My translation of Laurence Benaïm‘s joint biography of the two Christians is out today. You probably know one of them, thanks to a multi-million-dollar corporation that bears his name. But what about the other? Christian Bérard was a talented artist who became a renowned set and costume designer. In pre-World War II Paris, he and…
My translation of Yves Saint Laurent, the masterful biography by French fashion journalist Laurence Benaïm, is out today from Rizzoli. Translating this book was wonderful, intense, and a long haul. I learned a tremendous lot about Yves’ creative and personal life (and I can’t help but think of him on a first-name basis now that…
There is a long history of feathers in fashion, as they add color, texture, and flair to bodices, shoulders, or hems. It’s hard to imagine them on everyday clothing, but for costumes or for expressing wild creative visions they’re extremely eye-catching and appealing. The dress above was designed by Yves Saint Laurent for dancer Zizi…
Translating Laurence Benaïm’s masterful biography Yves Saint Laurent (forthcoming from Rizzoli) was a fascinating and intense experience. For one thing, upon delving into the world of French fashion translation, I discovered more kinds of fabric than I had ever known existed. One saving grace was that for many of these fabrics, the English translation is…