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The Beautiful Fall: Lagerfeld, Saint Laurent, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris Hardcover – September 5, 2006

by Alicia Drake (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 399 ratings
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Drake presents a sublime and dramatic narrative about the high-chic fashion wars of 1970s Paris where two titanic geniuses and rivals, Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagefeld, collided and sparked a tumultuous decade.
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  1. Print length
    448 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Little, Brown and Company
  4. Publication date
    September 5, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0316768014
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0316768016
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. This smart book stitches together the lives, loves, personalities and obsessions of two iconic designers, Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld, into a work as finely detailed as any outfit they ever sent down a runway. Through interviews with dozens of the designers' friends and colleagues, fashion journalist Drake offers revealing inside anecdotes and perspectives from those who were there for the Paris "fashion revolution." Drake interprets the rarefied and decadent 1970s French fashion scene Saint Laurent and Lagerfeld helped create with insight and vigor, as well as germane commentary on the collections and the trends they set. A period when couture was faltering and ready-to-wear rising, Drake crafts clear yin and yang portraits of the introverted, passive and magnetic Saint Laurent, and the exhibitionistic Lagerfeld, known for wearing high heels, sporting monocles or wielding a fan. With a large entourage of colorful supporting characters-from fashion muses like Loulou de la Falaise to socialites like Talitha Getty-and exotic locales-from Paris to Marrakech to the Blenheim Palace and back-the story of the competing and capricious fashionistos becomes the account of one glittering party after the next, interrupted occasionally by fashion shows, and sprinkled with celebrities such as Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol. The two tastemakers' homosexuality is dealt with frankly and the storied roots of their aesthetic senses and public personas is nicely detailed. De rigeur for the fashion crowd and those interested in the pop or gay culture of the era.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* The relationship between hedonism and decay and the understanding of excess as creative consumption are themes central to this glittering exegesis. Drake conducted more than 100 interviews in her scrupulous chronicle of fashion's most illustrious rivalry. Yves Saint Laurent, the charmed genius of effortless success, and Karl Lagerfeld, the patrician workhorse, engaged in a decades-long competition for hyperbolic headlines and jet-set celebrity, pitting their cliques against each other in bitch-slap feuds of sartorial splendor. Theirs is a world of glorious, hideous self-involvement, where heroin is an accessory, violent political unrest is an evening's amusement, and a close friend's suicide is, foremost, a contemptible blemish on an orchestrated image. Drake's subjects made their livings and their names dedicating themselves to the pursuit of surface perfection, and her comprehensive examination of their barbed, parallel arcs is appropriately superficial. These titanic designers crafted their personas as carefully as they put together their luxurious collections, and we come to know them as reflections in the mirror houses they built. Although their individual aesthetics and personal recriminations are unique, they are united in the opulent glory of their narcissistic myopia. Ultimately, Drake makes a good case for the extraordinary nature of their individual achievements and the revolutionary effect of their competitive energy on the fashion industry. And yet we're left with a portrait defined more by the careful craft of its brushstrokes than by the substance of the sitters. Thomas Barthelmess
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company; First Edition (September 5, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316768014
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316768016
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.65 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 399 ratings

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Alicia Drake

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
399 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Nevada Snow
5.0 out of 5 stars The Beautiful Fall
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2007
Verified Purchase
Alicia Drake's "The Beautiful Fall" was the most fascinating and informative book about the last fifty years of the world of haute couture I have read to date. In essence it was the joint biography of Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld, but it also created a vivid picture of the Parisian fashion scene during the period.
The book was meticulously researched and filled with marvellous anecdotes and characters, including Antonio Lopez, Paloma Picasso, and Loulou de la Falaise, to name just a few.
Especially interesting was the inimitable Pierre Berge, the business brain behind Yves Saint Laurent.
I originally found out about this book in a newspaper article about the court case in France over its contents. Karl Lagerfeld sued the author, but in my opinion, it was Yves Saint Laurent whose image was tarnished. Saint Laurent was portrayed as a self-centred, immature man who became increasingly reclusive with time. Lagerfeld, on the other hand, was portrayed as a survivor thanks to his own creativity, hard work and business acumen.
17 people found this helpful
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Telma Legris
4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining read
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2014
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I found it very entertaining and is seems to have a good research behind it. Mind you it is (obviously) only for people who have an interest in fashion and the gossip around it, but it gives a fairly good idea of what those crazy years must have been like. The analysis of how Aids affected the fashion industry is quite interesting too.
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Axamermaid
5.0 out of 5 stars "We were so much older then..."
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2017
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The author has captured an essence of a time of manic enchantment, "wretched excess" and moments of tragedy. I was on The Peking, I have been to Regine's and Studio 54 with all doors open. I had the privilege of working at the Met Museum when Vreeland was ensconced. I remember seeing the Opium show. Yes, there were tormented souls, gluttony for every vice, and dying, beautiful boys, but there was no vulgarity in the fantasies and this writer has managed to convey this without having been a participant.

