private collections around the world), but that's just me being nit-picky. It's an excellent volume and an important resource for anyone studying the period.