Lucinda chambers biography books

From the trauma of two world wars, when Vogue faced paper rationing and its staff had to shelter in the basement of its bombed-out offices, to the relief of the post-war period, when 'Paris was putting two inches on the brim of its hats in anticipation of the peace to come', the swinging Sixties when models such as Jean Shrimpton dominated the covers, to power dressing in the eighties and the rise of the supermodels in the s right up to the unique challenges faced during the Coronavirus pandemic and the positive changes made by the most recent editor Edward Enninful, this is the story of a magazine and the individuals who created it, told against the backdrop of an extraordinary century of change, upheaval and beauty.

Beautifully illustrated with images from the Vogue archive, and including exclusive interviews with Vogue-insiders such as stylist Grace Coddington, Editor Alexandra Shulman and Fashion Editor Lucinda Chambers this is the perfect gift for Vogue fans and anyone who enjoys social history with a little sparkle.

A glittering official history of British Vogue, telling the magazine's story from the first issue in right up to the present day, written with exclusive access to the Vogue archives.

British Vogue has always been far more than just a fashion magazine. For more than a century it has defined the tastes and style of successive generations, playing a leading role in the continuing story of Britain's national identity, and covering the arts, politics, health, travel and much more in addition to the fashion pages. It is an institution and a character in its own right. Now, for the very first time, the fascinating and glamorous history of British Vogue is told in full.

Founded in , British Vogue has forged its own path from the very start. From the trauma and austerity of two world wars through to the freedom of the swinging Sixties, the rise of the supermodel to the groundbreaking editorial direction of Edward Enninful: the magazine's chameleonic ability to move with the times has ensured its perennial status at the vanguard of British cool.

Beautifully illustrated with exclusive images from the Vogue photographic collections, the book draws on hitherto unseen archives and behind-the-scenes interviews with Vogue insiders including stylist Grace Coddington, editor Alexandra Shulman and fashion editor Lucinda Chambers. This is the story of a legend and the individuals who created (and curated) it, told against the backdrop of an extraordinary century of change, upheaval and beauty.

Curator and author Julie Summers tells the story of British Vogue magazine from its first issue in to the present day.

Summers had exclusive access to the Vogue archives to tell the official history of the magazine that has defined taste and style for successive generations. She explains how the magazine forged its own path from the very start and continued to move with the times through two world wars, the swinging sixties and the rise of the supermodel. Summers looks at the characters who have led the magazine and reveals what modern day insiders, such as stylist Grace Coddington, editor Alexandra Shulman and fashion editor Lucinda Chambers, say about it.

Summers has written 14 works of non-fiction including Fashion on the Ration and Dressed for War. She has worked at the Royal Academy of Arts and the Henry Moore Foundation as a curator and is a former head of exhibitions at the Ashmolean Museum.

Celebrities are another thing entirely. Many are nervous, they’re often bored, uninterested or too interested in the outcome. Shooting still images often takes them far out of their comfort zone - after all, it’s not what they do. Here, my job is to bring out the best in them, to make them feel and look as great as they ever will.

In a good fashion photograph, the girl, clothes, location and light all come together. It fuses perfectly, and you can create a character and narrative that is totally believable, however extreme or fantastical. If this sounds seamless and effort-free, it’s not. It’s hard graft, often involving working and reworking the clothes and ideas in your head, worrying away at the characters, developing the concept, visualising it, discarding ideas and building the blocks little by little.

And I have lots of disasters. My first-ever trip, for example, with Cindy Crawford and Patrick Demarchelier, was inspired by a picture I’d seen in National Geograpbic of Ladakh, in the most northern and remote part of India. It had no hotels and was near impossible to access: the only route being via military-owned plane or by car (a two-day trip through the Himalayas on an often impassable road). Having no experience of trips, I thought this would be wonderful. I was sure the team could sleep in tents and wouldn’t mind sharing hair and make-up; I doubted they needed running water, either! You know? The weirdest thing was, they didn’t, and I haven’t looked back - although I wouldn’t dare to presume on their goodwill in quite that way now.