Her research and curation of the lives of not only YSL and KL as men and brands — but the many people with whom they enwombed themselves is balanced and accurate without prejudice but nicely discussed with admitted speculation or directness. The care and thought given to her selections of material as well as a substance to her own interpretations creates a smooth and very enjoyable read.

The fact that my own memories were provoked has reminded me of all that was jewel-like in the nights in New York and Paris in the 70's. We were not wicked, we were enthralled by these great and shining comets of glory. At the age of 64 I can read this with equanimity and admiration.

Much has happened since the publication. YSL died of, it is said, a brain tumor, Betty Catroux is an icon, the Supermodels re-emerge from time to time, more beautiful for their aging, Turlington, Campbell, Evangelista, and so on. Lagerfeld has crystallized into his own image. It is 2017. I found reference to this book via an Instagram photo of Pierre Bergé (87 year) who has just (May 14 news) married Madison Cox.

If fashion is not of interest, it shouldn't matter; this is a story of a genius and brilliance, and the "decadence" of the 1970s.

If nothing else, one learns the definition of "decadence."
29 people found this helpful
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ZestyFresh
5.0 out of 5 stars Addictive
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2022
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This book is so well written, structured, and researched, that it completely sucks you into the lives of it’s subjects and French society in the 1970s. Addictive, intriguing, and nuanced.
2 people found this helpful
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Joseph
5.0 out of 5 stars Quel Feu!
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2006
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It seems Karl was not very happy with this book...indeed. A friend of mine from Paris who has been on the fashion scene for more than forty years (he traveled with the Kennedy's when they did thier European tour) and knows most of this cast of characters intimately, called to tell me this is a must read. If you are interested in fashion history or just a fashion/gossip junky, this book is for you. A combination of sharp, clear analysis re; recent fashion history, and breathless, delicious stories that recall the excitement that was Paris and fashion at that moment, she informs as well as entertains. This book was fun for me because I've met many of these people. But if you don't already know who these people are, I cannot imagine why you would waste your time turning the pages.
11 people found this helpful
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EMMS
3.0 out of 5 stars Fashion world
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2016
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I found this book interesting, but not as pleasing as Mademoiselle Chanel. However, if one is interested in the fashion world, this will be a good read. It describes the world of this milieu with interesting details such as the building of the collection. It also includs the competition between the fashion houses. There is quite an emphases in life outside the work such as the wild evenings, the drugs and homosexuality, but in general, realistic. I think the book could have been shorter.
3 people found this helpful
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Ora Brooks
4.0 out of 5 stars No where else but Paris, France.
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2019
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I love beautiful cloths, always have, so was intrigued with the story of some of high fashion leaders, in their time. I think some of their creations ridiculous, without merit, and it sometimes irritates me. But there are others that make the average woman look suburb, and I admire people who can achieve this. I never knew of the decadence (drugs, drugs, and more drugs) of those famous designers in the '70s in Paris, France, but it does explain a lot. The books title says it all.
3 people found this helpful
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Fashion on bookshelves
5.0 out of 5 stars Parallel lives of fashion's two big names
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2014
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This is one of the best fashion novels I've ever read. It is about the stories of Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld, starting from their childhood and following their growth in the fashion world. The two were among the winners of 1954 international wool secretariat, and from than on they have been in a love and hate relationship in the competitive and cruel fashion world. It is not only about them but about everyone that was part of their clique. The book is meticulously written, every single statement is researched by Alice Drake, and all the details are given in the notes, chapter by chapter. I would suggest this to every fashion and fashion history lover.
İf you love fashion books visit ---> fashiononbookshelves.com
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Top reviews from other countries

