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You'd think that the business of modeling would be fairly superficial, yet aesthetically pleasing, and wouldn't have a lot of depth of subject or history, for that matter. However, enter Mover and Shaker Michael Gross, who is most recently famous for giving ephemeral California and specifically Beverly Hills significant pages in history resulting in one thick book of consequence, and when you consider his unequaled ability to delve into the caves, and he can find the darkest of all (that is saying something, coming from Ms. Inquisitive who heard many cries of horrors from vendors at recent trade shows of "You ask a LOT of questions..."-of course she does. Not everyone is quality...) and find the best secrets to be known too. He is King of the eternal bibliography, photo credits and indexes and his documentation is unrivaled. More importantly, just read the acknowledgement pages which could have more names than The Bible-looking at this alone tells you he is popular, interested in getting the job done, and understood to be someone who has something significant to say, SO, if you are involved in the subject matter of the day for him, you ought to spill it. We love him most for 740 Park, which we've read multiple times.
If you're just reading the impressive stats at the back though, you're missing the whole story, and it's one not to miss. You've got to love that in the Dedication he says "and to Barbara Hodes, my wife, who didn't mind when Cindy Crawford called." Thumbs up to Cindy too-we think it's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice. The 500 page plus tale called Model that we're talking about today begins with a rocking party in Milan in 1993 that we'd like to imagine to be akin to the event Michael held last fall to relaunch this hot number. As he goes on, he traces the history of modeling straight back to the first known fashion photograph around 1840 in Paris and thus the beginning of our history is marked. We're not going to tell you every bit as you ought to read the book.
Richard Avedon's early days at Bazaar are included in the chronicle, and we've always been impressed with him since we saw his show at The Whitney circa 1994. You'll hear about how models stayed at the Elysee-we told you famous people stayed there!- You'll laugh at what Avedon said you can't do at the same time as photographing..."'I've had great friends who were models- Suzy, Dorian (you'll want to read about her lunch with Coco Chanel and the advice Chanel gave her-set up by her sister Suzy), Penelope Tree, Anjelica Huston, China Machado and now Stephanie Seymour- but these are interesting, feeling women, with good hearts, minds, and only coincidentally, good bodies. I'd be interested in them no matter what they looked like." (p. 110)
We liked reading how the Fords brought standards to the industry and reading about the business side alone is reason to read this book. Of course, the photography adds a whole dimension as well which is critically necessary to color in a topic such as the history of modeling. We really like Jean Shrimpton in the New York City phone booth in 1961. And, if you think you're having a bad day, just count your lucky stars you aren't carting around a hat box. We particularly liked the story of Lauren Hutton in the early 200's and what she's done for older women, and naturally loved reading about Anna's early career in the early 400 pages.
Whom You Know Highly Recommends Model by Mover and Shaker Michael Gross! Read it, and strike a pose.
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MODEL
The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women
By Michael Gross
THE CLASSIC NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Michael Gross’s MODEL has sold more than half a million copies worldwide and has been in print ever since its initial publication in 1995. Now, this definitive story of the international modeling business is available as an IT Books paperback, with a new afterword by the author.
Spicy and intelligent, MODEL delves into the history of models and the modeling business, going beyond the industry’s carefully constructed facade to expose the scandal that permeates the seemingly glamorous business. Here for the first time is the complete story of the international model business—and its evil twin: legalized flesh peddling. It’s a tale of vast sums of money, rape both symbolic and of the flesh, sex and drugs, obsession, and tragic death. At its heart is the most unholy combination in commerce: beautiful, young women and rich, lascivious men.
Fashion insider Michael Gross has interviewed modeling’s pioneers, survivors, and hangers-on, and in MODEL he tells the story of the greats: Lisa Fonssagrives; Anita Colby; Candy Jones; Dorian Leigh and her sister Suzy Parker; Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy; Veruschka and Lauren Hutton; the ‘90s’ supermodel trinity, Christy, Naomi, and Linda; and today’s top models, from Kate Moss and Gisele Bündchen to the eastern European faces who’ve taken fashion by storm.
Taking us into the private studios and hidden villas where models play and are preyed upon, Gross tears down modeling’s carefully constructed facade to reveal untold truths of the ugly trade in pretty women. And in the new afterword to this edition, Gross discusses the changes that have rocked the modeling business in recent years, from how actual models are being upstaged by celebrities for magazine covers, to the influence of Russian moguls on the scandal-plagued agencies.
About the Author
Michael Gross is the author of Rogues’ Gallery, 740 Park, Genuine Authentic: The Real Life of Ralph Lauren, and the new Unreal Estate: Money, Ambition and the Lust for Land in Los Angeles. A Contributing Editor of Travel + Leisure and columnist for Crain’s New York Business, he has been a columnist for the New York Times, New York, and GQ, and a contributor to Vanity Fair, Esquire, Gawker, The Huffington Post, and other publications around the world. For more information, visit his web site: www.mgross.com
MODEL: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women * Michael Gross * It Books *
On Sale: September 27, 2011 * $16.99 * 576 pages * ISBN: 978-0-06-206790-6
