Books to Savor

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The New York Sun

There are coffee-table books that sit around and look pretty. Then there are those that must be read, savored, and enjoyed. Three recently published fashion books fall firmly into the second category: “Robert Lee Morris: The Power of Jewelry,” by Robert Lee Morris (Harry N. Abrams, 108 pages, $60), “American Style,” by Kelly Killoren Bensimon (Assouline, 200 pages, $50), and “Carolina Herrera: Portrait of a Fashion Icon,” by Alexandra Kotur (Assouline, 208 pages, $60).


Robert Lee Morris, a jewelry designer known for his extraordinary artistic sensibility and his collaboration with Donna Karan, has created a book that is as engaging visually as it is to read. The photographs of his jewelry capture the sense of drama his pieces create when worn on the body. His work is often inspired by nature, but tempered by geometric or man-made shapes. And it consistently makes a powerful, aggressive statement.


It would be a shame, however, to ignore the text. Mr. Morris’s autobiographical essay is intelligently written and tells the captivating story of his artistic coming of age. Having grown up as a military child, Mr. Morris spent many years in Japan, where his early education included a great deal of artistic training. He passed some hippie days in a commune, but was discovered at a show in Vermont and quickly took New York by storm. In a short space, Mr. Morris reveals what it takes to be successful both as an artist and a businessman. And he does so in often touching, personal terms.


By contrast, “American Style” relies much more on visual images to make its impact. Using more than 400 images, Ms. Bensimon takes a broad, expansive look at the people, brands, and concepts that define the American vocabulary of style and design.


The result is an entirely absorbing catalog of ideas. Each page is devoted to one concept, with a large photograph and a brief explicative paragraph. Often the photographs feature style icons, though rarely the iconic images we’re used to seeing, which gives the book texture. Jennifer Lopez, for instance, is captured in a moment of surprise as she kneels down to sign an autograph. It’s an arresting shot, and of course she looks beautiful, but it’s not a common image.


Instead of organizing the book on a time line or alphabetically, Ms. Bensimon presented this collection of images in a way that is both random and cleverly juxtaposed. A drawing of a demure, elegant Gibson Girl faces a snapshot of Narciso Rodriguez holding hands with Sarah Jessica Parker, who is wearing one of his sexy dresses. The page devoted to the preppy influence of the monogram is balanced against a sun-kissed photograph capturing the independent spirit of the rodeo. The cozy work shirt woolens of the label Pendleton appear opposite a page honoring the American couturier Mainbocher.


Ms. Bensimon said she took this approach for a reason: “American style is synthesis, and the book is emblematic of that.”


In a different format, but just as attractive, is “Carolina Herrera.” The book provides a window onto the world of this supremely glamorous woman, whose transition from Latin American jet-setter to fashion designer happened virtually overnight. The book is divided into three chapters: Private Life, Public Life, and Portraits. Each one is loaded with photos that pay homage to Ms. Herrera’s inimitable sense of elegance. Throughout the book are tributes to Ms. Herrera written by everyone from Hamish Bowles to Renee Zellweger to Ian Schrager. While the snapshots of her private life reveal a woman naturally disposed to looking good, the portraits – by Francesco Scavullo, Pat York, Andy Warhol, and many others – show her to be a work of art. If you want to find yourself inspired by images of luxury and taste, by descriptions of a generous, beloved woman, then these are the pages to turn.


The New York Sun

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