Michelle Style: Celebrating the First Lady of Fashion - Mandi Norwood & Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy - Mary Tomer
Michelle Obama had style before she became First Lady, but now everyone can read about her fashion choices in media from Ankara to Zaire. She has spawned her own fashion-book industry. In Michelle Style: Celebrating the First Lady of Fashion (William Morrow, $19.99), Michelle Norwood explores the designers, the clothes, and accessories that make for the First Lady’s signature look. Susan Swimmer’s Michelle Obama: First Lady of Fashion and Style (Black Dog & Leventhal, $9.95) begins with a look at previous First Ladies and then discusses what sets Michelle Obama apart. She is, after all, the first First Lady whose style has been on a par with Jacqueline Kennedy’s. Finally, there’s Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy (Center Street, $25.99) by Mary Tomer. This book goes into more detail about what makes the Michelle Obama style. Tomer talks with designers about what they see as important in Mrs. Obama’s fashion sense. The book also looks at the development of her style over time. Some of the money raised from the sale of Mrs. O goes to Dress for Success, a program that provides professional attire for women who are trying to rebuild their lives after abusive relationships or homelessness. There are lots of lovely pictures in all three books, and for fashionistas, some new ways to be stylish naturally.
Edward Steichen: In High Fashion: The Conde Nast Years, 1923-1937 - William A. Ewing, Todd Brandow
Edward Steichen was one of the 20th century’s masters of photography. His career spanned six decades. For a little more than a decade, his work appeared in two of the most important American magazines, Vogue and Vanity Fair. Then as now, they were purveyors of culture, taste, and style. Anyone exploring Edward Steichen: In High Fashion: The Condé Nast Years, 1923-1937 (W.W. Norton, $75), edited by William A. Ewing and Todd Brandow, will notice that along with the period’s supermodels, there are photos of the stars of the time, including Norma Shearer, W.C. Fields, and an unrecognizable young Ginger Rogers. You’ll also find wonderful portraits of William Butler Yeats, Jack Dempsey, and Ernst Lubitsch, as well as Steichen’s memorable photographs of Gloria Swanson, Greta Garbo, and Gary Cooper.