Blow by Blow - by Detmar Blow & Tom Sykes (Paperback)

About the Book

A portrait of the influential fashion icon covers her early work as Anna Wintour's assistant, the depression she hid behind her signature wild lifestyle, and her tragic 2007 suicide.

Book Synopsis

"One of the most original and influential people of the twentieth century to me and many others." --Alexander McQueen

With a career spanning thirty years in fashion, as an influential voice at Vogue, Tatler, and The Sunday Times Magazine--as well as a legacy as one of the industry's kingmakers for discovering Philip Treacy, Alexander McQueen, Sophie Dahl, and Hussein Chalayan--Isabella Blow had been a pillar of couture culture until her suicide in 2007 left the fashion world mourning one of its finest friends and patrons. Blow by Blow is a captivating journey through Issie's life, a one-of-a-kind look at her unforgettable impact on the fashion world, and a moving exploration of her inspiring and ultimately tragic tale.

From the Back Cover

The news of Isabella Blow's suicide in 2007 shocked the international fashion world. A true patron of couture, she is credited with having discovered and fostered the careers of famed designers Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy, among others, becoming their great muse, friend, and confidante. She also discovered models Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl, yet it was images of Issie in these designers' creations that became instantly iconic. Isabella's aristocratic ancestry was as colorful as her manner of dress, her childhood was adventurous and, at times, tragic, and her thirty-year career in fashion was legendary.

Written with compassion, adoration, and deep insight by Detmar Blow, her devoted husband of eighteen years, in collaboration with writer Tom Sykes. Blow by Blow is, at once, an outrageous behind-the-scenes romp through the worlds of fashion and high society, and a poignantly candid view of the tortured inner life of a rare and conflicted spirit.