Immortalizing the people and moments that have defined the past 60 years, world-renowned photojournalist Harry Benson has becomes as much a part of history as the photographs themselves. The scope of his accomplishments as a photojournalist is nothing short of remarkable: he has photographed every US president since Eisenhower, as well as Robert F. Kennedy on the night he was assassinated, and Martin Luther King Jr. at his funeral; he has shot stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger, Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson, Greta Garbo, and Truman Capote; he covered both the rise and fall of the Berlin wall, the IRA hunger strikes, the Freedom March through Mississippi, the Watts riots, 9/11, and conflicts in Kuwait, Bosnia, Somalia, Afghanistan, Israel, and the West Bank; and, on the eve of his eightieth birthday, Benson is still at it, crisscrossing the globe on assignment for Condé Nast.
The Harry Benson Book
is a visual celebration of Benson's incomparable career. Organized into chapters on celebrity, art, fashion, sports, politics, and photojournalism, Harry Benson features a distinctive mix of iconic images alongside never-before-published photographs of Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Billy Graham, Bobby Fischer, Muhammad Ali, the Beatles, Sonny Liston, Chuck Berry, O.J. Simpson, Yogi Berra, Sophia Loren, Kate Moss, Gloria Swanson, James Brown, Fred Astaire, Johnny Carson, Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Clint Eastwood, Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Alfred Hitchcock, Federico Fellini, Joseph Papp, R. Crumb, Andy Warhol, Liza Minelli, Barbra Streisand, Halston, Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Diana Vreeland,and countless others. With incomparable access to the most elusive, alluring, and enduring legends of our time, Benson's magnum opus is unsurpassed masterpiece of contemporary photojournalism and portraiture.
Vive la Vie
-- With his unique talent for capturing emotions using lenses, colors and words, artist Francois-Marie Banier inspires both his subjects and viewers to conquerir le reve (conquer the dream). Vive la Vie is an intimate monograph resulting from a collaboration between Banier and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. Based on a series of sessions arranged by von Furstenberg with model Natalia Vodianova, the images are layered with visual and emotional complexity. By combining his various skills--photography, painting and writing--into individual artworks, Francois-Marie Banier creates narratives that compel both the eye and the mind. Vodianova exposes her true, unmasked self, creating a blank canvas on which raw womanhood is revealed, far from the stereotypes of fashion photography.
-- Famous for the "bias cut," Madeleine Vionnet’s sophisticated approach to couture remains a pervasive influence today. Eschewing artificial and restrictive padding and stiffening, she liberated the female form with designs that integrated movement and comfort into women’s fashion. She also championed unusual fabrics that were luxurious and sensual yet simple and modern—chiffon, silk, crêpe de chine, gabardine, and satin. Her most revolutionary creations—the handkerchief dress, cowl neck, and halter top—cling to and seamlessly move with the wearer. Vionnet’s principles of elegance, movement, architectural form, and timeless style continue to inform contemporary fashion. This lavishly illustrated book showcases Vionnet’s daringly original designs worn by 80 internationally famous models photographed especially for this book alongside original patterns and archival images by such icons as Horst and Steichen. 
, Rory Tahari explains how to deal with each challenge one step at a time.
- Charley Harper was an American original. For over six decades he painted colorful and graphic illustrations of nature, animals, insects and people alike, from his home studio in Cincinnati, Ohio until he passed away in 2007 at the age of 84. Renowned New York based designer Todd Oldham rediscovered Charley's work in 2001, and collaborated closely with him in the ensuing years; combing through his extensive archive to edit and design this stunning monograph. This coffee table tome is popularly priced, beautiful tribute to Charley Harper's singular style, which he referred to as Minimal Realism.
features well-balanced recipes made with wholesome ingredients that are designed to teach key kitchen skills and encourage a passion for good food. This book provides an ideal way to learn how to cook popular favorites like Margherita pizza and lasagna.
- The hot, hip contemporary art world, argues sociologist Thornton, is a cluster of intermingling subcultures unified by the belief, whether genuine or feigned, that nothing is more important than the art itself. It is a conviction, she asserts, that has transformed contemporary art into a kind of alternative religion for atheists. Thornton, a contributor to Artforum.com and the New Yorker, presents an astute and often entertaining ethnography of this status-driven world. Each of the seven chapters is a keenly observed profile of that world's highest echelons: a Christie's auction, a crit session at the California Institute of the Arts and the Art Basel art fair. The chapter on auctions (where one auction-goer explains, [I]t's dangerous to wear Prada.... You might get caught in the same outfit as three members of Christie's staff) is one of the book's strongest; the author's conversations about the role of the art critic with Artforum editor-in-chief Tim Griffin and the New Yorker's Peter Schjeldahl are edifying. Thornton offers an elegant, evocative, sardonic view into some of the art world's most prestigious institutions {via Publishers Weekly}.
