Adrian: Silver Screen to Custom Label
by Christian Esquevin
List Price:
Our Price: $29.45
You Save: $20.55 (41%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $28.34 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Christian EsquevinEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-04-10
ISBN: 1580931936
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Monacelli
Book Reviews of Adrian: Silver Screen to Custom Label
Book Review: Could be better
Summary: 3 Stars
I've got to say that when I saw a book devoted to "Adrian," I got very excited, because I am a great admirer of his work during his years at MGM. However I must admit that I was disappointed with this book for its lack of actual content. If this were a simple photographic display of Adrian's works, I would have enjoyed the book more; it is the content that weakens the presentation.
The narrative starts out fine, giving the reader a sense of Adrian's struggles to delve into the fashion business first in Paris, then in America. Wonderful tidbits about the actresses like Crawford and Garbo are scattered throughout the initial 20 pages. But once Adrian's reign at MGM ends, so does the intrigue of the text. The interesting dichotomy of grand art and snappy human interest evolves into a verbose textual rendering of Adrian's creations, spanning about 15 years. Pages upon pages are spent lightly describing gowns from each collection, them not all having photographic companions to help the non-seamstress reader visualize these descriptions. In addition, the layout of the book causes confusion in that gowns described in the text are not necessarily juxtaposed on the same or corresponding page; then, too, some photographs are included that never were referenced in the text, making the reader wonder if they "missed" something.
I feel that this book's content could have been made stronger if more was included about Adrian's personal life, to give the reader insight into the genius behind the design. It is obvious that very little research, outside of photographic, has contributed to the content, which I think reasons its sketchiness. Critique and criticism by reviewing columnists as well as quotes by models or celebrities would surely have been a wonderful addition to the plodding text.
Because of the wonderful photographs, this makes for a great coffee table book. However its lack of content diminishes its viability as a strong read.
Summary of Adrian: Silver Screen to Custom Label
This book highlights and showcases many of Adrian great costume and fashion designs from the 1920s through the 1950s. Not only are his timeless glamour gowns, period costumes, and amazing show-girl costumes shown from the movies, but also his impeccable suits and beautiful gowns from his private label. The ten years of Adrian Ltd. are summarized year-by-year, and his life with Janet Gaynor and his taste for decorating and art are described.Fashion Design Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Fashion Design Books
Tony Duquetteby Wendy Goodman, Hutton Wilkinson
Abrams Books; Published: 2007-12-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $40.10
Price in other shops:
The Fashion Designer Survival Guide: An Insider's Look at Starting and Running Your Own Fashion Businessby Mary Gehlhar
Kaplan Business; Published: 2005-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.61
Price in other shops:
Eccentric Glamour: Creating an Insanely More Fabulous Youby Simon Doonan
Simon & Schuster; Published: 2008-04-08; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.73
Price in other shops:
Couture Sewing Techniquesby Claire B. Shaeffer
Taunton; Published: 2001-01-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.33
Price in other shops:
Amy Butler's Midwest Modern: A Fresh Design Spirit for the Modern Lifestyleby Amy Butler
Stewart, Tabori and Chang; Published: 2007-10-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.73
Price in other shops:
Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashionby Alan Flusser
HarperCollins; Published: 2002-10-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $28.98
Price in other shops:
The Pocket Stylist: Behind-the-Scenes Expertise from a Fashion Pro on Creating Your Own Lookby Kendall Farr
Gotham; Published: 2004-01-26; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $8.49
Price in other shops:
Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That's Right for Your Bodyby Clinton Kelly, Stacy London
Three Rivers Press; Published: 2005-09-13; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.21
Price in other shops:
The Lucky Shopping Manual: Building and Improving Your Wardrobe Piece by Pieceby Andrea Linett, Kim France
Gotham; Published: 2003-11-10; Turtleback; Book
Best price: $5.21
Price in other shops:
Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirtby Megan Nicolay
Workman Publishing Company; Published: 2006-02-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.94
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Tony Duquetteby Wendy Goodman, Hutton Wilkinson
Abrams Books; Published: 2007-12-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $41.25
Price in other shops:
Be Dazzled! Norman Hartnell, Sixty Years of Glamour and Fashionby Michael Pick
Pointed Leaf Press; Published: 2007-12-25; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $71.85
Price in other shops:
Costume Design in the Movies: An Illustrated Guide to the Work of 157 Great Designers (Dover Books on Fashion)by Elizabeth Leese
Dover Publications; Published: 1991-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.83
Price in other shops:
TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 2 (The Divorcee / A Free Soul / Night Nurse / Three on a Match / Female)Release date: 2008-03-04; DVD
Best price: $35.94
Price in other shops:
The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947 - 1957Victoria and Albert Museum; Published: 2007-09-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $27.00
Price in other shops:
Diorby Farid Chenoune
Assouline; Published: 2007-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $137.49
Price in other shops:
Lanvinby Dean L. Merceron
Rizzoli; Published: 2007-10-23; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $47.40
Price in other shops:
Paris 1962: Yves Saint Laurent and Dior, Christian Dior, The Early Collectionsby Jerry Schatzberg, Julia Morton
Rizzoli; Published: 2008-04-29; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $44.99
Price in other shops:
Madame Gres: Sphinx of Fashionby Patricia Mears
Yale University Press; Published: 2008-03-28; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $31.30
Price in other shops:
Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Designby Deborah Nadoolman Landis
Collins Design; Published: 2007-12-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $29.60
Price in other shops: