Valentino: A Grand Italian Epic

For almost half a century Valentino dominated Italian haute couture, dressing the world's wealthiest and most glamorous women. Only a few years after opening his fashion house in Rome in 1959, Valentino could already count Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, and Audrey Hepburn among his devotees. Despite his retirement in 2007 little has changed; his brand continues to thrive and prosper, and is worn by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrowand Jennifer Lopez. Valentino has always designed magnificent gowns, never wavering from his signature style despite fads like grunge, deconstruction, and minimalism.

This book traces Valentino’s illustrious career through copious images from his archives, including drawings, magazine editorial shoots, advertisements, portraits, and documentary photographs. Presented chronologically, the visual material is accompanied by a vast array of newspaper and magazine articles about Valentino throughout the years. Combined, they provide an in-depth look at the man, his lifestyle, and his genius.

source:tfs

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100,000 Years of Beauty

• 100,000 years of beauty is 5 volumes of essays written by over 300 academics all about fashion, cosmetics from pre-history to present day. Commissioned by L'oreal. source
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• In 1823, a British professor named William Buckland discovered a skeleton covered in red ochre and surrounded by ivory jewelry in a cave in Wales. Buckland assumed the bones dated to the Roman period and concluded the woman was a prostitute because she wore jewelry. But it turns out "she" was actually a high-ranking man, perhaps a warrior or hunter, who had been buried 27,000 years ago.
• Ancient Egyptians were seriously obsessed with their appearance. Accounts of the period show that one of their criteria for beauty was pale, smooth skin. So both men and women used depilatory patches, as well as various products to lighten their skin.
• Medieval cosmetics involved lots of itchy and stinging products. Many women preferred to follow homegrown recipes: cucumber juice was said to remove freckles; boiled nettles improved your complexion.
• One professor of psychology speculates that after centuries of gender disparity, the future of humanity is androgyny, a kind of common, shared perception of beauty.

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Prada | Book Launch Party in Toronto

George Antonopoulos, Suzanne Boyd and designer Tu Ly attend the Prada Book Launch Party at the Prada Boutique on December 15, 2009 in Toronto, Canada.

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François Nars & Naomi Campbell Celebrate NARS 15X15 at Art Basel Miami

François Nars celebrated his 15X15 celebrity-portrait book. All proceeds from the book will be distributed among the celebrities' chosen charities . source

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