-- The books that have enchanted millions of children and accompanied countless bedtimes; now brand-new editions of your favorite Little Golden Books are in one must-give set: The Poky Little Puppy, Tootle, The Saggy Baggy Elephant, Tawny Scrawny Lion, Scuffy the Tugboat and The Shy Little Kitten. Hardcover books are 24 pages each; commemorative box case.
- In the same series as the bestselling American Fashion and American Fashion Accessories, Assouline and the Council of Fashion Designers of America present American Fashion Menswear, the most authoritative and exciting book to date on the evolution of menswear in our country over the past century. From the outset, America was settled by individualists and adventurers who severed ties with the old world to find their destiny in an unknown land, a separation that opened the way for change in a less stratified society. To survive the challenges of a new environment, the American man needed garments that were functional and well-designed, qualities that continue to endure at the very heart of American menswear. From Levi Strauss to the Ivy League, lounge suits to Zoot suits, cowboys to counterculture, American Fashion Menswear celebrates the quintessentially American themes that are emulated throughout the world of fashion, as well as the designers and style icons who have made lasting contributions to the way men dress.
-- Newport is the legendary and beautiful home of American aristocracy and the sheltered super-rich. Many of the country s most famous blueblood families—the closest thing we have to royalty—have lived and summered in Newport since the nineteenth century. The Astors, the Vanderbilts, Edith Wharton, JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Doris Duke, and Klaus and Sunny von Bulow are just a few of the many names who have called the city home. Gilded takes you along as you explore the fascinating heritage of the Newport elite, from its first colonists to the newest of its new millennium millionaires, showing the evolution of a city intent on living in its own world. Through a narrative filled with engrossing characters and lively tales of untold extravagance, Davis brings the resort to life and uncovers the difference between rich and Newport rich along the way. Written with insight and dramatic flair, Gilded gives you a rare peek into the cloistered coastal playground of America's moneyed elite.
- Following up on the success of A Year in Fashion and presenting a century of the best fashion in a dynamic format, this book includes 365 all new images sure to appeal to the inner fashionista in everyone. Featuring fashion icons and images culled from the Getty archives, this book presents brilliant photos of designers and their creations, top models and movie stars, royalty and rock n' roll legends. 365 spreads—one for each day of the year— feature full-page, four-color photographs along with fascinating fashion trivia. There is plenty of room for noting important dates, scribbling notes, or recording thoughts. The high quality reproductions and paper makes this book suitable for a well-dressed desk or a coffee table. Best of all it reminds us that the best fashion is ageless and timeless.
I think you would like this one as well.
showcases the elegant eclecticism of renowned designer Jan Showers's interiors, including many projects unpublished until now. Illustrated with dazzling photography, Showers's accessible and useful design tenets will inspire readers to create their own luxurious yet relaxed homes. Showers's attention to detail seamlessly blends Hollywood high style, midcentury modernism, and classic 18th-century French styles with the local flavors of St. Barth's, Paris, and Rome. Her modern and timeless interiors, never overdone, have earned her a dedicated fan base of top designers, celebrities, and power brokers from Palm Beach to Del Mar. A must-have addition to any design enthusiast's library, Glamorous Rooms is sure to be an instant classic.
-- This fun book is a perfect stocking stuffer, the perfect book to take to Paris to use for a scavenger hunt, and perfect for the armchair traveler who loves trivia. There are more than 400 multiple-choice questions, by arrondissement, ranging from obscure lore to facts about well-known buildings, streets, and statues with fascinating and often humorous histories.
- When 27-year-old Sarah Levy opened her own pastry shop in 2004, she was barely out of college. She hails from a noted Chicago-based restaurant dynasty, but the success she's achieved has been all hers, and she's since gone on to open a second location inside Macy's. Sweetness shows how anyone can make delicious desserts and sweet snacks regardless of cooking experience (or lack thereof) — especially younger women who may not have a lot of kitchen training, but want to have a few go-to recipes for events, gifts, or that special someone. This is the book for readers who want to learn how to make top-quality treats that will knock the socks off anyone who samples them. Levy’s warm personality, step-by-step instructions, and vibrant color photos make this the perfect addition to the bookshelf of both budding chefs and seasoned pros.
