4 comments about Models Secret.

1. it was the first book of ptk and therefore it was nice to read!



2. What Karkau reveals is not so much a behind-the-scenes look at the modeling world with snapshots of runway models and location shoots, though there is some of this. What he presents here is a glimpse into the deliciously sensual world that these models are so adept at creating. It's more fantasy than documentary, more beautiful than reportive. But is does all this with a distinctly grand and illustrious style, and the girls are so amazingly, so breathtakingly beautiful - long, tall, curvaceous angels that are experts at "turning on" before the camera. With the enthusiastic eye of a party-guest and the attention of a true voyeur, Karkau tantalizes us with scenes that are erotic, imaginative, sophisticated, and fun - with photographs that bring us closer to each model's secret. This is one of Michelle7's BEST BOOKS OF 2003.
   kerstin hebestreit



3. What Karkau reveals is not so much a behind-the-scenes look at the modeling world with snapshots of runway models and location shoots, though there is some of this. What he presents here is a glimpse into the deliciously sensual world that these models are so adept at creating. It's more fantasy than documentary, more beautiful than reportive. But is does all this with a distinctly grand and illustrious style, and the girls are so amazingly, so breathtakingly beautiful - long, tall, curvaceous angels that are experts at "turning on" before the camera. With the enthusiastic eye of a party-guest and the attention of a true voyeur, Karkau tantalizes us with scenes that are erotic, imaginative, sophisticated, and fun - with photographs that bring us closer to each model's secret. This is one of Michelle7's BEST BOOKS OF 2003.
     
   KERSTIN HEBESTRET



4. Do not bother with this book if you are hoping for anything artistic. I think the photographer just took some shots out of some portfolios and threw them to a publisher. The physical quality of the book is good, but the substace is lacking. I'm returning mine. Go with a classic from Peter Lindbergh instead.

No comments about The Politics of Appearances: Representations of Dress in Revolutionary France.

No comments about Shakespeare's Visual Theatre: Staging the Personified Characters.

3 comments about Yves Saint Laurent 5, avenue Marceau, 75116 Paris , France.

1. Though the producers and editors of this book have obviously taken great care and reverence in assembling the images seen in this hefty Rizzoli hardcover edition, it is nonetheless lacking.
   There is an eight-page, albeit in very-large typeface, essay extolling the philosophy behind the decades of YSL's influence and visions of modern fashion, as well as journal entries in Yves Saint Laurent's own handwriting that are written mostly in French. There are several famous quotes from him: among them the most famous of all "there is nothing more beautiful than a naked body."

   The photographs number in the hundreds, though only a handful of family photographs from YSL's childhood in Oran, Algeria are captioned with names. Otherwise, the documentary's images shot mostly in the atelier at 5 avenue Marceau are without caption or description, though you can discern the sense of creativity and endless discussion that is the process of the haute couture. The masterpieces of tailleur (suits) and flou (dresses) are often one-of-a-kind. Their numbers are usually limited to one or two copies, so the 2000 or so women who can afford the prices are not likely to see someone else wearing that same opera coat or evening gown which ends up photographed in the society pages of Paris and New York among other places. If you are paying $50,000 for a hand-embroidered Lesage suit jacket, you don't want to see it on the shoulders of a half-dozen of your fellow couture followers. Ca marche pas!

   Most interestingly the editors did not include many quotes from some of Saint Laurent's inner circle, except for a small contribution from his life and business partner, Pierre Berge. There is one short blurb from Catherine Deneuve, but no words from Loulou de la Falaise or Betty Catroux, or even Marie Munoz, directrice of the YSL atelier for years. There are some very old press clippings from the 50s and 60s when YSL was hitting the peaks of creativity, but very little from the pinnacle of his career, which would be most of the 1970s. In the 70s we witnessed some of the greatest moments in fashion history with the Chinese and Russian collections that set the trends for womens' wear for years after the clothes were shown in Paris.

   The book is full of images, but short on text. For those who are unfamiliar with all the innovations introduced for women's clothing, their number is second only to that of those brought forth by Coco Chanel. Saint Laurent created the women's pantsuit, the "smoking" or women's tuxedo, the trenchcoat, the safari look, khaki, the list goes on and on. Seeing the documentary would be more than helpful, as it would fill in many of the gaps.

