Frederic Fekkai: A Year of Style [Hardcover]

Frederic Fekkai (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 2000

Why has Frédéric Fekkai become one of the most sought after stylists in the world? It's not only his subtly sexy and carefree haircuts; his devoted clients have come to treasure his unerring advice on everything from the perfect handbag to menus for entertaining as much as his skill with scissors. Now every woman can realize Frédéric Fekkai's vision of complete beauty with this unique handbook, a guide to achieving a more simple, natural, and chic lifestyle every single day.

Unlike any other beauty or style guide, Frédéric Fekkai A Year of Style acknowledges that a woman's look is constantly changing with the season, with fashions, and as her own lifestyle evolves. Frédéric Fekkai A Year of Style works like a daybook, offering twelve chapters packed with advice for living life more beautifully -- plus a special style note for each day of the year. Each chapter explores the beauty priorities for a different month, whether it's making a fresh start in January, reinvigorating the body and mind in April, or celebrating the holiday season in December. June offers insights on bridal beauty and grooming for men, while September looks at the best cuts for kids and cultivating a sophisticated yet natural career look. Throughout, you'll discover sections on such beauty essentials as choosing the perfect pair of sunglasses and trimming bangs between salon visits. And because Frédéric believes style applies to every aspect of your life, there are also tips on packing for a tropical getaway, establishing a rewarding exercise routine, and choosing the perfect holiday gift.

Frédéric Fekkai knows style is more than what a women gets at the makeup counter or in a salon; it's the small choices she makes each day, from which lipstick color to wear to how she holds her handbag. In Frédéric Fekkai A Year of Style, he offers a head-to-toe guide to achieving the look he's renowned for: effortless elegance throughout the seasons.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Any master stylist who encourages women to do less rather than more, to simplify their wardrobes, to carry only a few essential cosmetics, and to take catnaps in the summer has mastered the feminine psyche. Frédéric Fekkai, a native of Aix-en-Provence, is stylist to some of the world's most beautiful women (Liv Tyler, Brooke Shields, et al.), as well as the founder of eponymous salons in New York City and Beverly Hills and creator of a line of hair- and skin-care products, fragrances, and accessories. He understands that many American women are frustrated by unpretty trendiness and conflicting advice about glamour, that they want a simpler, more timeless approach to finding their own elegance. "Style," Fekkai writes, "is not about age, or height, or weight--it's about a sense of ease, a sense of dignity, and a sense of individuality shining through."

Drawing largely on the effortless allure of the women of Aix, Fekkai's foundation for A Year of Style is a month-by-month guide to simple beauty, with themes like "Energize" in February and "Romance" in June. Fekkai dabs in seasonal snippets: how to wear "sexy accessories" in May, how to choose toenail polish in July, how to relax while getting dressed for a holiday gala in December. His touches of beauty advice cover all the basics: the differences among hair spray, gel, and mousse; the best way to apply concealer; the perfect home blow-dry for a finished salon look. Daily sidebars add a whimsical tone--send vintage postcards, buy brightly colored toothbrushes, rent a sporty red convertible for the weekend--as well as beauty and style tips.

A Year of Style is both cool (you'll learn how to sip a citron presse) and refreshingly down-to-earth ("I have seen women subject themselves to too-often-repeated peels. Their skin becomes so shiny, they look shrink-wrapped.") Needless to say, this is a flawlessly designed book, from the typography and layout to the hundreds of photographs--chic, natural, and elegant--that perfectly showcase Fekkai's style. It's a book that's hard to put down, because it's as much about personal style and sophistication as it is about clothes and hair. Perhaps more than that, it's spirited, accessible, and just plain fun. --Rebecca Taylor

From the Inside Flap

Why has Frédéric Fekkai become one of the most sought after stylists in the world? It's not only his subtly sexy and carefree haircuts; his devoted clients have come to treasure his unerring advice on everything from the perfect handbag to menus for entertaining as much as his skill with scissors. Now every woman can realize Frédéric Fekkai's vision of complete beauty with this unique handbook, a guide to achieving a more simple, natural, and chic lifestyle every single day.

