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Overview
A gorgeously revised edition of this fashion favorite book, which combines Cassini’s memoirs of working closely with Jacqueline Kennedy during her brief White House years, his fashion philosophies and ideas, and the iconography of the early 1960s style and energy of the Kennedy years. Jacqueline Kennedy’s selection of Oleg Cassini to design her personal wardrobe as First Lady was not only fashion history, but political history as well. As the creator of the "Jackie look," Cassini made the First Lady one of the best-dressed women in the world and a glamorous icon of the Kennedy era. During the 1000 days of the Kennedy administration, Cassini designed over 300 outfits for Jackie Kennedy—coats, dresses, evening gowns, suits, and day wear—and coordinated every aspect of her wardrobe, from shoes and hats to gloves and handbags. In this book, Cassini offers a fascinating and comprehensive view of his role as Jackie’s personal couturier, a position that allowed him unprecedented access to both Jackie and John Kennedy as a designer and a trusted friend. From the details of his first meetings with the First Lady to his thoughts on Jackie’s clothes and their legacy, Cassini’s recollections are far-ranging and informative. Also included are Cassini's original sketches accompanied by 200 color and black-and-white photographs of the First Lady as she tours India, France, England, and Italy, shows off the White House, and hosts state dinners and family gatherings. Public moments as well as private ones capture the great elegance and charm of one of the most admired and emulated women in the world.For the first time, Cassini, Jacqueline Kennedy's personal couturier during her husband's brief time as president, reveals the details of his friendship with the Kennedy family, his relationship with the First Lady, and his thoughts on Jackie's clothes and their legacy. 260 illustrations, 160 in color.
Editorials
Library Journal
No other First Lady has come close to Jacqueline Kennedy in epitomizing a fresh American style. The magic and excitement she stirred as the wife of the president stemmed not only from her youth and beauty but also from her elegantly simple clothes. In this lavishly illustrated memoir, Cassini, who designed over 300 outfits as the First Lady's personal couturier, recalls how he created the "Jackie look"-from her famous pill box hats he doesn't mention that Halston also claimed credit and widely imitated suits to her elegant and daring strapless evening gowns. Especially fascinating and revealing are Jackie's letters: "Just make sure no one has exactly the same dress I do ... I want all mine to be original and no fat little women hopping around in the same dress ...." This woman knew how to be a star. While Cassini's cream-puff prose is superficially pleasant weak on the politics but strong on fashion, it's his original design sketches and the 200 color and black-and-white photographs that highlight Jackie's extraordinary charisma. Whether at a state function or a private party, she simply outshone every woman present. For popular fashion and Kennedy collections.-Wilda Williams, "Library Journal"Book Details
Published
January 1, 1995
Publisher
New York : Rizzoli International, 1995.
Pages
223
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780847819003