Confessions of a Window Dresser [Hardcover]

Simon Doonan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1998

What kind of neurotic exhibitionist psychopathology made me choose a career cavorting around arranging merchandise and props in full view of the rest of humanity?" asks Simon Doonan, the creative genius behind the most anticipated, talked-about, and controversial window displays in the world: the windows at Barney's New York. Involved in the cutting edge of fashion, design, and pop culture for twenty years, Doonan has collaborated with the biggest names in the fashion world--Lagerfield, Lacroix, and Armani--and worked with the most notorious names in the art world--Mapplethorpe, Rauschenberg, and La -Chapelle. Whether making fun of blondes, sending up Sigmund Freud in "Neurotic Yule," or creating caricatures of celebrities--such as Dan Quayle (paired with a giant Mr. Potato Head in a dunce cap)--Doonan's windows have been sometimes irreverent, yet always fearless and entertaining. The first ever popular exploration of the art of window dressing, Confessions of a Window Dresser is illustrated with glorious full color photographs of all Doonan's most infamous "tableaux of contemporary life." This sensational story and wickedly witty commentary (and gossip!) on the hottest trends and people of the last two decades is the ultimate celebration of life in fashion.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Simon Doonan, creative director and window display creator of Barney's New York, has appeared numerous times on television, radio, and in the press, and writes the "Simon Says" column in the New York Observer. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From The Washington Post

Confessions of a Window Dresser ought to be a depressing read, a reminder of the price-tag culture into which we're sunk, material boys and girls in a material world. But Simon Doonan makes it all seem so fab, so wonderfully delish, and he does it in such a guilt-free shopping spree of here-and-now enthusiasm, that he comes close to restoring the innocence to this consumer paradise.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Studio; Open market ed edition (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670882828
• ISBN-13: 978-0670882823
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #885,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fashion secrets revealed...very funny, too., November 13, 1999

By 

David J. Brink - See all my reviews

This review is from: Confessions of a Window Dresser (Hardcover)

Mr. Doonan's personal od(d)yssey begins in dreary Reading, England turns violently into the ultra-chic dept. store of Maxfield's on the Sunset Strip, then veers off into the never-never land of Barney's. This is a visually stunning book, a great achievement in art direction, despite Doonan's persistent refusal to hold the management of Barney accountable for its heady fashion forward taj mahal nineties excesses. Nevertheless, Doonan understands his subjects (fashion and display) and imparts great wisdom for those who covet it. The appendix of useful words in the back is really great. I plan to pepper my conversations with such useful vocab as "big girl blouse" and "trag." (abbrev. form of tragic) Interestingly, Doonan never really comments (or dishes)on the deseigners themselves, but judging from the # of photos, he appears to have a soft spot for Azzedine Alaia (who doesn't?). I've also chanced upon his rather trenchant commentary... I appreciate the distinction he makes between fashion in terms of clothing and fashion in the abstract sense.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mad genius Simon Doonan takes us for a hilarious ride., December 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Confessions of a Window Dresser (Hardcover)

Simon Doonan is the mad genius of the display world. His confessions weave a tale of a truly twisted spirit operating within a truly twisted demimonde. Doonan's celebrity anecdotes puncture the veil of fabulousness that surrounds so many famous people, and his personal recollections of his supremely dysfunctional family are mesmerizing. This is a book that will delight any creative soul. Doonan's story provides a glimpse into a rarely exposed world where insanity seems to be a big career booster. I also love the fact that all the profits from the book are being donated to God's Love We Deliver, an incredibly worthy organization that delivers hot meals to home-bound people with AIDS. I'm giving Confessions to all my friends for Christmas. In short, Simon Rules!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Lucky Leprechaun", August 30, 2001

By 

"astoria1" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Confessions of a Window Dresser (Paperback)

Simon Doonan gives us a gift in this delectable bon-bon of a book! The self-professed "Lucky Leprechaun", Doonan proves it does indeed take more than luck-it takes talent, drive, and vision to become a success. Dispelling the myth that all "window dressers" are poisonous, bitter, queens, this insanely funny, engaging, and gorgeously illustrated biography is the perfect late summer book. A must read!