Unlike any other beauty or style guide, Frédéric Fekkai A Year of Style acknowledges that a woman's look is constantly changing with the season, with fashions, and as her own lifestyle evolves. Frédéric Fekkai A Year of Style works like a daybook, offering twelve chapters packed with advice for living life more beautifully -- plus a special style note for each day of the year. Each chapter explores the beauty priorities for a different month, whether it's making a fresh start in January, reinvigorating the body and mind in April, or celebrating the holiday season in December. June offers insights on bridal beauty and grooming for men, while September looks at the best cuts for kids and cultivating a sophisticated yet natural career look. Throughout, you'll discover sections on such beauty essentials as choosing the perfect pair of sunglasses and trimming bangs between salon visits. And because Frédéric believes style applies to every aspect of your life, there are also tips on packing for a tropical getaway, establishing a rewarding exercise routine, and choosing the perfect holiday gift.

Frédéric Fekkai knows style is more than what a women gets at the makeup counter or in a salon; it's the small choices she makes each day, from which lipstick color to wear to how she holds her handbag. In Frédéric Fekkai A Year of Style, he offers a head-to-toe guide to achieving the look he's renowned for: effortless elegance throughout the seasons.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter (October 24, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609605038
• ISBN-13: 978-0609605035
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A cheerful way to incorporate style, December 15, 2000

By 

Carolina Perez (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frederic Fekkai: A Year of Style (Hardcover)

While some of Fekkai's suggestions for incorporating style, i.e.,(jetting off to the Riviera) are out of reach for most American women, many other tips are perfectly accesible. I enjoyed this book immensely, it offers delightful suggestions for making one's life more stylish and pleasurable. Some people may feel this book is geared only for the ultra rich, but I disagree. What is so out of reach about making hot chocolate the French way (without instant powder),wearing a sun hat, or not being a slave to the fashion magazines each season? If anything, Fekkai encourages women to be confident and to shed a lot of unncessary and expensive trappings that only serve to make them look cheap (excessive gold jewelry, overbleached hair, Lee Press-On Nails, etc.) This book is an excellent tool for any woman wanting to look more effortlessly chic. It can even be inspirational to women who are mothers, after all, millions of French mothers who are not heiresses manage to leave their homes each day looking polished and chic. With this book, you simply have to be selective and incorporate style in accordance with your pocketbook and time. So what if you can't visit a European spa for a facial. Make your own facial with chamomile leaves and steaming water! The book addresses the needs of both elite and working class women. It is a wonderful read and I know I will keep referring to it. This book would make an excellent gift to yourself or a loved one.

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best $25 I ever spent!, May 6, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Frederic Fekkai: A Year of Style (Hardcover)

Don't be fooled by the simplicity of the suggestions! When I first read this book, I thought it was nothing more than a coffee table book full of musings. But then I tried some of the suggestions, and the results were amazing. For example, the french olive oil soap he suggested cleared up a skin problem I've had my entire life (I couldn't even get rid of it with antibiotics), and made my skin very soft.

Also, his method of blow drying hair works much better than mine. I do it all the time now, with great results.

I've tried the makeup and fashion ideas, and received a lot of compliments.

The ideas in this book might be obvious to people who already look great, but for clueless people like me, it's perfect!

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A calming voice, June 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Frederic Fekkai: A Year of Style (Hardcover)

It's clear why Frederic Fekkai is successful: he has a well defined point of view of what he likes, and why he likes it. For instance, daytime watches do not work for evening wear, people who talk incessantly on phones are not very sexy, that before the age of five, children should not be subjected to the barber or hairdresser, and that too much skin or cleavage shown on your wedding day is simply wrong.

Before you think of him as just a tyrant, think again.... how many people in this time have completely forgotten their manners, or that simplicity works best, and instead waste hours chasing an elusive and ephemeral ideal? Frederic Fekkai, in fact challenges the whole 'race to be beautiful' in a manner that is calming, wise, and friendly.

This is a lavish book. Thick pages, beautifully photographed, and there IS something nice about being reminded to clip flowers for the house, to take time to give yourself a pedicure, and to take time for your children. Once you finish this book, you'll think of him as a cross between Audrey Hepburn, Erma Bombeck and Letitia Baldridge...... and a wise friend.