Famed fashion photographer Sir Cecil Beaton was born on January 14,
1904, in London, England. In the 1920s, he was hired as a staff
photographer for Vanity Fair and Vogue, where he developed a unique
style of posing sitters with
unusual backgrounds. As a portraitist, he photographed the stars of
fashion, society, and the art worlds, and was considered the
unofficial court photographer of the British royal family. He was
also a committed diarist, interior designer, and Oscar-winning
stage and costume designer. Beaton died in England on January 18,
1980. Hugo Vickers is a biographer, broadcaster and lecturer, and
has been closely involved in the life and work of Cecil Beaton
since 1979, when Sir Cecil asked him to become his official
biographer. Besides that biography, he has also edited two volumes
of Cecil Beaton's unexpurgated diaries, lectured about him all over
the world and assisted with the many exhibitions devoted to Beaton.
Since 1988 he has served as Cecil Beaton's literary executor. Hugo
Vickers is also an acknowledged expert on the Royal Family and was
an adviser on the film, The King's Speech. His Andy Warhol fifteen
minute of fame occurred when he appeared on the Stephen Colbert
show at the time of the Royal Wedding 2011.
"So excited to read "the bible of fashion."" -Champagne and
Heels
“…this exquisitely reproduced reissue of his 1954 tome,
subtitled A Personal History of Changing Tastes and the People
Who Have Inspired Them, is a collection of the designer’s
photos and commentary. Its 18 chapters, accompanied by more than
150 line drawings by Beaton, feature reminiscences of personalities
who influenced fashion and decor. Chanel, Poiret, Schiaparelli,
Dior, and other well-known creators sit alongside his Aunt Jessie,
a Victorian belle, and some forgotten society types…The foreword by
Beaton’s literary executor and designated biographer Hugo Vickers,
notes that The Glass of Fashion “has become essential
reading for those who study fashion.” The book is that and so much
more. It’s a trip back in time with an observant, effervescent,
talented, and opinionated guide. Many of his profiles and
observations prove to have withstood the test of time. It is as
fresh today as when it was first published.” –Library
Journal
“First-Rate fashion book…an alluring collection of vignettes of the
personalities who inspired fashion during the 40s and 50s.”
–Harper’s Bazaar
"The Glass of Fashion is one of the more entertaining books that
has surfaced on the topic of fashion. Moreover Mr. Beaton oddly
foreshadowed what is still visible in the juxtaposition of fashion
and celebrity. Mr. Beaton graciously and almost effusively
illustrated this book…Would this be a recommended book for the
sophisticated, fashionable, and curious reader? The Glass of
Fashion deserves to be in the library of any of the above." –New
York Journal of Books
“[One of the] Must-Have Fashion Books of the Fall” –Elle
“Dashing!” –Papercity Magazine
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