Customer Reviews

The Warhol Economy: How Fashion, Art, and Music Drive New York City

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Completely redundant in that she mentioned only a handful of New York City's avante-garde. The book is interesting but limited in its discussion of the subject. Apparently she thinks that Charles and Ray Eames are brothers and that the MMA is now the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. I wouldn't waste your time, if I were you.

If you're at all a fan of New York City, especially when defined as a cultural mecca, then this is a must read for different reasons than those that The Warhol Economy advertises. An extensive, heady gossip column gone delightfully awry, The Warhol Economy is a book completely infatuated with the city's culture and the industries lying behind it. Fellow New Yorkers and fans of the city and its artistic presence will not be disappointed, and even casual readers will get caught up in her name-dropping passion for the creative denizens of the Big Apple. However, if you're a fan of the artist Andy Warhol, you'll quickly see through the thin veil to realize the author is simply using the artist's name to move copies off the shelves a little more quickly. Very little knowledge or new wisdom involving Warhol is imparted. There is intrinsic value in the above truths, however. First of all, the name Warhol is synonymous with both Pop Art and New York, and, he himself would consider the mention high praise, thinking the concept as being "very pop." Secondly, while the author tends to ramble, loosely relating several familiar topics and famous people to the art and fashion scene of New York, through her chosen verbiage she inadvertently paints a very detailed portrait of the Manhattan collective groupthink. These thought processes are of great value in any timeframe, since as she even points out, "all business is done in New York." Thirdly, such a move to associate her work with Warhol was smart for business, which is really the biggest, if not the only lesson being a resident of New York will teach you.

There's something deeply truthful about the way in which the author weaves her brilliant observations with disparate scientific and sociological findings into a concise, well-written book. Some of the content may come across as vapid or superficial, especially to those far removed from the hierarchical system that does in fact rule New York.

It is something that I've personally struggled with, this genuine desire to have access to the "gatekeepers" of the city without sacrificing my dignity or spiritual "evolvement". It's somewhat counterintuitive to seek the approval and companionship of certain people simply for their power and access instead of cultivating yours on your own. But this city is ruled by only a handful of social networks. Manhattan demands an unparalleled level of social navigation and mutual reciprocity from its inhabitants, to engage in a sort of political game. At the end of the day, it is only a game -being opportunistic with grace, charisma, resilience, and integrity isn't a sin, it's a form of survival- ridiculous or not.

Huffingtonpost.com says it best! "Interviews with bold-faced names including designers Diane Von Furstenberg and Zac Posen, musicians The Talking Heads, and club owner of the legendary CBGB's, Hilly Kristal, make The Warhol Economy an engaging cross between the academic and the gossipy-like an intellectualized Page Six of The New York Post."