Daniele Bott

If the reader us able to overlook the sycophantic linguistics of the author (which shouldn't be difficult considering the stunning photographs) they may enter the fabulously glamourous world of designer Thierry Mugler. THe collection of photographs which showcase the 40-odd years of Mugler's reign may not follow the accompanying chapters (I often found myself at a loss looking for a described gown that was not illustrated), but the flow of images through the 5 chapters still works since the author has done a decent job of grouping them. Mugler's style is nothing if not a creative garden of wonders, and for those who look to the extremists of fashion for their art (think Alexander McQueen and John Galliano) this book will not disappoint as we are treated to glimpses from likely evry collection and whim of the designer.… (meer)

Bott's examination of the Chanel legacy is neatly confined into 5 subjects - the suit, the little black dress, the camellia, makeup, and jewelry - which gives this book a well-organized presentation that serves to capture the essence of Coco Chanel. I found the writing style to be quite approachable, but it was marred by the off-kilter page design. Textual paragraphs flow between pages, which is fine normally, but in this case become separated by images and full-page spreads. Doing do causes the reader to either flip quickly past the images (a shame) or to forget the trailing topic (which makes for a disjointed thought process). They would have been better served with smaller integrated photos or wholly separated text and graphics.… (meer)