- Paperback: 252 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (4 Mar 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0060567406
- ISBN-13: 978-0060567408
- Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 18.8 x 1.9 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 815,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
| |||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Product Description
An intimate portrait of one of Hollywood's most prolific and controversial costume designers describes her early work as a sketch artist in 1923, four decades as Paramount's top designer, numerous Oscar nominations and awards, and complex personal life.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
Edith outfitted Hollywood's most memorable stars for over four decades, winning eight Academy Awards for costume design. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Edith outfitted Hollywood's most memorable stars for over four decades, winning eight Academy Awards for costume design. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.co.uk.
5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
14 reviews
34 of 34 people found the following review helpful
a failure
8 Mar 2003
Format:Hardcover
Edith Head was a fascinating woman who worked in a lost world. How could you go wrong with a book about her? This book does just that. Edith Head was a costume designer so you would expect to see page after page of glorious photos of her work, right? This book skimps on photos. You might expect to read some saucy tales of old Hollywood, but this book fails to provide them. It's too stiff, too careful--it reads like a libel attorney was the final editor--and it bored me. Hunt down the Dress Doctor instead.
37 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Why is this book so terrible???
7 Nov 2003
Format:Hardcover
This is, most probably, the worst book I have ever read. I have been struggling to come up with concise reasons as to just what makes it so terrible. This book is so bad, that I am at a loss as to where to start.
First, the choice of photos is dismal. There are few photos of any costumes that won awards. The majority of the photos are head & shoulder shots, that reveal nothing of the lines or designs. The few sketches are done by others. The inclusion of them adds nothing to understanding Head's work.
Second, the writing is abysmal. The author starts in on an event, topic, subject & disposes of it in one or two sentences. Not one subject is dealt with in any depth. Things are thrown in for no apparent purpose except to take up space. As an example, we are told Head thought, after viewing Star Wars, Princess Leia's costume should have a side zipper. That's it - why is this important at all? This is not a film she had any connection with. The author tosses off a remark that someone doesn't want to hire Head because she has told too many lies. (When, to whom, what, WHAT???) One is just left with this statement, it has not been explained previously & it is never explained.
The book is merely cover-to-cover filler. The publisher & the editor should be ashamed.
If you are interested in Head's fashions, save your money & rent the movies - they will give you more information than this book.
First, the choice of photos is dismal. There are few photos of any costumes that won awards. The majority of the photos are head & shoulder shots, that reveal nothing of the lines or designs. The few sketches are done by others. The inclusion of them adds nothing to understanding Head's work.
Second, the writing is abysmal. The author starts in on an event, topic, subject & disposes of it in one or two sentences. Not one subject is dealt with in any depth. Things are thrown in for no apparent purpose except to take up space. As an example, we are told Head thought, after viewing Star Wars, Princess Leia's costume should have a side zipper. That's it - why is this important at all? This is not a film she had any connection with. The author tosses off a remark that someone doesn't want to hire Head because she has told too many lies. (When, to whom, what, WHAT???) One is just left with this statement, it has not been explained previously & it is never explained.
The book is merely cover-to-cover filler. The publisher & the editor should be ashamed.
If you are interested in Head's fashions, save your money & rent the movies - they will give you more information than this book.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Would have been a great article
15 April 2004
Format:Hardcover
Chierichetti has produced what would have been a fascinating article for Vanity Fair or Vogue, but falls short as a full length biography. His subject spent many celebrated decades as a Hollywood costume designer but we learn little about Edith Head's actual creative process, her interactions with the stars she dressed or even how she felt about her job (other than she seemed monumentally insecure about her success). The book is also missing photographic documentation that would help the reader understand how great her impact really was. In the end, we don't learn much more about Edith Head or her life, but rather we learn the same stuff over and over: she was a champion dissembler, she had a complex emotional life, she was conflicted over her parentage and upbringing. Check, check, check. Anything else?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Art, Architecture & Photography > Fashion Design
- Books > Biography > Film, Television & Music
- Books > Health, Family & Lifestyle > Beauty & Fashion
- Books > Home & Garden > Crafts
- Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Film > History of Film > United States
- Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Performing Arts
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
