Customer Reviews

Fairie-ality: The Fashion Collection from the House of Ellwand: The Deluxe Edition

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

I bought this as a gift for a friend and then just had to order my own. Fairy-lovers and anyone who's into arts and crafts will love this. Every aspect of this book is amazing, and obviously made with love and care and an eye for detail, from the outfits themselves down to the expensive paper they're printed on. I would have cheerfully paid almost twice the price and still felt like I got my money's worth. My only complaint (and not much of one) is that from the materials used in some of the clothes they would seem a little out of scale, unless we're dealing with some fairly large fairies. Then again it never mentions what kind of fairy it's intended for, they don't all have to be the size of Tinkerbell. This book has inspired me to try making fairy dresses, and it's a lot harder than it looks! I just wish it had come with instructions :)

One of the great pleasures of this book (there are many) is the copy. It is incredibly witty and filled with literary and social references that leave the reader in stitches. The "Rose Pierott" is just one example of Bird really hitting her mark!

Ellwand's incredible creations set my imagination on fire. Looking through his designs reminded me of playing in the woods as a little boy, building stone and bark homes for gnomes. He takes my youthful imagination to a whole new level, though.

This is THE catalogue for the well-dressed fairie and a must-own for artist and dreamer alike!

I am not a Fairie expert at all but you do not need to be in order to find this book breathtaking.

As you browse the pages you can hear yourself wishing you could be a Fairie - did I mention the voice you make this wish in is your childhood dream voice? This book takes you to places you forgot about, places adventerous and daring that used to only belong to the child of your past.

I ordered this book to help get ideas for clients and got an adventure instead. I hope it is the same for you!

Fairie-ality without doubt shows the genius of David Ellwand. David's beautiful designs complimented so well by the wonderful illustrations of David Downton and the writing of Eugenie Bird. It is without doubt the most beautiful book I have ever seen. Not only are David's garments awe-inspiring but his landscape photography is out of this world. Today more than ever we need awe and wonder in our lives and this book gives just that and so much more. A magnificently produced book using the finest paper and technology available today. The book is suitable for young and old alike and will give untold pleasure to many this Christmas and to future generations. This book will become a classic the world over. Congratulations to David Ellwand and all concerned with this book.

The witty intellectual and fashion-conscious faerie-alike will devour the photographs and the writing in this extraordinary book. Those of you who remember the avant-garde Flair magazine from the 1950's, with its sophisticated tone and its one-of-a-kind format, will rejoice in Faerie-Ality. Bird's prose takes the book to another level. Here's a caption from the Oak Leaf Jacket: "There's a fairie who strolls every evening, daringly on the same path. He walks in confidence, his jacket's subtle texture blending perfectly with the ancient oaks and rendering him practically invisible. Yet his step is sprightly, for he knows the interior of his coat is anything but quiet and hints at his own vibrant inner thoughts." Now tell me that the most dapper of male faeries would not be intrigued by that caption. My only question is, where do I find a similar collection of clothing for humans? Something tells me that it will not be long before the fashion world catches on.

This book is nice for people who have a TRUE appreciation for the arts, you can see all the time put into each design.

As you turn the pages, you can sit there and analyze every color, every pattern, everything and be completely mesmorized and at loss for words. Absolutely beautiful craftsmanship, wonderfully created, and nice for people who need inspiration for something a little edgy in their world of artistic design.

There is nothing else out there that's like this book. The concept of garments made of natural materials such as leaves, feathers, bark, flower petals and more is unique and creative, and the idea of a "fairy fashion show" is charming. The colors, layout (including interesting folding pages and other unusual features) and photography are all refreshing and beautiful.

This is the kind of book you might create in your mind while dreaming, and then be disappointed when you wake up and realize that it doesn't really exist. Despite its ethereal subject matter, this book is indeed real, and it is quite a treat and could serve as an inspiration to the creatively inclined. I think that it would be of interest to adults and children alike, and would make a wonderful gift for someone whose thoughts are frequently off in fairy-land.