Fashion a la Mode: The Pop-Up History of Costumes and Dresses this question feed

asked by ozone on November 13, 2006 6:11 PM
Fashion-à la Mode is a sumptuous jewel of costume and fashion history seen through a dazzling parade of dolls that pop up on the page, accompanied by extraordinary interactive apparel, such as removeable fans, parasols, and shoes. The costumes in the book are created by Isabelle de Borchgrave and are based on her one-of-a-kind, hand-painted paper dresses.With short texts and numerous costumed figures that pop up in three dimensions, the book is organized chronologically into themes: Egypt and the beginning of costume, the Elizabethan period, 18th-century France, the Victorian Opera, the kimono, Chanel and the liberation of women's clothing, and fashion as art (Fortuny and Miyake).The text is written by Dorothy Twining Globus, Director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Also included are enthusiastic essays by such notable fashion authorities as Hubert de Givenchy, Karl Lagerfeld, Myra Walker, and Sue North.


Reviews

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This book is absolutely unbelievable. It was my first pop-up book and after purchasing this book I can't get enough pop-ups for my growing collection. If you're interested in fashion or just love to look at pretty books this is one for you.
Pop-up books are no longer just for children. I am constantly amazed at the workmanship that goes into one of these books. I never buy a used pop-up book, especially ones that say some of the pop-ups don't work. Then why buy it! Take my advice, buy this book and you'll be hooked on pop-ups too. I even bought pop-up Christmas cards this year and a 2006 calendar. Robert Sabuda is my all-time favorite pop-up artist.
reviewed by trailrider on November 15, 2006 2:19 AM

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What a delightful book! The design engineers, who created this masterpiece, must be incredibly clever! This book is not only historically educational, it is fun. (Remember to be gentle--this is not for small children)
reviewed by maxmill on November 24, 2006 4:54 AM

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I have always loved pop-up books and this one is no exception. Each page has an interesting new surprize. The illustrations are bright and well-rendered. The only quibble I have is that the ladies are a bit tricky to set up. In other words,be gentle or you might rip them a tiny bit(yes,it happened to me.) This book would make a lovely gift for anyone who enjoys fashion and or novelty books..
reviewed by bethness on November 28, 2006 2:51 PM

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This book contains seven spreads:
-Egypt
-The Court of Elizabeth I
-The Court of Marie Antoinette
-At the Opera
-The Art of the Kimono
-Coco Chanel: Liberating the Ladies
-Fashion as Art

My favorites are the kimono and art(Mariano Fortuny and Issey Miyake) spreads. I really love the Fotuny paper doll in her Delphos gown and loose fitting cloak, despite their being less than well rendered.

As a pop-up collector and hobbyist, I'm disappointed with this book. Though a great subject, the form and function of the pop-ups don't mesh well for me. There's an assortment of pull tabs, lift the the flaps, accordion fold outs and free standing pop ups that can be totally detached from the book. The many movable items are well organized by theme, but the parts are always catching on each other. I also had some trouble securing the freestanding stuff back into the book because it's not immediately obvious how the tabs and slots work with each other. For the price, I think the illustrations could have been better looking. In the end, the mish mash of the contents and sometimes ugly illustrations killed this book for me. I didn't hate it enough to go through the trouble of returning it, but it sits in its plastic wrapper collecting dust.

reviewed by glenn11 on November 28, 2006 6:22 PM

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