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Coffee Table Books
For our Notorious Shoppers who also love to read, stay up-to-date on our selection of books dealing with shopping, fashion, beauty, and home decor.
The House of Gucci
As the seasons change and summer begins to wind down, curling up with a good book to read is a must. So to coincide with the various fashion weeks across the globe this month and the release of all the "September issues," this month's coffee table book is The House of Gucci by Sara Gay Forden. This biography of the family that started one of the current elite fashion houses reads like a factual soap opera.
The beginning of this nonfictional work opens in medias res with the murder of a Gucci family member. Author Sara Gay Forden then travels back in time to the early 20th century to recount the Gucci family tree, starting with the patriarch of the family, Guccio Gucci. The explanation of who's who in the family can get confusing at times throughout the first few chapters. But have no fear: Forden included a family tree diagram at the front of the book to help the reader keep track of the family lineage.
As the history of the House of Gucci progresses, the reader is shown the dysfunction that can develop within a glamorous, creative family that begins to earn excessive amounts of money while building an international empire. Constant infighting rooted in discontent, jealousy, contempt, and need for power and control lead to the unraveling and rebuilding of the Gucci enterprises several times over. The retelling of this company's history eventually leads the reader back to where author Forden started the story: with the murder of one of Guccio Gucci's grandchildren. Continuing to lay out the details of the backstabbing that the Gucci family revels in, Forden allows this family murder to be the book's climax, with the trial and subsequent verdict of the accused murderers being the resolution.
So while you either travel to see Gucci's Spring/Summer '19 Collection live and in person this month, watch the video recaps on cable TV or YouTube, stop by the Gucci boutique inside Saks 5th Avenue at Beachwood Place to purchase a new handbag, or simply admire the Gucci ads within the various September issues, remember this: Behind all the glamour of the finished products, there has been blood, sweat, tears, and DRAMA behind the scenes of this eponymous fashion empire!
Cue the theme music from Dynasty.
Add it to your coffee table:
The House of Gucci: a Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, & Greed
by Sara Gay Forden
(William Morrow, Harper Collins Publishers; New York, NY; 2000)
$26.00
Thrift Style
"Thrifter" is the descriptive name given to anyone who is a notorious thrift store shopper. But after reading this book you will be a certified thrifter, regardless of whether you are a novice at navigating thrift stores or are a professional thrifter with decades of scouring secondhand racks under your belt.
Thriftstyle really does live up to its claim of being "the ultimate bargain shopper's guide to smart fashion." The three authors (two of who, might we add, are from Northeast Ohio) have organized the book in such a manner that is easily educates the thrifting novice while providing information to the veteran thrifter that helps improve their skills.
The handbook starts off explaining the reasons for the popularity of thrifting and dispelling misinformation about thrifting. It then moves on to explain the different types of stores in the thrift world, from consignment shops and vintage stores to auction houses and resale stores. This guide also teaches notorious shoppers how to navigate the typical thrift store; how to find your style amongst thrift store treasures; what details to look for when it comes to quality; how to spot vintage pieces; how to maintain, clean, and/or repair quality items; the differences between a designer's affordable line and their exclusive couture products; and differences in vintage clothing sizes and current measurement sizing. Thriftstyle definitely teaches its readers how to pay attention to detail while thrifting. Plus, the authors include knowledge from experts in the textile, fashion, and clothing fields, such as cobblers, costume experts, tailors, and dry cleaning specialists. In addition, this guide is filled with pictures of many of the treasures that the authors themselves have found at thrift stores around the country. They even go so far as to include a resource guide at the end of this must-have book so that notorious shoppers can further their education and expertise on thrifting.
Finally, with all that said.....
Understand this and understand this clearly: YOU MUST ADD THIS BOOK TO YOUR COFFEE TABLE COLLECTION.
Now! Right now! No ifs, ands, or buts.
Happy reading and happy shopping!!!
...or should we say happy "thrifting"?
Add it to your coffee table:
ThriftStyle: the Ultimate Bargain Shopper's Guide to Smart Fashion
by Allison Engel, Reise Moore, & Margaret Engel (Imagine Books by Charlesbridge; Watertown, MA; 2017)
$15.99