---
product_id: 4907657
title: "The Beautiful Fall: Fashion, Genius, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris"
price: "48044CFA"
currency: XOF
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/4907657-the-beautiful-fall-fashion-genius-and-glorious-excess-in-1970s
store_origin: SN
region: Senegal
---

# The Beautiful Fall: Fashion, Genius, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris

**Price:** 48044CFA
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- **What is this?** The Beautiful Fall: Fashion, Genius, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris
- **How much does it cost?** 48044CFA with free shipping
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- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/4907657-the-beautiful-fall-fashion-genius-and-glorious-excess-in-1970s)

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## Description

desertcart.com: The Beautiful Fall: Fashion, Genius, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris: 9780316001854: Drake, Alicia: Books

Review: "We were so much older then..." - 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."
Review: An entertaining read - 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.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #314,912 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #265 in Fashion History #519 in Fashion Design #772 in Popular Culture in Social Sciences |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 420 Reviews |

## Images

![The Beautiful Fall: Fashion, Genius, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61d6dWXLbmL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "We were so much older then..."
*by A***D on June 17, 2017*

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."

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An entertaining read
*by T***S on September 11, 2014*

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.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Beautiful Fall
*by N***W on July 4, 2007*

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.

## Frequently Bought Together

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*Last updated: 2026-03-06*