Peachy Deegan read all of the books written by Gloria Vanderbilt way before Whom You Know...and we like her! We don't know her, but did go to Anderson Cooper's booksigning for "Dispatches From the Edge" and saw her there. In a recent excursion to the new Ralph Lauren's women's store, Peachy Deegan heard about this wonderful new book on Gloria and could not wait to read it.
This is not surface-level work done by Wendy Goodman; it must have required true in-depth research to get a story of a person that the world has always found fascinating from the outside and even bears the endorsement in the form of the foreword by Gloria's son, Anderson Cooper. It is a authentic personal compilation of a creative 86-year old with the nature of someone less than half her age. And it allows the reader to know the inside story.
Throughout this work you'll see references to New York that should appeal to all Whom You Know readers. Of course, Peachy would like to know what Gloria thought of Miss Porter's for obvious reasons, and that's not addressed, but in 211 glorious pages you'll see the tale woven of a life of ups and downs, the true triumph being the person behind it all. Our favorite picture has got to be on page 51 of Gloria as a child in a pedal car in Paris with the Eiffel Tower behind her. That seems to be something people would photo shop today, but the pictures from the times she lived in did not have that technology, and we wouldn't question their authenticity anyway.
Filled with amazing facts and priceless pictures, this work of art is more than just the best accent a coffee table could have. It is the story of a person that seems to have led a charmed life from the outside, but has become and remained the diamond she is today because of her inner strength, which is legendary. Many admire Gloria Vanderbilt for the creations she have designed and rightly so, but we admire her most for the character that we perceive; we only use the word perceive because we don't know her, but Gloria if you are reading we would love to meet you! And we'd update our verb choice too.
Whom You Know Highly Recommends The World of Gloria Vanderbilt! Read it, and make it part of your world too.
***
The First-ever Authorized and the Only Illustrated Biography of Legendary Designer, Decorator, Artist, Model, Muse, Heiress, and Author Gloria Vanderbilt
By Wendy Goodman
Foreword by Anderson Cooper
In his foreword, Anderson Cooper says of his mother, “She does believe that anything is possible . . . I think she only imagines great things.” The World of Gloria Vanderbilt (Abrams; November 2010; U.S. $40.00; Can. $48.00; ISBN 978-0-8109-9592-5) by Wendy Goodman, design editor for New York magazine, is a vibrant celebration of an extraordinary life and a testimony to Gloria Vanderbilt’s unique ability to imagine great things—and to make them happen.
Since her much-heralded birth in 1924, Gloria Vanderbilt has been foremost an artist who explores many facets of her art: an actor, a painter, a muse, a designer, a model, a writer, an entrepreneur, a socialite, an icon—but most of all, a survivor. She brought the Vanderbilt name out of the Gilded Age and into the Digital Age, reinventing herself over and over along the way.
The World of Gloria Vanderbilt was written over the course of three years, during which Gloria Vanderbilt shared with Wendy Goodman intimate anecdotes, reminiscences, observations, and little-known details of her life. From recollections of the custody trial that separated her from her mother and beloved nurse, and landed her with her Aunt Gertrude to her blissful discovery of the true meaning of family when she married Wyatt Cooper, from her early days as a model to the creation of her fashion empire, The World of Gloria Vanderbilt takes us on the roller-coaster ride that has been the life of Gloria Vanderbilt. Hers is a story of charisma, glamour, heartbreaking loss, and, ultimately, survival.
Hundreds of photographs—many taken from Vanderbilt’s personal albums and never before published—chronicle her many different lives. These images reveal her evolution as a true style-maker, including photographs of her debut as a young beauty in Los Angeles, Richard Avedon’s stunning photographs from her marriage to director Sidney Lumet, a portrait by Scavullo in front of one of her signature collage works, fashion photos for Vogue by Horst P. Horst, and a photograph taken by Annie Leibovitz of Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper in 2006. The photographs also showcase the gorgeous textiles, collages, paintings, and Dream Boxes that have featured prominently in the interiors of her homes, and that she continues to create today.
About the Author
Wendy Goodman is the design editor of New York magazine as well as a contributing editor for Departures magazine and German and French Architectural Digest. She is the coauthor of Abrams’ Tony Duquette and lives in New York City.
About the Book
The World of Gloria Vanderbilt
By Wendy Goodman / Foreword by Anderson Cooper
Abrams / November 2010
U.S. $40.00 / Can. $48.00
ISBN: 978-0-8109-9592-5
224 pages / 9" x 12"
200 color and black-and-white illustrations
A deluxe limited edition of The World of Gloria Vanderbilt is being sold by Ralph Lauren.
# # #
Founded by Harry N. Abrams in 1949, ABRAMS was the first company in the United States to specialize in the creation and distribution of art and illustrated books. Now a subsidiary of La Martinière Groupe, the company publishes visually stunning illustrated books in the areas of art, photography, cooking, interior and garden design, craft, architecture, entertainment, fashion, sports, pop culture, as well as children’s books and general interest titles. The company’s imprints include Abrams, Abrams ComicArts, Abrams Image, Abrams Books for Young Readers, Amulet Books, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, and STC Craft/Melanie Falick Books. Abrams also distributes books for The Vendome Press, Victoria & Albert Museum, Tate, Royal Academy of Arts, Booth-Clibborn Editions, Five Continents, and others.
www.abramsbooks.com
