Beene by Beene [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Marylou Luther (Author), Laura Jacobs (Author), Pamela A. Parmal (Author), James Wolcott (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2005

Beene by Beene is a journey through Geoffrey Beene's life in fashion, a 40-year exploration that was, by turns, visionary, witty, irreverent, iconic, and timeless. His work was of such powerful clarity, such complete complicity between form and function that it actually teaches us-as all works of art do-how to look. A defining American artist, Geoffrey Beene towers in his field.

Pamela A. Parmal provides a chronological survey of Mr. Beene's career as a fashion designer and discusses the evolution of his work. Chapters focus on themes or influences-Woman, Body, Fabric, Comfort, Geometry, Sport, Culture-that were a constant source of inspiration to the designer. Beene won the attention and admiration of other artists, and here we see his work through the eyes of renowned photographers and illustrators, even filmmakers and choreographers.

Geoffrey Beene died in September 2004, before this book could be published, but he was intimately involved with its creation, including the editing of the text, the photo selection, and the book design. The book itself is as tailored and soignée as Mr. Beene's couture, as it looks back at his long and distinguished career.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Beene, who died in 2004 at age 77, strove to create clothing that celebrated a woman's form by letting it move. The results were dresses, jackets and pantsuits that were timeless, rather than of-the-moment. This collection of photographs and essays, conceived by Beene before his death, brings together thoughts from Vanity Fair columnist Wolcott and contributor Jacobs, editor Luther and Parmal, Boston Museum of Fine Arts curator for a comprehensive retrospective of Beene's 40-year career. The book's design is as spare and straightforward as a Beene cocktail dress. Photos by several photographers show such diverse images as ballerinas in woolly overcoats and closeups of small flourishes, such as the stitching on a belt or the folds of a crepe flower accenting a bolero jacket. The abundance of space and simplicity complements Beene's formidable collection and melds with the prose's aim of putting couture in context. A minor pucker in the volume's seam is its occasional tendency toward hagiography (contributors depict Beene as perhaps the most inventive, intelligent and artistic designer who ever lived). But their breathless admiration is balanced with enough detail about Beene's inspirations and career path to make the work an important contribution to fashion history. 150 illus. (Nov. 1)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Marylou Luther is the editor of The International Fashion Syndicate and the creative director for The Fashion Group International.

Laura Jacobs is the dance critic for The New Criterion and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair.

Pamela A. Parmal is Curator of Textile and Fashion at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

James Wolcott is a columnist at Vanity Fair where he writes on popular culture, politics, and the media.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Vendome Press (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865651620
• ISBN-13: 978-0865651623
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #637,180 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born and raised in Maryland, James Wolcott is a columnist for Vanity Fair and has written for The New Republic, The London Review of Books, Bookforum, and many other publications still treading above water. He--I mean, I--also have a blog at the Vanity Fair website, where I keep tabs on politics, America's Next Top Model, the dance scene, books, birding, and generally make a nuisance of myself, but in a fun, caring way. My wife Laura Jacobs is a novelist (her latest is The Bird Catcher), a dance critic, and Vanity Fair writer, and we live a wacky sitcom life in Manhattan with our three ocicats, Jasper, Henry, and Veronica, our youngest, who deserves her own spinoff series. Each September all five of us troupe to Cape May Point, birding heaven. My next book is a memoir about the Seventies in NYC, those years of punk and Pauline Kael.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beene by Beene, January 26, 2009

By 

E. Petersen (Moss Vale, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beene by Beene (Hardcover)

An engaging photo-essay of mostly sublime, understated designs.

The simplicity of Beene's work reflects a substantial process of reduction, without abandoning signs of inspiration.

I loved being exposed to Beene's work.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a Steal!, July 31, 2011

By 

sew maggie - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beene by Beene (Hardcover)

I paid $120 for this book and it was worth every penney. It is beautifully written and illustrated. There are three different authors who cover Geoffrey's career from different viewpoints. His use of ordinary fabrics next to expensive fabrics was incredable and inspirational, especially for anyone who sews.

If I'd known this book would be so cheap in six years, I'd still have paid the $120, so I wouldn't have had to wait. Read how Beene's phylosophy on design evolved and the way fabric inspired him.