Illustrated with vibrantly colourful and textured fabrics in 400 full-colour photographs, here is a exploration of the history, technology and lore of this most versatile design element - and a comprehensive look at the creators and designers who use fabrics to stunning effect in textiles and interiors throughout the world. With chapters devoted to individual fabrics - wool, linen, cotton, silk; decorative uses such as upholstery, bed hangings and passementerie; and contemporary clothing designers and decorators, this book covers its subject from ancient times to the present day. Seven years in the making, this volume is the product of the collaboration between a well-known European stylist, an internationally acclaimed photographer and a respected art historian. Caroline Lebeau is a premier stylist for "Maison et Jardin". Jacques Dirand took the photographs for "French Style", also published by Thames and Hudson. Patricia Corbett, formerly the European editor of "Connoisseur", writes a monthly column for the Italian edition of "The New York Times Book Review", and other leading European and American publications.

Fabrics: The Decorative Art of Textiles

Arts & Photography

Corbett, Patricia

LeBeau, Caroline

Dirand, Jacques

Decorative Arts & Design

Thames&Hudson

Verdura’s beguiling jewelry, from ruby hearts wrapped with braided gold rope to scallop shells studded with precious stones.
The exquisite creations of Fulco di Verdura (1898–1978) are noted for their glorious exuberance and refined glamour. Verdura left his ancestral home in Palermo in the mid-1920s and moved to Paris where he hoped to be a painter; his true vocation was revealed once he began designing striking jewelry for the discriminating customers of Coco Chanel.
Patricia Corbett documents Verdura’s fascinating career, which took him from Paris to Los Angeles and New York. He was patronized by the rich and famous, who found that his sophisticated and flamboyant neo-Baroque style perfectly complemented their tastes. Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo, among others, were devoted admirers, along with many of society’s prominent figures, including the Duchess of Windsor and legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland.
Corbett was given access to all of Verdura’s archives and interviewed many of his surviving patrons. Wonderful color photography of the jewelry, as well as the archival images of Verdura and the people who wore his pieces, bring the irresistible beauty and genius of Verdura’s designs to life. 238 illustrations, 182 in color

Verdura: The Life and Work of a Master Jeweler

Reference

Few jewelry designers of the 20th century had the flair and creativity of Fulco di Verdura (full name Fulco Santostefano della Cerda, Duke of Verdura). His fascinating career took him from Paris to Los Angeles and eventually New York, where he was patronized by the rich and famous, who found his flamboyant neo-Baroque style exactly what they wanted. Cole Porter and his wife Linda, Marlene Dietrich, and Greta Garbo, among others, were his devoted admirers, as were many of Society's movers and shakers, including the Duchess of Windsor, Diana Vreeland and Mona Bismarck, who not only collected his brilliant confections but were pleased to entertain him at their dinner tables and in their country homes. Patricia Corbett expertly discusses and evaluates Verdura's jewelry designs in this lavish volume, the first monograph on this master jeweler. She has been given access to all Verdura's archives and to many of his surviving patrons in order to recreate both his personal and his professional life. Wonderful colour photography of the jewelry, as well as atmospheric historical photographs of the celebrities who adored Verdura's work, vividly trace his development over more than 25 years of feverish activity and show the great range and irresistible glittering beauty of his highly original pieces.

Verdura : The Life and Work of a Master Jeweler

The definitive illustrated biography of one of the most influential and important jewelry designers of the twentieth century. When asked why she never signed her work, Suzanne Belperron replied, “My style is my signature.” In 1919 Suzanne Belperron, at age 19, began her lifelong journey at the vanguard of modern art and design. Her pioneering work in the Art Deco style evolved into the colorful compositions and pure, sensual forms that became her unmistakable trademarks. Among the pantheon of twentieth century master jewelers, Madame Belperron stands apart as the only woman. Illustrated in this book is a splendid array of Belperron’s work, from her earliest designs as a student in her native city of Besançon, in eastern France, to her groundbreaking creations for the Maison Boivin and Maison B. Herz in the 1920s and 1930s, culminating in the iconic jewels she designed after World War II. Also included are the original designs she created for style-making clients ranging from intellectuals to actors, artists to royalty. Jean Cocteau, Colette, Mrs. Gary Cooper, Doris Duke, Mona von Bismarck, Lauren Bacall, Daisy Fellowes, Clark Gable, Dorothy Paley Hirshon, Elsa Schiaparelli, Diana Vreeland, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were among her loyal patrons and friends. Current admirers include Catherine Deneuve, Daphne Guinness, and Karl Lagerfeld, who has written a personal foreword to this book. A selection of the over 9,200 gouache paintings and tracings from the Belperron archive of designs (nearly all unpublished) are shown with an impressive catalog of finished jewels. Divided into six chapters from Coming of Age to A New Partnership, the book follows Belperron’s extraordinary life and career. With over 300 photographs by David Behl of jewelry from private collections, the publication presents a portfolio of some of the rarest and most important examples of Suzanne Belperron’s work. Based on private letters, photographs, and personal documents from the Herz and Belperron families, as well as those of her expert craftsmen, the book offers a view into the personal life of a remarkable woman whose influence endures to this day. 250 illustrations in color and black-and-white

Jewelry by Suzanne Belperron: My Style is My Signature

Landrigan, Ward

Landrigan, Nico

Graphic Design

Spectacularly illustrated with richly colorful, sumptuously textured photographs, Fabrics is an enthusiastic trip through the history, technology, and lore of this most versatile design element, and a comprehensive look at the people who use it to stunning effect in interiors throughout the world.Full-color photographs.

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Crafts & Hobbies

Clarkson/Potter

About the Author\nPatricia Corbett is an art historian and curator. She was the European editor of Connoisseur and her articles have appeared in The New York Review of Books and The New York Times. She is the author of Verdura: The Life and Work of a Master Jeweler.

The Prayer Book of Michelino Da Besozzo

Eisler, Colin

Biographies & Memoirs

George Braziller, Inc.

A master of metamorphosis, Sicilian duke-turned-jewelry-designer Fulco di Verdura (1898-1978) studded seashells with precious gems, transformed sailor's knots into pearl-encrusted necklaces, and wrapped blazing ruby hearts with braided gold rope. Since the mid-20th century, his ultrasophisticated neo-Baroque pieces have been the status symbols of a near-secret society of European blue bloods, Hollywood royalty, and Park Avenue patricians. Verdura's by-appointment-only patrons included Wallis Simpson, Marlene Dietrich, and Diana Vreeland, who considered his Maltese Cross cuffs an essential part of her daily uniform. 
In this lavish book, featuring fresh color photographs as well as vintage images, Patricia Corbett presents a deft evaluation of Verdura's work and a glimpse inside his impossibly glamorous world.

Drawing

Harry N. Abrams

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Corbett, Patricia. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Corbett, Patricia

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Corbett, Patricia. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Fabrics: The Decorative Art of Textiles

Verdura: The Life and Work of a Master Jeweler

Verdura : The Life and Work of a Master Jeweler

Jewelry by Suzanne Belperron: My Style is My Signature

Fabrics: The Decorative Art of Textiles

The Prayer Book of Michelino Da Besozzo

Verdura: The Life and Work of a Master Jeweler