Meredith Etherington Smith Livres

Axel Vervoordt began his career as an art and antiques dealer in the late 1960s, when he meticulously renovated a narrow street with sixteen of the oldest houses in Antwerp. In 1986, his company moved to a castle near Antwerp. Axel Vervoordt's company grew rapidly in this castle and he became a major collector and decorator. The foundation of Vervoordt's style is his commitment to making the past a relevant part of today's design. By juxtaposing different works of art, gathered throughout space and time, a spontaneous dialogue between them is revealed, creating a new dimension for the future. Axel Vervoordt transcends the roles of decorator and collector. He understands the power of objects to conjure up an entirely new atmosphere and knows exactly where to place them to transform the space. This gorgeous book will be an inspiration to anyone interested in a home that is elegant and personal without being ostentatious or superfluous.

Exploring the evolution of handbags from the 18th to the 20th century, this book intertwines fashion history with social context. It highlights the craftsmanship and design of various styles, including reticules, mesh bags, and Japanese inro. Key figures in early 20th-century fashion, such as Paul Poiret and Chanel, are featured, showcasing their handbag creations alongside period illustrations and photographs. This work offers a unique perspective on how handbags reflect the changing aesthetics and societal norms of their respective eras.

A lush book of photos shines a light on the luxurious bejeweled make-up boxes that quickly became covetable accessories with the advent of beauty products Exquisite jeweled minaudieres, necessaires, and compacts from the l8th to the 21st centuries are photographed and displayed here in great detail and set within the social and fashion contexts of their creation. Original archive photographs showcase the social leaders, stage and cinema stars, and fashion leaders who carried these exquisite little accessories as indispensable adjuncts to their glamorous lives. These triumphs of the jewelers art were designed to rest glittering on cocktail bars and grand dining tables. They were tiny but also extremely useful as is revealed in detailed photos of their highly engineered interiors. These little boxes were capable of carrying everything a woman might need during the course of an evening which might start at the Ritz and end at Bricktops Jazz Club--everything from a lipstick, to a powder compact, to a comb, even a cigarette and lighter, hence their generic name of necessaire.

Dalí, im katalanischen Figueras geboren, fand an der Kunstakademie in Madrid schnell Zugang zu dem Kreis um Federico García Lorca. 1929 hatte er seine erste Ausstellung in Frankreich, und ins gleiche Jahr fiel seine schicksalhafte Begegnung mit Gala, der Frau des Dichters Paul Eluard. Bis zu ihrem Tod im Jahre 1982 blieb sie die alles beherrschende Frau in seinem Leben. Ihr ist es zuzuschreiben, daß er sich von den Surrealisten distanzierte, mit Franco sympathisierte und zunehmend um die Gunst der High Society buhlte. Zunehmend wurde Dalí, wie ein Kritiker es ausdrückte, zu einer „Geldmaschine“. Diese Biographie, die auf den Aussagen von Zeitzeugen und neuen Quellen basiert, breitet das Leben dieser schillernden Künstlerfigur in all seinen Facetten und Widersprüchen aus und beschäftigt sich ausführlich mit seinem Werk.