Thursday, April 19, 2007


IN VOGUE - the illustrated history of the world’s most famous magazine
By Alberto Oilva and Norberto Angeletti with contributions by Anna Wintour, Annie Leibovitz, Grace Coddington and others.
Rizzoli, US $75


Apart from various editions of the Oxford Dictionary I have bought over the years, I suspect that In Vogue is the largest book in our house just now. It is a whopper.

Annie works in the fashion industry and this was a gift to her from our New York family.

As a physical object it is hard to imagine a more handsome volume. Gorgeous design, profusely illustrated (of course) and all printed on lovely thick matte stock.

I can’t claim to have read it but I did spend an enjoyable hour or so looking at the photographs and art work and reading selected pieces. I especially enjoyed the images of the earlier covers going all the way back to its founding issue in 1892.

With contributions by formers editors and others closely involved with the magazine it could hardly be called an objective history but it will be a long time before you will see a more sumptuous volume. Breathtakingly beautiful…………………

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