TFG Exclusive: Book of the Month

The Fashion Grid's pick for book of the month this June is The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, a heart-wrenching, heartwarming true story about a courageous woman, Kamila Sadiqi, living in war-ravaged Afghanistan who survived the brutality of the Taliban regime by building a successful dress-making business.

Sadiqi's fearless and entrepreuarial spirit not only allowed her to flourish against inconceivable odds, but enabled her to create work for 100 neighborhood women. Despite the bombings, kidnappings, lack of electricity and violence in the streets, Sadiqi and her group of burqa-confined breadwinners worked around the clock creating beautiful hand-sewn beaded dresses and tailored suits. 

Sadiqi's story was brought to life by former ABC News reporter Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, who spent years on the ground reporting on the daily lives of women in Afghanistan. Lemmon was particularly drawn to Sadiqi because of her ability to mobilize and stay committed to her community. To purchase a copy of the book, clickhere. 

TFG Exclusive: Book of the Month

For the month of May, The Fashion Grid would like to encourage its readers to pick up a copy of The Fashion Book, an A-Z encyclopedia of the fashion world. In a day and age where Google serves as the go-to information portal, it's often nice to see something in such an old-school format. The guide provides an overview of all the fashion designers, photographers, models and iconic individuals who helped shape the industry throughout the world and from different periods.

Each article offers a short summary and captivating photographs that make The Fashion Book a convenient go-to source on all your fashion history questions. We here at TFG particularly enjoy the visual overview on all things fashion. The Fashion Book will either be a perfect addition to your coffee table book collection, or another fun bedtime read stacked on your night stand if you decide to purchase it in the "mini" edition. If you love fashion, you must have this book. To purchase, click here.

TFG Exclusive: Book of the Month

This month, The Fashion Grid would like to encourage its readers to pick up a copy of Justine Picardie's Coco Chanel: The Legend and The Life. The book is the most recent biography on the influential designer, beginning with her upbringing as Gabrielle Chanel, an abandoned child in an orphanage, and tracking the designer's various transformations that eventually led to the growth of her powerful empire.

 

From her days as a performer at the famous Moulins where she inherited the nickname "Coco," to her love affairs with influential, aristocratic men that allowed her to manoeuvre in higher and higher circles and eventually establish her own boutique, Chanel's story is more than a story about fashion. It is a story about love, heartbreak, feminism, the entrepreneurial spirit, society, politics, the arts, and overcoming impossible odds. Picardie began collaborating on the book with Karl Lagerfeld back in 1997 and was able to include never-before-seen photographs of the fashion legend from various archival sources. The following is a video of a BBC interview with the author herself discussing the fashion legend.

While many books have been written about the author, which TFG will be covering in future Book of the Month posts, here is some interesting trivia about the legendary designer:

• Chanel often took inspiration from men's fashions in order to create comfortable apparel for women in a time where corsets and large, ornate hats were the custom.
• Her contributions to women's fashion include the use of jersey fabric in women's wear, the little black dress, costume jewelry, tweed suits, and bell-bottoms.
• She was an avid believer in astrology and considered 5 to be her lucky number after her sign, Leo, the fifth sign of the zodiac, which many believe to be the reason she named her famous fragrance Chanel No. 5
• She was a good friend and confidant of Sir Winston Churchill

To read more about one of Time Magazine's 25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century, click here to purchase a copy of Picardie's book. The following is another video of Picardie discussing her research. 

TFG Exclusive: Book of the Month

This month, TFG is excited to read Fashion Law: A Guide for Designers, Fashon Executives, and Attorneys. As the global fashion and apparel industry grows to represent a $3 trillion market, lawyers are having to address the industry's specific legal needs and peculiarties. Fashion Law is the first book that provides a comprehensive overview of the practice area.

 Divided into four main parts, the book covers the following legal issues:

• Intellectual property protection of fashion
• Fashion and apparel licensing
• Counterfeiting
• Commercial operations and expansion
• Employment law issues in fashion
• Marketing, advertising, and promotion
• Retail Leasing for Fashion
• International Development of the Fashion Business
• Import and customs issues in fashion

The guide also includes the following features:

• Summaries of court cases
• Legal tips fashion designers and executives should establish in conducting their business
• Template agreements illustrating the provisions that owners and managers of fashion business should include in their documents
• Sample clauses to familiarize readers with the legal language 

Fashion Law was written by a team of experienced attorneys and legal experts and edited by Guillermo C. Jimenez, a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technoloy, and Barbara Kolsun, General Counsel for Stuart Weitzman. TFG was most impressed by the book's use of primary sources and sample clauses, all of which bring the practice area to life and help the reader navigate through the various legal issues that face the fashion industry. Whether you're an emerging designer launching your own line or a practicing attorney, Fashion Law is an ideal read for anyone who is involved in the legal or business side of the industry.

Click here to purchase the book online.