1. Picardie, Justine. Coco Chanel : the legend and the life, New York : HarperCollins, 2010.

This biography follows the life of Coco Chanel, who is possibly the most iconic fashion designer in history. Hers is a rags to riches story, from her childhood in an orphanage, to becoming “one of the most influential women in history“ (HarperCollins). She remains a self-made enigma. After spending a decade in research, Justine Picardie has created a ‘vividly told account, in the style of Chanel herself' (The Daily Mail).  It is a Sunday Times bestselling biography and was shortlisted for the Galaxy National Book Awards. The Chanel brand has been rejuvenated to its former glory, by the multi-talented designer, Karl Lagerfeld.

Video: Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life by Justine Picardie:

Trailer for the feature film: Coco before Chanel:

2. Pochna, Marie-France. Christian Dior : the man who made the world look new, [Ashland, Or.] : Blackstone Audio, c2013. (10 CD’s)

Dior’s debut collection in 1947 made him an overnight success, his lavish  ‘New Look’ was a radical departure from the austere clothing of the war, and re-instated Paris as the fashion capital of the world. In the 1950’s, he was the first designer to produce ‘ready-to-wear’, bringing high fashion to more customers. Pochna provides an unreserved look into Dior’s life, the most successful fashion designer of his time, who’s legacy lives on today. He mixed in high circles, keeping intellectual and artistic friends, who provided him with inspiration. Pochna has written other fashion biographies, and with Dior, she “documents with almost a fictional style” (Booklist).

Trailer for the documentary: Christian Dior, the Man Behind the Myth:

Trailer for the feature film: Dior and I:

3. Drake, Alicia. The beautiful fall : fashion, genius and glorious excess in 1970s Paris, London : Bloomsbury, 2006.

Paris in the 1970’s was the setting for two fashion heavyweights,  Yves Saint Laurent, the protégé of Christian Dior, and Karl Lagerfeld, the apprentice of Pierre Balmain. A beautiful fall reveals their ambitious natures and fight for fashion supremacy. Saint Laurent created a trademark polished style and Lagerfeld became the master of reinvention. Behind the glamour, excess and manufactured images, hid narcissistic personalities. “These titanic designers crafted their personas as carefully as they put together their luxurious collections” (Booklist). Drake conducted over “100 interviews in her scrupulous chronicle of fashion's most illustrious rivalry” (Booklist), to create “a work as finely detailed as any outfit they ever sent down a runway” (PW Annex Reviews). 

Trailer for the feature film: Yves Saint Laurent:

Documentary: The life of a star: the world of Karl Lagerfeld:

4. Molho, Renato. Being Armani : a biography, Milano : Baldini Castoldi Dalai, c2007.

Armani’s signature style is flattering and subtle workwear, and from it he has built a global empire worth billions. Starting with menswear he successfully recreated the suit, making it softer and less restricting, and then did the same for women. He understands a modern woman’s “basic need for everyday elegance, simplicity” (Armani). But behind the scenes Molho describes how he is notoriously difficult to work with, “he demands absolute loyalty, turning his back on anyone who leaves his orbit”. This biography details his luxurious lifestyle and workaholic, overbearing nature “the work I do is tyrannical, it demands everything you have, it takes everything.” (Armani).

Video: 40 Years of Armani - N°2/40 - #Atribute to the Jacket:

Armani clothes in film: American Gigolo:

5. Paracchini, Gian Luigi. The Prada life, [Italy] : Baldini Castoldi Dalai Editore, c2010.

Prada is a family owned company, begun by Mario and Martino Prada and now led by Mario's granddaughter Miuccia Prada. Originally selling leathergoods in Milan, Miuccia Prada developed and expanded the business internationally. The originality of her designs, their lack of pretentiousness and understated luxury, have made Prada a global success. She has stated: “I always wanted to be different. I always wanted to be first.”. Miuccia holds a Ph.D. in political science, is a feminist, and was named the 75th most powerful woman in the world in 2014 (Forbes). In 2012, her work was exhibited alongside Elsa Schiaparelli’s, in Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This book gives an inside look at one of the world’s brightest designers and how she changed the landscape of fashion.

Video: Prada - Designer Biography - Miuccia Prada:

Prada clothes in film: Catherine Martin & Miuccia Prada dress The Great Gatsby:

6. Thomas, Dana. Gods and kings, London : Allen Lane, 2015.

Gods and Kings delves into the lives of breakthrough British designers Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, both graduates of London’s distinguished design school, Central Saint Martins. Here are two exceptional talents, who came from nothing and went on to conquer the fashion world but faulted under the enormous pressure. This book is an exploration of the designer’s weaknesses rather than their talent, and has been criticised for being unnecessarily negative, with The Guardian describing it as “insinuating, brutally non-empathetic”. It is a study on the inner struggles and turmoil of two pioneering artists. McQueen’s star is continuing to rise after his death, an exhibit of his work - Alexander McQueen : Savage beauty, is currently showing at in London’s V&A Museum.

Video: Inside Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty:

Video: Designer Biography: John Galliano:

7. Lauren, Ralph & Randolph Carter, Mary (Ed). Ralph Lauren, New York : Rizzoli, 2011.

Ralph Lauren doesn’t just design clothes. He has created a luxury lifestyle brand which captures the American spirit. From small beginnings making men’s ties, he now runs a worldwide fashion empire. In his autobiography, Ralph Lauren reveals his life, influences and inspiration in words and images. He is the only designer to win the top four Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awards; Womenswear Designer of the Year, Menswear Designer of the Year, Retailer of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement. This book offers a unique and candid insight into America’s most successful fashion designer. “People ask how can a Jewish kid from the Bronx do preppy clothes? Does it have to do with class and money? It has to do with dreams” (Ralph Lauren).

Video: Ralph Lauren: In His Own Words: