Blow by Blow: The Story of Isabella Blow

by Detmar Blow, Tom Sykes

Overview

“One of the most original and influential people of the twentieth century to me and many others.” —Alexander McQueen

With a career spanning thirty years in fashion, as an influential voice at Vogue, Tatler, and The Sunday Times Magazine—as well as a legacy as one of the industry’s kingmakers for discovering Philip Treacy, Alexander McQueen, Sophie Dahl, and Hussein Chalayan—Isabella Blow had been a pillar of couture culture until her suicide in 2007 left the fashion world mourning one of its finest friends and patrons. Blow by Blow is a captivating journey through Issie’s life, a one-of-a-kind look at her unforgettable impact on the fashion world, and a moving exploration of her inspiring and ultimately tragic tale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062021007
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/23/2011
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	8.76(w) x 6.08(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Educated at Harrow School and the London School of Economics, Detmar Blow studied law and became a barrister in 1989. In 1998 he, Isabella, and Stuart Shave set up the gallery Modern Art, one of London’s most successful contemporary art galleries. He and Isabella established Blow de la Barra gallery in 2005. Detmar divides his time among Lisbon, London, and Gloucestershire.

Tom Sykes trained as a news reporter on London’s Evening Standard and Daily Telegraph before moving to New York in 2003. The former nightlife reporter and gossip columnist for the New York Post, he now lives in Ireland with his wife, two children, and three pigs, and writes for a variety of publications, including the Daily Mail and GQ.

Editorial Reviews

While other authors with new books about Isabella Blow (see Martina Rink's and Lauren Goldstein Crowe's titles, reviewed below) knew or admired her through her professional life, this is a much more personal story. Written by her husband, it is a love story as well as a biography of a remarkable woman who inspired artists and designers and created iconic images. She was 48 in 2007 when she committed suicide after a long battle with severe depression. Detmar Blow was engaged to Isabella 16 days after their first meeting in 1988, and the couple remained married until her death. In this portrait, Detmar and coauthor Sykes offer a look at her early childhood and her genius and eccentricity as well as an excursion into the high-society fashion world. Detmar depended heavily on his diary and interviews with family and friends. (According to Crowe, he refused to be interviewed for her book.) Verdict A good story about an intriguing 20th-century personality, this is also a devastating portrait of a difficult marriage. Recommended for readers who love fashion. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 8/10.]—Susan L. Peters, Univ. of Texas, Galveston

Library Journal