13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fashionista's saga..., April 22, 2002
As a collector of Brit Chick Lit novels, finding Slave to Fashion on the bookshelf was like discovering a jewel in a treasure chest. However, *reading* Slave to Fashion was worth much, much more! A heavier, more sarcastic version of the genre, but it is just as satisfying.
Katie Castle has made it. After her embarrassing beginnings as daughter of two ignorable parents and citizen of a less-than-fabulous part of London, finally making her mark as production manager of a successful clothing company is a dream come true. But while all is well in the job department, Katie feels something is missing. No, not a man, because she is engaged to Ludo, but maybe -- just maybe -- she needs to sow her last oats before taking the plunge. Be careful what you wish for, Katie! Ludo is your boss's son and cheating on him could spell trouble in more ways than one....
Funny, wry, and observant, Slave to Fashion packs a punch. And while Katie Castle may be the anti-Bridget, I believe all Chick Lit lovers will find something in this novel to love. It starts out a little bland, but never fear -- it does pick up! Chock-full of fashion, parties, and celebrity -- a wild ride on the other side and one not to be missed!
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Flaccid satire, November 8, 2004
Rebecca Campbell seems to be aiming for a dark, witty satire of the fashion industry in "Slave to Fashion," with a manipulative anti-heroine and a so-there at the fashion moguls of the world. Don't stop working in the fashion industry, Rebecca -- because you're really not much of a writer.
Kate Castle is a snotty fashion designer, working for the legendary Penny Moss -- she designs clothes, hobnobs with the rich'n'famous, hangs out with gay publicists, and so forth. She basically slept her way to her current position -- not with Penny, but with Penny's son, Kate's sweet-natured fiancee Ludo. Basically, it's the life most women would kill for, but the self-absorbed Kate wants a few last bed romps before settling down.
Her seemingly perfect life changes when Kate has a side fling with hunka-hunka-burnin'-lust Liam Callaghan, and news leaks out. With the dissolvement of her engagement to Ludo, she also loses the job Penny gave her, and is tossed unceremoniously from Ludo's apartment. Suddenly she finds herself with the looming prospect of having to do actual work for her living, and finds that her personality is alienating everyone around her.
Chick lit has become something to satirize in recent years, with books like "Cassandra French's Finishing School for Boys." But satire is hard to write. And Rebecca Campbell, who works in the fashion industry herself, had better not give up her day job -- this irritating, blandly-written book is the proof of why.
The killing point of this book is that Campbell -- after making you despise Kate -- suddenly decides that her heroine is worth caring about anyway, and should be given a happy ending, despite being obnoxiously self-centerd and lacking in any redeeming characteristics. So she starts rigging up a ridiculous path back to Kate's former job, including a defunct fashion mogul (oh how very coincidental), inept coworkers, and finally blackmail over a porn video. Everything falls into place with no effort, which give the book the feel of an amateur who lost control of her plot, then quickly reshuffled it into a quickie ending.
Kate frankly is not interesting or intelligent enough to be the "anti Bridget Jones" -- while nasty people can be compelling protagonists, she's too much of a self-centered idiot to ever be compelling. She just comes across as a shallow, whiny child-woman who will shag any semi-attractive male, if she can avoid being caught. Most of the supporting characters come across as paper dolls, especially Penny. Honestly, isn't the bash-my-evil-boss-by-proxy thing getting a little old?
One of Kate Castle's friends says that no one would care if she died in the streets. Well, it's hard to imagine caring if this book died in the remainder bins. Shallow, obnoxious, and poorly written.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
How KC gets real class...., April 17, 2002
When I first picked up Slave to Fashion, I loathed the main character, Katie Castle immediately. I could not stand her egotistical, deplorable attitude. However, with this novel, things change. Katie learns the hard way to develop integrity and the way to a beautiful soul.
A bit weightier than the average Brit Chick book, it follows Katie Castle and her rise from her loathed hometown to Fashion Diva. However, certain events disrupt her climb, and she learns what the meaning of humility is, as well as several other essential human qualities.
If you are looking for the average Brit Chick quick escape, I wouldn't necessarily recommend Slave to Fashion. It's definitely a very enjoyable read, but it's got much more depth than usual.
Slave to Fashion is definitely worth the purchase, and, should not be skipped if you fear it is yet another formulaic Brit Chick romp.
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