The annual Word on the Street Festival took place in six cities across Canada this past September. CBC Books was at the Toronto event, which was held on Sunday, September 25, and we took the opportunity to ask some of the guest authors and editors what they've been reading.
Serah-Marie McMahon is the founder, editor-in-chief and publisher of WORN Fashion Journal, which has fans worldwide. In 2010, WORN was nominated for a National Magazine Award (for best cover of the year) and NOW magazine named her to its annual list of "fashion heroes." Here's what she had to say:
"I recommend Savage Beauty, which is a catalogue from the Metropolitan Museum of Art about Alexander McQueen. It's really interesting, because many people don't realize this but all the mannequins are actually real people that have been painted to look like mannequins. The clothes were really inspiring and the text was really insightful about his life."
Savage Beauty: Alexander McQueen
by Andrew Bolton Buy this book at:
"Arguably the most influential, imaginative, and provocative designer of his generation, Alexander McQueen both challenged and expanded fashion conventions to express ideas about race, class, sexuality, religion, and the environment. Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty examines the full breadth of the designer's career, from the start of his fledgling label to the triumphs of his own world-renowned London house. It features his most iconic and radical designs, revealing how McQueen adapted and combined the fundamentals of Savile Row tailoring, the specialized techniques of haute couture, and technological innovation to achieve his distinctive aesthetic. It also focuses on the highly sophisticated narrative structures underpinning his collections and extravagant runway presentations, with their echoes of avant-garde installation and performance art...."
Read more at
Yale University Press.
