Trend Report Picks for a bookish new year


BY HOLLY E. THOMAS If your holiday wish list included some quiet time with a good book, you’re in luck — at least as far as the books are concerned. The latest style and design tomes offer up a visual feast of color, creativity and inspiration. Here are our picks for six stylish titles; as for the quiet time, well … maybe in the new year.


“Masters of Fashion Illustration” combines imagery with history in a coffee-table-friendly format. Downton, a contemporary fashion illustrator, offers up insightful takes on his predecessors, ranging from Art Deco master Erté to poster artist Bob Peak. $50 at bookstores; also available from online booksellers.


1


Loaded with sketches, full- color illustrations and vintage advertising, David Downton’s


3


From the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, “100 Dresses” features page after page of swoon-worthy concoctions from bold-faced names including Elsa Schiaparelli, Hubert de Givenchy


and Cristóbal Balenciaga. The real treat, however, is the glimpse of early 20th- century designs by Paul Poiret, Jeanne Lanvin and Madame Grès. $24.95 at bookstores; also available online.


of style with “American Fashion Designers at Home,” a collaboration with the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Inside, Ralph Lauren’s dining room and Carlos Miele’s sun deck showcase the design connection between the real world and the runway. $65 at bookstores; also available online.


4


your own unique frock, along with a full-size pattern that can adjusted for sizes 4 to 14. $24.99 at bookstores; also available online.


2


Looking for something we’ve featured in Trend Report? E-mail us at fashion@washpost.com for help. Chat with Holly E. Thomas Thursdays at 1 p.m. at goingoutguide.com and follow her on Twitter: @WashPostFashion.


Dress designer Mary Adams penned this how-to guide to offer an alternative to buying off the rack. “The Party Dress Book: How to Sew the Best Dress in the Room” comes packed with tips and tricks to create


Peek inside the private homes of Donna Karan, Carolina Herrera and other luminaries


5


Need a cure for the wintertime blues? Interiors guru Jonathan Adler created a hardback series


aimed at the DIY design crowd. A quick fl ip through “Happy Chic Colors” and “Happy Chic Accessorizing” will help spruce up your spirits and your sitting room. $17.95 at bookstores; also available online.


8 THE WASHINGTON POST MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 26, 2010


“AMERICAN FASHION DESIGNERS AT HOME” PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ASSOULINE; ALL OTHER PHOTOGRAPHS BY HOLLY E. THOMAS


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156