Hair: Fashion and Fantasy

Expectations can be so unfounded. Hair: Fashion and Fantasy is one of the best surprises of the gift giving season as well as being a great monograph devoted to the genre of books that deal with fashion in one of its many permutations.

“Hairdressing is part of the way we beautify ourselves. History has witnessed an abundance of different styles and hairstyling is a genuine art form: it symbolically represents our transition from unkempt barbarians to civilized social beings.”

Author Laurent Phillipon provides the reader with a fabulous story written in captivating narrative nonfiction, giving it more the feel of a good historical novel about the part that hair plays in the world of fashion through the ages. The text is wonderfully concise and informative. The roster of stellar contributors is marvelously culled from an amazing stable of 21st century talent, providing such great reinforcement to the story.

“Hair shows something of a history, a culture and yes, it can be political. It’s part of civilization . . .”
—Daphne Guinness

Once engrossed in the topic, the reader will find that Hair: Fashion and Fantasy is as much about an art form as it is about fashion. The hair stylists or designers, if you will, are equipped with the most unimaginable tools to create fantasies that stretch our minds to the limits. They defy gravity, cultural boundaries, and just about any set of rules you can construct.

Without question, the reader will experience visual overload caused by an almost astounding collection of photographs and illustrations that furnish proof of the subject matter no matter what the chapter’s title may be.

All in all, no matter what your area of interest is when it comes to fashion, your curiosity will be quenched and esthetic sensibilities will be more than sated. This is a book that offers the reader both a history and a solid grounding in the now and will be a book that you are drawn back to time after time.