This volume is an unprecedented history of Louis Vuitton’s women’s bags, the most coveted line of accessories in women’s fashion. At the heart of Louis Vuitton are its City Bags, a range of women’s bags that dates back to the turn of the twentieth century. Featuring the trademark monograms of the house, the City Bag story began with the Steamer, a resort bag designed in 1901 to be packed inside a much larger steamer trunk. These bags have in a hundred years formally diversified into a dizzying array of handbags for every conceivable function demanded by the modern woman. Profoundly influential, City Bags are now known to millions by their descriptive names (Keepall, Bucket, Papillon, Alma, Locket, Noe, Speedy) and are still evolving into more fantastical forms. Lavishly illustrated with new and archival photography, historical graphics, landmark editorials, and ad campaigns, the volume traces the history of these specific bag families, and examines the earliest specimens and today’s most sought-after collectibles, including Vuitton’s collaborations with Takashi Murakami, Stephen Sprouse, Richard Prince, Yayoi Kusama, and Rei Kawakubo and one-off projects by Zaha Hadid, Shigeru Ban, Vivienne Westwood, Helmut Lang, Andrée Putman, and of course, Marc Jacobs. Louis Vuitton: City Bags is an ambitious volume on the creation and cultivation of a cultural phenomenon.

The first in depth portrait of one of the world's best known luxury brands, this elegant volume traces the remarkable history of the House of Vuitton, which has been making practical but stylish luggage, handbags and accessories for more than 150 years. Written with full access to the company's archives, the book itself demonstrates Louis Vuitton's passion for fine design with a stunning array of archival art, historical images, product designs and sketches, and cutting edge advertising. The book explores the company's tradition of quality and innovation in the context of sweeping changes in society, art, culture, fashion and, above all, travel. Examining the life and times of the company's first three leaders; founder Louis (who invented the modern trunk), his son Georges and his grandson Gaston, the text focuses on the firm's development under their guidance. It also discusses Vuitton's explosive growth toward the end of the 20th century, including the 1987 merger with Moet Hennessy that made it part of LVMH, the world's largest luxury goods company and spurred the expansion of its boutiques to more than 300 locations in 50 countries around the globe.

This monograph documents Louis Vuitton's highly visible collaborations with an elite group of artists, architects and photographers, including Takashi Murakami, Julie Verhoven and Anne Leibovitz.

“With Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster, [Dana] Thomas—who has been the cultural and fashion writer for Newsweek in Paris for 12 years—has written a crisp, witty social history that’s as entertaining as it is informative.” —New York Times From the author of Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes Once luxury was available only to the rarefied and aristocratic world of old money and royalty. It offered a history of tradition, superior quality, and a pampered buying experience. Today, however, luxury is simply a product packaged and sold by multibillion-dollar global corporations focused on growth, visibility, brand awareness, advertising, and, above all, profits. Award-winning journalist Dana Thomas digs deep into the dark side of the luxury industry to uncover all the secrets that Prada, Gucci, and Burberry don't want us to know. Deluxe is an uncompromising look behind the glossy façade that will enthrall anyone interested in fashion, finance, or culture.

From Louis Vuitton's Second French Empire pageantry to the brand's Far East launch; from the classic LV travel chest to Nicolas Ghesquières's trunk-inspired collection; and from the house's emblematic monogram, to recent creations merging it with daring designs from contemporary artists, this volume tells the story of Louis Vuitton, the fashion house that embodies the spirit of travel and quintessentially French elegance the world over. Explore the people, the places, and the clients at the heart of the Louis Vuitton story--the kings and princesses, intrepid explorers and prima donnas, fantastic creations, objects, and accessories--which imbue Louis Vuitton with the spirit of travel. Discover the evolutions in technology and design that have proved essential to the success of this extraordinary brand. The work offers a journey into the Louis Vuitton universe, the brand's rich history, and its passionate defense of quality craftsmanship, art, and artists. With insight from the Vuitton archives, this work reveals the constantly evolving design inspiration that is central to the brand, walking the line between classic style and modernity.

