Icons: The Absolutes of Style [Hardcover]

Dodie Kazanjian (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1995

For readers of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Vanity Fair, here is the ultimate book in style from Vogue magazine's most irreverent fashion writer--a beautifully designed, captivating collection of pieces dedicated to fashion's rites of passage, and all the wannabe fervor that goes into being chic.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Although she's not rich, Kazanjian claims to receive the personal attentions of the likes of designers Norma Kamali and Manolo Blahnik when she shops for clothes. Behaving as if to the manner born, a stance perhaps enhanced by her credential as a senior writer for Vogue (where virtually all the pieces collected here originally appeared), she buys her first Chanel suit?"a big event in a woman's life"?suffers the trauma of selecting a winter coat (a major decision because your coat represents you to the world) and hires an image consultant to help her refurbish her wardrobe and a personal trainer to battle her cellulite into remission. Kazanjian defines today's fashion icons as including an Armani jacket, the little black dress (notwithstanding Geoffrey Beene's quip that "A basic dress implies a dumb dress") and a Hermes Kelly bag?priced between $2500 and $l0,000, with a waiting list of four years. The book may sound inconsequential, but Kazanjian also proffers some wisdom: pearls should be washed often with soap and water and restrung yearly, and a Kelly bag knockoff can be had for just $370. Illustrated.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The quest of the perfect wardrobe when one's stature reaches a mere 5'2" is an arduous process, to say the least. Currently a staff writer at The New Yorker, Kazanjian escorts the reader on a tour of Seventh Avenue's best while trying to outfit herself with the perfect fashion finds: the Chanel Suit, the Armani Jacket, the Little Black Dress. Enhanced by designer illustrations, this compilation of columns from the author's tenure as senior staff writer at Vogue pokes fun at fashion fads but highlights the creative brilliance of the minds behind the business. Certainly more lighthearted than Kazanjian's previous effort with husband Calvin Tomkins, Alex: The Life of Alexander Lieberman (LJ 9/15/93), but nonetheless recommended for fashion collections and large public libraries.?Julie C. Boehning, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 155 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st. ed edition (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312135181
• ISBN-13: 978-0312135188
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 4.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,989,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read this book, December 31, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Icons: The Absolutes of Style (Hardcover)

This book is an endulgent trip into the world of fashion. I now have a burning desire to own Manalo shoes and a Chanel suit. And I'm writing a college essay on it. Thanks, Dodie!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, July 28, 2003

By 

Jodi Michael Horner (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Icons: The Absolutes of Style (Hardcover)

Introduces the reader to the name brands of the elite. Sometimes the air of entitlement the upper-crest buyers have is a little nausiating, but nonetheless informative and insightful. The author is humorous and does her best to be "one of the people," although even she has the Park Avenue vibe.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, July 28, 2003

By 

Jodi Michael Horner (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Icons: The Absolutes of Style (Hardcover)

Introduces the reader to the name brands of the elite. Sometimes the air of entitlement the upper-crest buyers have is a little nausiating, but nonetheless informative and insightful. The author is humorous and does her best to be "one of the people," although even she has the Park Avenue vibe.