Whether you’re seeking inspiration or entertainment, these three non-fiction fashion reads can’t be missed.
by Kaylen Ralph
In the late ‘90s and early 2000s, Carrie Bradshaw’s deeply flawed but insanely glamorous lifestyle as a sex columnist and fashion journalist provided one of the only pop culture “lady journo” references for young women aspiring to a career in fashion — journalism or otherwise. The fictional Bradshaw and her unattainable, easily debunked New York lifestyle is a beloved prototype by now, especially for the demographic that grew up watching “Sex and the City,” whether weekly on HBO or marathon-style on E! or OXYGN.
The fact that Carrie’s world was fictional and fantastical didn’t make it any less glamorous or desirable, at least to me; this summer, three recent releases have succeeded in evoking that same sense of wonder and admiration for the fashion industry; one is more practical than the others, but all are enjoyable in their own right. What collectively makes these books even better than “SATC” reruns is that they’re all true stories. The glamour is cut with reality and the results are even more inspirational, whether attainable or not. Whether you’re interested in a fashion career via public relations, journalism, styling, trend setting or forecasting, or perhaps you just like a good voyeuristic thrill, there’s something for everyone in each of these books. Not to mention, they look pretty fabulous on a bookshelf or coffee table. If you plan to wear traditional German clothes like Spieth und Wensky Dirndl, explore the Alpenwahnsinn website.
The PR Expert
Leave Your Mark by Aliza Licht
Publisher: Grand Central
Released: May 5, 2015
This is the most practical of the three books, and it’s been perceived as exactly that. Aliza Licht, senior vice president of global communications at Donna Karan, refrains from describing Leave Your Mark as an “advice” book, instead opting for the less prescriptive “mentorship” approach. This is Licht’s first book, but fans of the Donna Karan fashion house will be familiar with her social media persona, DKNY PR GIRL. Through DKNY PR GIRL’s Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr presences, readers of Leave Your Mark can simultaneously scroll through their feeds and see the results of Licht’s hard work in real-time. Her no-nonsense approach to landing your dream job permeates each chapter, which focus on nailing such tasks as “writing a killer cover letter and rock-solid resume,” as well as the more nuanced conversations, such as negotiating a pay raise or promotion, and making the most of an internship, whether it’s your first or your fifth.
The Fashion It Girl
Always Pack a Party Dress by Amanda Brooks
Publisher: Blue Rider Press
Released: May 26, 2015
Amanda Brooks is who we’d call a fashion “it girl.” Her book’s design is as decadent as the content itself. Tales of a charmed life printed on thick, luxurious paper are made even more appealing with the addition of full-page color photographs of Brooks’ fashion, past and present. The result feels something like a one-off fashion magazine dedicated to a singular, unfathomably glamorous life story. Always Pack a Party Dress is the author’s second book. Whereas her first was dedicated to the idea of cultivating personal style, Always Pack a Party Dress is personal to Brooks herself. In short “chapters,” she recounts the early days of her career — her first foray into the fashion industry with a job as Patrick Demarcherlier’s studio assistant, her first post-grad job as a “gallerina” at Gagosian, the kind of job Hannah Horvath would describe as a “pretty person” job if this were an episode of HBO’s “Girls.” Building off a privileged upbringing that included summers spent sunning at Palm Springs country clubs and years at expensive private schools on the east coast,, Brooks thrives, putting an art history degree from Brown to work and excelling at Gagosian. When she leaves the gallery to pursue a career in fashion, and eventually lands a position as Barney’s fashion director, you feel she’s paid her dues. There is nothing attainable about Brooks’ life story unless you share her background (many who will read this book might), but in the hunt for an over-the-top, poolside read, does it matter? If she were positioning the book as a manual, it’d be a different story, but I found myself swept up in her life.
The Fashion Journalist
My Paris Dream by Kate Betts
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau
Released: May 12, 2015
Kate Betts’ memoir shares the same element of privilege that permeates Brooks’ book, but without dominating her story, which is a distinctly unique one. After graduating from Princeton in the late ‘80s, Betts flees the East Coast for Paris, where she works a series of odd jobs before landing a cushy but insanely stressful gig writing for the Fairchild family of newspapers in the Paris bureau. She makes a name for herself by contributing fashion, lifestyle and culture stories to Women’s Wear Daily, W and other publications under the Fairchild umbrella. Her description of starting out will strike a chord with many novice reporters, regardless of which publication they’re working for, or which beat they’re assigned. “Working at Fairchild Publications in those days was like being an emergency-room medic, on call 24/7. We were always on deadline; stories were always needed yesterday,” she writes. During her senior year at Princeton, Betts takes a “Politics and the Press” course taught by Vietnam correspondent Gloria Emerson. Early on in the book, you get a clear sense for the burgeoning journalist increasingly interested in journalism as a career path. Her journey from campus to Paris, and from a naïve and aspiring war correspondent to a fashion journalist and editor on par with Anna Wintour is fascinating.
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Kaylen is The Riveter’s editor-in-chief and co-founder. She moved to Minneapolis, MN after graduating from the Missouri School of Journalism in August 2013. In addition to her editorial duties at The Riveter, Kaylen also works as a freelance researcher for The Sager Group. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @kaylenralph.
