Book review; The Fashion Questionnaire

This book features a questionnaire given to 21 high fashion designers together with their answers, in their own hand writing.

Introduction by Michael Specter

My fave part of the intro is how he is describing how the times influenced fashion and how in the current century ( aka now), "..it is not at all unusual to see a well-dressed women wearing a $3,000 sweater draped carelessly over a strategically ripped pair of jeans. Style is as likely to rise from the ground as to fall from the heavens." Then he quoted YSL: "I have often said that I wish I had invented blue jeans."

Questions included: fave fabric, fave colour, most disliked style, fave fashion photographer, fave model, fave jewellery designer, ideal bag, most timeless designer, most creative designer, fave decade in fashion, muse?, preferred look for a woman, preferred look for a man, fashion faux pas you can least/most tolerate, fashion motto etc

Designers included: Thom Browne, Ennio Capasa, Pierre Cardin, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Roberto Cavalli, Alber Elbaz, Diane von Furstenberg, John Galliano, Carlina Herrera, Tommy Hilfiger, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Karl Lagerfeld, Catherine Malandrino, Nicole Miller, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Rucci, Sonia Rykiel, Oliver Theyskens, Isabel Toledo & Valentino

Here is how "Mr Lanvin" (Alber Elbaz) drew his cover page...too cute!




Some of the designers typed their answered, which is revealing in itself.

There is some room at the back in the form of blank questionnaires, inviting readers and their friends to discover & record their own sense of style.




A lovely coffee table book for any fashion lover.

2008 Assouline Publishing
ISBN: 978 275940 2731 (hard white cover)