- Who says gingerbread is just for the holidays? This unique cookbook shows how gingerbread can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert year-round. Reflecting the wisdom and creativity of a professional pastry chef and dedicated home cook, Gingerbread collects 60 traditional and modern recipes. Start with simple, yummy treats like Gingerbread Rum Cake and Sticky Toffee Gingerbread, then graduate to building your own gingerbread house for the holidays. Any way you slice it, these gingery goodies are sure to be a hit on any day of the year!
--Noted film biographer Spoto (Spellbound by Beauty) gives readers a previously unseen glimpse into the life of Grace Kelly (1929–1982), who went from Academy Award–winning actress to princess of Monaco. Drawing on hours of personal interviews with Kelly as well as with her numerous co-stars including Cary Grant and James Stewart, Spoto traces the star's life from her childhood in a wealthy Philadelphia neighborhood through her brief but noteworthy career in Hollywood to her years as the wife of Monaco's Prince Rainer. Kelly attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan, where she developed a love of theater, nurtured by her uncle, the actor and playwright George Kelly. Though she spent less than seven years in Hollywood, Kelly became an icon of the era. Spoto, as an expert in the films of Alfred Hitchcock and one of the late director's few confidantes, spends considerable time revisiting the trio of films Kelly made with the master of suspense: Dial M for Murder (1953), Rear Window (1954) and To Catch a Thief (1955). Though she admitted to missing acting, Kelly settled into her life as a royal, raising three children until her death in a car crash. Cinephiles will love Spoto's insider look at Hollywood in the 1950s, and even those unfamiliar with Kelly's films will be drawn to the author's warm and generous portrayal of a woman who was more than a pretty face {via Publishers Weekly}.
- The mini-cocotte is the perfect marriage of style and function. With these diminutive casseroles, home cooks can make individual servings of pot pies, stews, soups, appetizers, and even desserts in attractive cookware that moves easily from oven or stove to table. Le Creuset Mini-Cocotte offers 25 recipes for these compact casseroles, which range from traditional to innovative, savory to sweet, and can be served for everyday meals or special occasions.
- Melissa Gray is National Public Radio's Cake Lady. Every Monday she brings a cake to the office for her colleagues at NPR to enjoy. Hundreds of Mondays (and cakes) later, Melissa has lots of cake-making tips to share. With more than 50 recipes for the cakes that have been dreamed of and drooled over for a lifetime including Brown Sugar Pound Cake, Peppermint and Chocolate Rum Marble Cake, Lord and Lady Baltimore Cakes, Dark-Chocolate Red Velvet Cake, and Honey Buttercream and Apricot Jam Cake All Cakes Considered is an essential addition to every baker's library.
- Veteran New York photographer Roxanne Lowit has chronicled John Galliano's fashion shows for over a decade. With a rough-hewn, up-close approach she delves into the fascinating details behind the scenes. Her collection of snapshotstyle photographs convey the buzz of fashion's consistently most inspiring spectacle. A bold mixture of color and black-and-white, these images are by turns whimsical and awe-inspiring. As much a star as the celebrities she profiles, Lowit brings an insider perspective to this world of high glamour. This title will be released on November 15, 2009.
- The trench is no mere raincoat. What began as a military staple in the mid 1800s has become a cornerstone of the 21st century wardrobe, striking an enviable balance between form and function. Its straight-forward, structured design captures the essence of the individual, from the mystique of a private investigator's coat, the sinister allure of a leather trench, or the seduction of a belted sheath with nothing underneath. The Trench Book explores the evolution of this outerwear icon through the pages of history, the legends of film, and the tastemakers of fashion. A richly illustrated tour through high society, old Hollywood, catwalks, and street cafes, The Trench Book serves as a unique timeline of one perfect coat.
-- In February 2009, 733 pieces from Pierre Bergé’s and Yves Saint Laurent’s art collection—one of the world’s largest private collections—was auctioned off in a record-breaking sale of the century. Modern paintings, baroque bronzes, antique silverware, statues, cameos, and minerals comprise this diverse collection that furnished the pair’s two luxurious residences in Paris, and included major works by Picasso, Brancusi, Matisse, Mondrian, in addition to furniture by the Art Deco masters Eileen Gray and Jean Dunand. Many works sold for prices far exceeding the highest estimates.