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runninggag
5.0 out of 5 stars SUPER
Reviewed in Germany on August 25, 2022
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Das mit Abstand beste Buch über die Rivalität zwischen dem St. Laurent- und dem Lagerfeld Klan. Sehr offen und ohne Umschweife , sodass man man sich nicht wundert, dass Karl dieses Buch gehasst hat - was es aber nur um so interessanter macht.
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lara
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesante
Reviewed in Spain on January 17, 2021
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El inglés a veces se me hace un poco difícil porque es muy descriptivo. Pero el libro está genial!!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read If You Are Fashion Obsessed (or not)
Reviewed in France on September 6, 2019
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A must-read. The author has really done an incredible job and it reads like you are watching a series !
HBO make it a TV series, its so incredibly informative and such beauty on her writing, you feel you are there witnessing the whole thing. I ve been buying it as a present for all my - fashion- friends..Amazon should give me a discount or they ll think I m crazy buying copies every week. Truly a masterpiece, one of a kind
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leo
5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful
Reviewed in Mexico on April 12, 2017
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I just finished reading this amazing book, I strongly recommend it to anyone who is interested in Paris or fashion, it’s a masterpiece.
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GRP
5.0 out of 5 stars The Beautiful Fall.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 13, 2016
Verified Purchase
This is an amazingly reliable and well researched book by Alicia Drake, herself an experienced fashion journalist. Here she gives us a social commentary, while telling the twin stories of the French haute couture worlds last great super stars, Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent; focusing on their privileged but difficult backgrounds, glittering rise, and in the case of YSL, fall, in the highly cut throat, competitive, superficial Paris fashion world.

I did struggle to keep up with all the entourages (The Fashion Pack) with whom Lagerfeld and Saint Laurent surrounded themselves, partly because there are so many of them, but mainly because they are so utterly vile and unattractive as people. Not in a physical sense of course, because beauty, originality and glamour are the essential order of the day to be part of these very exclusive jet set groups. However, they are all so full of intense superficiality, cruelty, snobbery and lack interest in anything other than themselves and their own self promotion, being seen in the 'right' place with the 'right' person, partying until dawn and being visibly connected to the latest trend, fashion magazine, designer, artist, fashion photographer or super rich person(s). The entourages reminded me of a sort off modern day court of Louis xiv. And I think you can guess the two individuals playing King Louis xiv, the Sun King!

Saint Laurent certainly comes across as a very talented but deeply fragile, superficial, passive aggressive, self-involved manic depressive living in his own world, deluded about his own importance and great talent. While his lifelong partner and most devoted defender and advocate, Pierre Bergé appears very astute but highly controlling and a very divisive megalomaniac. That said, as the story unfolds you begin to feel that maybe Pierre is unfairly cast as the villain, living his life in a world of endless drama and hysteria with YSL. Karl Lagerfeld equally appears very astute and highly intelligent, always positioning himself well, he is generous while feeding of numerous people like a vampire and then discarding them to move himself forward and onto the next big thing. This is a creative process he becomes very adept at, so he can always stay one step ahead in the fast paced, ever changing high end fashion world. He also becomes very adept at re-inventing and grandly embellishing his past rather like the great Coco Chanel.

The book discusses how Lagerfeld and Saint Laurent helped to shift the fashion world away from the fustiness of Paris haute couture to prêt a porter. But it also focuses far more on both their and their entourages very hedonistic lifestyle, with money no object, leading to the pursuit of endless pleasure, and for many heavy drug and alcohol use in the 1970's. This then of course moves on to the advent of Aids on the entourages, a group of people who saw the flaunting of casual sex and hard drugs as part of their essential and invincible power, allure and glamour. This is described with clear-eyed, be careful what you wish for compassion by Drake.

Both Lagerfeld and Saint Laurent refused to speak to Drake for the book, but allowed their many intimate acquaintances/friends to do so. The truth creeps through like a powerful thunder bolt, and ultimately what one is left with is a rather disturbing image of a closed, exclusive world, with a group of highly narcissistic people who created their own reality, but who were then burned by their own arrogant self-obsession and desperate desire to be noticed and in with the 'in' crowd. Lagerfeld of course survives and still shines as a tour de force in the high end fashion world. This speaks volumes about the astute forward thinking man he is. Ultimately this book is a fascinating insight into an esoteric world, a world of the super rich, but for many readers of this book like myself, it will be the pinnacle of a fashion dream. Yet the cruel 'exclusive club' superficial, narcissistic reality of it, left me cold and very happy to be on the outside looking in. I couldn't help thinking about Hans Christian Andersen's, 'The Emperor's New Clothes'.
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