Foreword / Carolina Herrera -- Preface / Amy Fine Collins -- Introduction / Graydon Carter -- The 1930's: Prehistory: Post-depression-era glamour -- The 1940's: From frivolity to sobriety: Eleanor takes charge -- The 1950's: From austerity to luxury -- The 1960's: Beautiful people and elegant rebels -- The 1970's: Egalitarianism, crises and list-gate -- The 1980's: The Reagans, Di and the Dow -- The 1990's: The recession, indiscretion, and postmodern chaos -- The 2000's: The godmother and the guardians -- The complete lists.
Summary:
The history of the International Best-Dressed List, from its inception in 1940 by Eleanor Lambert to the present day. Includes many photos of style leaders from the worlds of entertainment, fashion, art, society, business, politics, royalty, and media. "This sumptuous volume -- the ultimate sourcebook for fashion mavens, Instagram followers, and celebrity worshippers -- presents the complete history of the much-lauded and highly visible International Best-Dressed List (IBDL) launched by Eleanor Lambert, "Godmother of Fashion," in 1940. The List has become a barometer of style and the highest honor a sartorial savant can receive, and today it's an ongoing record of the world's most glamorous women and men from society, royalty, Hollywood, celebrity, fashion, art, culture, sports, and media. These gorgeous "swans" of elegance, influence, and grace are gathered here in the most comprehensive survey ever published. This rich story is told by insider and IBDL Hall-of-Famer Amy Fine Collins through her encyclopedic knowledge, exclusive insights, and countless entertaining anecdotes about the behind-the-scenes goings-on -- Lambert was offered kickbacks and bribes of up to $50,000 by list aspirants -- that shed light on the selection process, the vibrant personalities (not to mention egos) of the chosen, and the zeitgeist of the times. For sixty years, Lambert was queen of the International Best-Dressed List. In 2002, she formally ceded the reins to Graydon Carter, Amy Fine Collins, Reinaldo Herrera, and Aimée Bell." -- Publisher's description. "Images in the book include Begum Aga Khan delicately touching her gloved hand to her hat; Babe Paley cradling her chin; Audrey Hepburn gazing at Grace Kelly ("who mirrors her friend's arched pose") and Diana Ross with her arms skyward -- all favorites of Hall of Famer Carolina Herrera, who penned the foreword. Other images include Azzedine Alaïa working with opera star Jessye Norman on a French Revolution commemorative parade costume in 1989, David Bowie hauling on a cigarette outside of the Carlyle Hotel in 1983 and Gloria Swanson doing shirshasana in her apartment in Rome in 1954"--https://wwd.com/business-news/media/by-the-book-the-international-best-dressed-lists-official-story-will-soon-be-told-1203344331/
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.