27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Haute Couture of the Fairy Realm, November 27, 2002
If you want to know who's burning up the runways with the season's haute couture, look no further! Enjoy this detailed catalogue of The Fashion Collection known as Fairie-ality from the innovative and expressive House of Ellwand, designer to the Folk, par excellence.
I would have to say this is the most beautiful book I've seen in years and that it is one of my favorite books in my entire library, if not THE favorite. It is an elegant, beautifully crafted coffee table volume in a gold hard cover edition. It is delightfully witty and captures the fashion world's nuances and idosyncracies in good fun and high style. Whimsical water color sketches of a type from fashion's heyday in Vogue Magazine introduce the various themes and creations while full dazzling color photographs present exquisitely detailed and meticulously handcrafted high fashion of the fairy realm. The commentary is breezy and bright and oh, so, in the know! Charming inserts such as a mix and match catalogue, invitations, and advance notices are sprinkled throughout the book. The artistry is unparalleled and uses the finest of natural materials, including feathers, seeds, and myriad examples of the exotic floral and other botanical resources joined with a master's eye for flair, movement, and color. Enjoy eclectic designs filled with flash from shoes to hats and everything in between. Not only are you invited into this exclusive world of fashion but you are made privy to the parties, the cotillions, moonbeam swims, firefly hunting, midnight dancing and all of the biggest names in fairy society. Fashions for ladies and gentlemen grace these pages as do fashions for the entire wedding party from the flower girl to the bride. As the wedding fashions featured in this collection indicate, it is a very chic bride who will walk the bridal runway on the arm of her proud father this season. There is so much detail here and so much witty humor that this book can be enjoyed for hours upon hours and over and over again with each foray seeming to present new delicacies of fashion delight. The descriptions for the designs are each more breath-taking than the one before as evidenced by this commentary for the astonishing Maid of Honor dress: "Silky crow feathers and a single green parrot feather gather in layers, creating the touch-me velveteen look of the skirt - spellbinding. The bodice and straps are lily leaves; the overbodice, a whispering tracery of skeleton leaf. Sumptuous."
This book is a true work of art from begining to end and I can't think of a single person that wouldn't at least admire it's detail and perfection of execution. Fairie friends will, of course, be enraptured by it. Any creative, artistic, whimsical, young at heart, fashion conscious, costume or dress-up aficionado will treasure it. Get yourself a copy and give several away. It's the pick of the crop. Tre chic!
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
STUNNING, January 15, 2003
This book is just beautiful. It's an obvious must have for Fairy lovers, but flower lovers will have their breath taken away as well. It's filled with whimsy and the most amazing artwork, it's perfect for just about anyone's coffee table who likes a lighthearted "something different".
Another plus to the book is how heavy the pages are. They're nice and substantial, meaning it's OKAY TO PAGE THROUGH without feeling like the book will flake apart in your hands! Often I find when books are about delicate fairies, they feel the book itself needs to be delicate - in this case, it's definitely for browsing.
It's simply beautiful, and remarkable, and memorable. A winner.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Breathtakingly Beautiful, November 14, 2002
The illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous; this is one of the most stunning coffee table books I've ever seen. Since I am not acquainted with the world of couture, I can't tell you how well it succeeds as a send-up of high fashion catalogues. (I've gathered that there are many "in-jokes" within the text: I didn't get them, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment of this in the least).
This isn't just a book, it's a work of art. Highly, highly recommended.
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