Like so many followers of fashion, I'm a big fan of Scott Schuman's photography and his unique "eye" for style. I was therefore quite excited to receive my copy of his new book last week. There is definitely something to be said for culling his beautiful photographs and assembling them together in this format. I also appreciate the book's compact size which makes it easy to carry and handle - a nice change from the typical fashion book format.
The one critique I have relates to his editing process: there is what I would call an over-representation of some subjects (Giovanna Bataglia, Uomo Vogue's elegant editor for instance) and at least one glaring omission (Sarah Rutson, Lane Crawford's Fashion Director). Giovanna Bataglia is of course one of Schuman's favorite subjects and is undoubtedly very elegant so I naturally expected to see some of her beautiful photographs, just not quite so many (there are ten to be precise). I also expected to see Sarah Rutson who has been photographed many times by Schuman and whose personal style I admire tremendously but alas, not one of her shots appears to have made the final cut. It left me wondering "why?". This minute criticism aside, I highly recommend the book. I think years from now, we'll pull it down from the shelf and still find Schuman's work inspirational.
Sincerely,
The Luxe Chronicles
You're right, I think today I'm going to start incorporating words like "maaahvelous" and "divine" into my vocabulary!
Best,
John
Posted by: John Agee Paris | Tuesday, September 08, 2009 at 13:44
Agreed!! There would be no Sartorialist, no Garance Dore, no Face Hunter were it not for the inimitable Bill Cunningham! In fact, I log on to the NYT's Style page for no other reason than to hear his commentary. Who else in this day and age still uses the term "maaaarvelous" without any sarcasm?
Helene
Posted by: Helene | Tuesday, September 08, 2009 at 11:47
I sometimes find it more interesting to see what real people are wearing and putting together (disclaimer: "real people" in Paris, New York, Milan, London, etc. that is!) than what is actually shown in some magazines. I'm always more personally inspired by some of the dapper characters that the Sartorialist photographs than an overly stylized spread. Anyone interested in his chronicling of the street should also research what Bill Cunningham has done for the New York Times for many years.
Posted by: John Agee Paris | Tuesday, September 08, 2009 at 11:31
Oh as I'm popping over to Paris on the 19th for the day I might go and get it in person!
do you know any good non touristy flea markets or charity shops in Paris?
Posted by: Make Do Style | Tuesday, September 08, 2009 at 08:33
Dear Make Do:
The paperback version is available online at Colette's website in case you're interested.
http://www.colette.fr/#/eshop/article/263162/the-sartorialist/49/
Enjoy the browse.
Helene
Posted by: Helene | Monday, September 07, 2009 at 09:25
I'm waiting for the paperback! But I'll have a peek in Waterstones at it soon...or it will be in our library at LCF.
Posted by: Make Do Style | Monday, September 07, 2009 at 08:54