A-Z

Some days ago i bought THE FASHION BOOK. I couldn't resist and even though it can't used as a bible in any case, it offers some unknown piece of information (without which of course i would survive!!). However this accompanying text that follows each entry turns out to be real fun sometimes. So riffling through this book, last night, i discovered that:

Alaïa Azzedine has studied sculpture when he was younger.

Arden Elizabeth launched in 1935 the legendary Eight Hour Cream, which remains to this day a cult beauty product.

Armani Giorgio dressed Richard Gere for the film American Gigolo.

Balenciaga Cristóbal kept saying that 'No woman can make herself chic if she is not chic herself'.

Baron Fabien was the man to direct Madonna's Erotica video and design her metal-covered book, Sex a n d he was the same to have designed the frosted vodka-bottle shape for Calvin Klein's unisex CK One perfume.

Beaton Sir Cecil apart from being a famous photographer was also an illustrator, designer, writer, diarist and aesthete!

Burberry Thomas was the one to have first developed a water- and wind- proof fabric which he called gabardine.

Cardin Pierre was te first couturier to design ready-to-wear in 1959 and he was expelled from the Chambre Syndicale.

Chanel Gabrielle (Coco) closed her maison de couture in 1939 and re-opened it in 1954.

Evangelista Linda became famous for her audacious statements. 'We don't Vogue- we are Vogue' and her commet that defined the supermodel era: 'We don't wake up for less than $10,ooo'.

Frissel Toni the photographer behind this photo was a woman (thought the opposite!).

Givenchy Hubert de was expecting the other 'Miss Hepburn'- Katharine when Audrey was first sent to his house. His disappointment gave way to adoration.

LaChapelle David left home at fifteen and moved to NY where he worked as a busboy at the legendary New York nightclub, Studio 54- 'a big influence...all that pop imagery'.

Lacoste René was a tennis star.

Lanvin Jeanne was also famous for having introduced a line of menswear in 1926.

Louboutin Christian 'never thought to do shoe designing as a job' before meeting Roger Vivier who changed his outlook.

Martens Dr Klaus (Dr Martens), a Bavarian doctor who had broken his foot while skiing and wanted something to relieve the pain designed the famous boot which became an overnght success.

Meisel Steven has been given in one Italian Vogue edition as many as thirty pages to depict a single story.

Roberts Michael (illustrator) for an April Fool issue of the Tatler, he transformed designer Vivienne Westwood into Margaret Thatcher.

Roversi Paolo has described his favourite model, Kirsten Owen, as 'somewhere between an angel and a demon'.

Schiaparelli Elsa commisioned some of the best artists during the 1930's, such as Salvador Dalí, Jean Cocteau and Christian Bérard, to design fabrics and embroideries for her.

Twiggy retired at the age of nineteen.

Versace Gianni said: ' i like to dress egos, if you haven't got a big ego, you can forget it'.

Vuitton Louis' famous monogram was created in 1886 by Louis' son, Georges.

Warhol Andy launched in 1969 his experimental style magazine Interview.

Wilde Oscar was editor of Woman's World magazine between 1887 and 1889.