"Imagining Ground Zero: Official and Unofficial Proposals for the World Trade Center Site documents not only the master plan competition, won by Studio Daniel Libeskind and sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, but also proposals submitted by invitation of and published by New York magazine, proposals from the exhibition at Max Protetch Gallery, as well as a selection from the more than 5,000 schemes submitted to the competition for the World Trade Center Memorial. This survey features in depth the official scheme for the site, designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with the collaboration of Daniel Libeskind of Studio Daniel Libeskind; Reflecting Absence, the winning scheme for the memorial, designed by Michael Arad and Peter Walker; and, as well, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, designed by Santiago Calatrava, DMJM + Harris, and STV Group."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The first-ever, comprehensive and authorized showcase of legendary fashion designer Bob Mackie’s fabulous life and work, featuring hundreds of photos and dozens of never-before-seen sketches from his personal collection. Cher, Carol Burnett, Bette Midler, P!nk, Tina Turner, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Angela Lansbury, Diana Ross, Beyoncé, RuPaul, and Madonna...what do they all have in common? All have been dressed by Bob Mackie. For nearly six decades, the iconic and incomparable Bob Mackie has been designing stunning, unforgettable clothing. His unique, glamorous—sometimes hilarious—creations have appeared on Broadway stages, TV screens, runways, and red carpets worldwide. For his pioneering genius and continual reinvention, he is a Tony Award and nine-time Emmy Award winner, a three-time Oscar nominee, and recipient of the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. For the first time, he has granted full access to his archives and personal memories to the authors of this lavish celebration of his achievements. The Art of Bob Mackie is the first-ever comprehensive and fully authorized book showcasing Mackie’s work, from his early days as a sketch artist for the legendary Edith Head at Paramount to his current, cutting-edge costumes for pop stars and line of accessible, wearable clothing for QVC. In addition to hundreds of glorious photos and dozens of dishy recollections from Mackie and his many muses, this gorgeous volume features never-before-seen sketches from throughout his prolific career, from Marilyn Monroe’s iconic “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” gown to Carol Burnett’s “Went with the Wind” curtain-rod dress, to Cher’s show-stopping 1986 Oscar look. As other designers have burst onto the scene and faded out of fashion, Mackie has soared from success to success, always remaining relevant because he has always been spectacularly fashion-forward. With a foreword by Carol Burnett and an afterword by Cher, The Art of Bob Mackie is a stunning must-have for lovers of sequins, beads, and feathers; Broadway shows and classic television; pop music and pop culture; and fashion with incomparable flair.

Reaching beyond the intimate setting of the fashion show, the photographer paints a portrait of haute couture that takes the couturier’s intention to enchant the public and elevates it to the level of the sublime. The great names in photography, the mythical photos that have constructed Dior’s image, and the emblematic subjects of the house’s iconography—whether they are dreams of a faraway place or captured in the vast open-sky “studios” of Paris or Versailles—are all evoked in this vast panorama that takes us through more than sixty years in the history of fashion photography. Published to accompany the Dior and Fashion Photography exhibition presented at the Musée Christian Dior in Granville, France, this lavish volume presents a wealth of gorgeous photographs that bring the character of the couturier’s dresses to life, with each photographer interpreting them in his or her unique style. Legendary contributors include Horst P. Horst, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Cecil Beaton, Norman Parkinson, Henry Clarke, William Klein, Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, Sarah Moon, Paolo Roversi, Nick Knight, Ines Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Tim Walker, Willy Vanderperre, Patrick Demarchelier, and many more. Stunning, glamorous, and iconic, Dior and Fashion Photography exemplifies how the haute couture house transcended fashion to enter the realm of legend.

Dior is one of the most revered names in fashion, the archetype of the Parisian couture house. Famous for launching the “New Look,” Christian Dior’s landmark first collection that marked a sea change in women’s dress after the Second World War, Dior is known today for its exquisite couture line of dramatic dresses. This book comprises a portfolio of portraits of over one hundred incredible gowns from the entire era of Christian Dior haute couture, including dresses designed by Dior himself. All of the images were shot by Patrick Demarchelier, known for his exquisite fashion portraits that grace the pages of Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, and many other magazines.

An extraordinary book celebrating the unique connection between the House of Dior and the United States. Published on the occasion of the retrospective staged at the Brooklyn Museum, this new title chronicles the history of the House of Dior from 1947, when Chris-tian Dior heralded the birth of a new era of elegance with his revolutionary New Look, to the present day, with a special focus on the House’s legacy in America. Featuring a sophisticated Swiss binding, this book presents the exhibition’s highlights with creations by Christian Dior and the artistic directors who succeeded him: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri. Captured by artist Katerina Jebb, some of the House’s most legendary designs are displayed in highly unique images. A portfolio of iconic photographs by American masters—including Richard Avedon, Cass Bird, Henry Clarke, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Zoë Ghertner, Ethan James Green, Tyler Mitchell, Irving Penn, and many more—underscores Dior’s undeniable cultural influence.