   A beautiful book that leaves you only wanting much more...




2. If you are looking for a book about the designer YSL look somewhere else. If however you are interested in the flow of fashion design as done by YSL then this is a wonderful creation. To me it feels like a work of gratitude to all those involved behind the YSL name.



3. O.k. first, let me say, it's my own fault. With picture books it's best to have a look to see if you really want to spend the $. I didn't. I made an assumption that with YSL retiring this would be a retrospective of his glorious career. Not so. Fuzzy, boring, behind the scenes pictures of people at work in his atelier. Very few dresses and those shown aren't shown well. All in all a disappointment.

5 comments about The Brewer Twins: Double Take.

1. Just one of these guys is enough to turn your head...but a matched pair?...Double your pleasure, double your fun...with DOUBLE TAKE, DOUBLE TAKE,....you get the idea. Can you imagine.....?(finish this with your own fantasy)



2. The book is pretty boring. The text is lacking, and skips anything in depth about these twin dudes. The pictures could be so much better. They really skipped over the Joe Magazine affair of their lives. Too bad, as that was the best of the Brewer boys as far as I am concerned. It was real, and heartfelt - this book is not.



3. They're brothers. They're twins. They're lovers? That's what many of their photographs suggest. Pictures of the twins undressing each other, holding each other, caressing each other, gazing into each other's eyes, and almost kissing each other. I don't know if the brothers were wanting to show the public their incestuous relationship or if the photographer somehow persuaded them to do it but it has made them into two of the most successful male models on the planet and for that I applaud them.



4. Written for a child and about as thrilling as watching a Presidential debate on a hot summer day...

   Don't waste your money or time on this - not even for a die-hard Brewer fan!




5. The Brewer Twins, Keith & Derek, would, each on his own, be among the most beautiful youths on the planet: it would be difficult to find anyone to match such perfection. But here we see this beauty mirrored - and more than just doubled. These are not just two exquisitely-formed guys who happen to be brothers: they are twins, with the shared intimacy that goes along with that. The striking point about most of the photos in this book is that their physical beauty is complemented and emphasized by the beauty of their friendship and fraternal love for each other. One does not simply admire their beauty: one cannot help but delight also in the sheer joy of seeing such closeness between two guys. We catch a glimpse of something very precious here, something that warms the heart as well as appealing to the eyes. Male beauty does not come better than this: these guys are the stuff of which the Greek myths of Adonis & Narcissus, Achilles & Ganymede are made - only the Greeks never imagined there could be two such fair youths. Buy it: you'll enjoy hours of pleasure gazing upon the beautiful Brewers - I know I have.

No comments about Gianfranco Ferre (Made in Italy).

No comments about From the Kitchen to the Parlor: Language and Becoming in African American Women's Hair Care (Language and Gender Series).

No comments about The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Fashion and Fashion Designers, Second Edition (World of Art).

3 comments about Mandarin Squares: Mandarins and their Insignia (Images of Asia).

1. This book gives only a very basic introduction to Mandarin Squares. The number of photos is limited, and the book itself is very thin. For a much better book on the subject, check out Ladder to the Clouds by Beverly Jackson & David Hugus.



2. This is a useful book if you are just getting started learning about mandarin squares. However, this slim volume does not go into any depth. The limited pictures of mandarin squares do not give any indication of how the designs changed over time. The time spent discussing embroidery techniques do not add much to the understanding of the things that were being embroidered. I found Ladder to the Clouds much more informative.



3. Although Mandarin Squares might seem to be a narrowly esoteric subject, author Valerie M. Garrett helps us to realize that a facet can be a portal to understanding an entire era. One walks away with a fuller appreciation of just how a 12-inch-square silk weaving can determine how a person was regarded in Dynastic China. Garrett helps us understand how these rank badges of the ruling Mandarin class helped dictate the amount of respect show by others. We also gain understanding of the meanings of various emblems, as well as a great appreciation for the painstaking and artistic work that went into the weaving of these official marks of status.

No comments about The 70s: The Decade That Style Forgot.