Vogue: The Gown - by Jo Ellison (Hardcover)

About the Book

Previously published: Richmond Hill, Ontario: Firefly Books, 2014.

Book Synopsis

Reviews for the limited edition: "(A) sumptuous love letter capturing the essence of Vogue: beautiful women in beautiful gowns." --Library Journal

"An art book about gowns must be as opulent and enchanting as its lavish subject. So it is with this grandly produced and mesmerizing celebration of Vogue's devotion to the ultimate haute couture confection." --Booklist

This landmark book is a beautiful celebration of haute couture dresses from the early 20th century to today. More than 300 photographs are grouped into five thematic chapters: Classical, Fantasy, Drama, Decorative and Modernist. More than a collection of photographs of dresses organized in categories, it is a curated exploration of 20th-century fashion and fashion photography.

The photographers and their set designers, stylists, hair and make-up assistants were inspired by literature, art, history and current trends when they created these elaborately detailed fantasies. The model and the gown are part of a whole yet also the focus.

Extended captions with date, photographers, designer and model place the gowns and the models in the history of couture and fashion photography. Many of the fashion superstars are here: Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Twiggy, Scarlett Johansson, Christy Turlington, Cate Blanchett, Marlene Dietrich, Bianca Jagger, Jennifer Lawrence, Cindy Crawford and Vivien Leigh.

The gowns are from the world's great fashion houses -- Versace, Givenchy, Galliano, McQueen, Cavalli, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Dior, Dolce and Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermes, Ralph Lauren, Lagerfeld, Valentino, Armani, Jean Paul Gaultier, Stella McCartney, Christian Lacroix, Prada and more.

Vogue: The Gown is an evocative celebration of almost a century of fashion history and a stunning collection of work from the very best fashion photographers, including Mario Testino, Helmut Newton, David Bailey, Herb Ritts, Corinne Day, Cecil Beaton and Horst.

Presented in saturated color printed on heavy stock with Cate Blanchett on the jacket, Vogue: The Gown is a mesmerizing exhibition of the best and most iconic images from the pages of the world's most fashionable magazine.

Review Quotes

[Review of earlier edition: ] An art book about gowns must be as opulent and enchanting as its lavish subject. So it is with this grandly produced and mesmerizing celebration of Vogue's devotion to the ultimate haute couture confection. Ellison, features director at British Vogue, has astutely curated a collection of 300 romantic, irreverent, and racy photographs from the 1920s to the present of gowns worn with poise and attitude in mise-en-scenes stark and sumptuous, indoors and out. The gowns are marvels of grace and audacity, sophistication and mischief, and the images are sequenced not according to date but rather to style, categorized as classical, fantasy, drama, decorative, and modern. Gowns have inspired photographers, from the renowned Cecil Beaton, Edward Steichen, and Herb Ritts to current adventurous players Corinne Day, Mario Testino, and Tim Walker, to feverish creativity as they seek to capture allure, sangfroid, and rebellion. And how magnificent the models are, from Hollywood stars to such fashion royalty as Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Kate Moss, as they bring each gown and vignette to glamorous, sexy, or playful life. A stunning volume.--Donna Seaman "Booklist" (11/1/2014 12:00:00 AM)

[Review of earlier edition: ] Ellison, features director at British Vogue for nearly a decade, mined the archives for this sumptuous love letter capturing the essence of Vogue: beautiful women in beautiful gowns. Expertly arranged to rhyme across the years, images are not chronological parades of similar dresses but rather echoes of posture, spirit, and drape that illuminate the appeal of the gown in many guises. Ellison's text divides gowns into classical, fantasy, drama, decorative, and modern categories. The author also offers chatty, thematic essays, and annotates each photograph or illustration with an extended caption. The book itself is appropriately well dressed, with hundreds of full-color images on heavy paper in a foil-embossed satiny cover and slipcase with Vogue logo-print endpapers. It seems designed to be pored over or dipped into for inspiration, rather than read cover to cover. Now fashion editor for the Financial Times, the author lends a historian's eye to this inaugural volume in the series--highlighting photographers, designers, models, and famous women of the past century. Its index is a who's who of fashion history, and the foreword is by Alexandra Shulman, editor of British Vogue. VERDICT This extravagant compilation will seduce anyone who is drawn to powerful photographic images and the visual sweep of Vogue's history.--Lindsay King, Yale University Libraries "Library Journal" (11/1/2014 12:00:00 AM)

Explores and commemorates the power of gowns over the years as photographed by Vogue magazine.--Sabrina Maddeaux "National Post" (12/6/2017 12:00:00 AM)

There's no better couture combo than Vogue and gowns... A book featuring some of the most incredible haute couture designs from the early 20th century to today.--Kelli Acciardo "Brit and Co" (7/29/2017 12:00:00 AM)

This is a sumptuous book celebrating the elegance and style from the world of haute couture! From the early 20th century to present day, the 300 photographs have been themed and featured in five chapters entitled: Classical, Fantasy, Drama, Decorative, and Modernist.--Ann Coombs "Ann Coombs Annual Holiday Gift Guide List 2017" (11/1/2017 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Jo Ellison was features director of Vogue from 2005 to 2014, when she became fashion editor at The Financial Times. She has worked extensively in the Vogue archive and written numerous features about the magazine's illustrious relationships with photographers past and present.