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Stylish page-turners

A “classy” how-to, a sneak peek into glam apartments and a treatise on consumerism.
PHOTO COURTESY RAZORBILL
PHOTO COURTESY RAZORBILL

Several of fashionâÄôs movers and shakers have released books in the past few weeks, covering topics ranging from interior design to our American desire to buy, buy, buy. Here, in a Fashionista special report, is what we recommend you scoop up. TITLE: âÄúClassy: Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern LadyâÄù AUTHOR: Derek Blasberg PAGES: 256 PRICE: $16.99 Man about town Derek BlasbergâÄôs book does not define class as donning a cheap black cocktail dress and having champagne with your sorority sisters. According to Blasberg, who can boast contributions to Vogue and HarperâÄôs Bazaar on his résumé, earning the title âÄúclassyâÄù requires a little more work than that. Though âÄúclassyâÄù is technically targeted toward the young adult market interested in becoming mini Blair Waldorfs, thereâÄôs no reason why college girls shouldnâÄôt pick it up. Confused about which ensembles whisper âÄúladyâÄù and which scream âÄútramp?âÄù HeâÄôs got it all laid out for you. Also inside its pages are lessons on men and how to get the ones you want without looking like a freak and how to delicately climb the social ladder. Blasberg should know about that one, he rubs elbows with such fashion muses as Chloë Sevigny and Leigh Lezark of the MisShapes. âÄúClassyâÄù is a bit juvenile and saccharine, a how-to book for those whoâÄôd rather read Vogue and Us Weekly than Sartre or Edith Wharton , but itâÄôs frothy, breezy fun. TITLE: âÄúThe Selby is in Your PlaceâÄù AUTHOR: Todd Selby PAGES: 256 PRICE: $35.00 Speaking of dudes who hang out with luminaries, photographer Todd Selby has the privilege of getting inside access to the abodes of esteemed creative types, including BarneyâÄôs New YorkâÄôs resident mad genius Simon Doonan and his husband, interior designer Jonathan Adler . His portraits of these folks in their personal spaces, rife with quirky personal artifacts, made their way to his website, The Selby. Which designers, models and artists are packrats? Who prefers minimalistic cool versus a jumble of books, shoes and framed art? Clicking through the site will fill you in. SelbyâÄôs snoopy lens became so popular with design-oriented peeping Toms that it sprawled into a book of over 33 apartments, mansions and country homes from Tokyo to New York City. Even if youâÄôre not familiar with the work of the people included in the book, âÄúThe Selby is in Your PlaceâÄù can also serve as an interior design how-to. Soon, you wonâÄôt be living in dumpy college digs, and âÄúThe Selby is in Your PlaceâÄù provides ample inspiration no matter your budget. SelbyâÄôs camera captures vivid colors. His eye for details within the walls of someoneâÄôs home makes for not just a charming peek into the lives of the rich and relentlessly creative but an inspiring tool for transforming your humble home. TITLE: âÄúObsessive Consumption: What Did You Buy Today?âÄù AUTHOR: Kate Bingaman-Burt PAGES: 206 PRICE: $19.95 Can you imagine drawing a picture of everything youâÄôve purchased since 2006? How many lattes, packs of cigarettes and pairs of shoes would you have to draw? Artsy chick and graphic designer Kate Bingaman-Burt decided to document her purchases via pretty pictures, price attached, after getting burnt out on her job as an art director for a gift company. She pondered our attachment to the things we buy and channeled these ideas into her blog and its accompanying monthly magazine, Obsessive Compulsion. The pictures she drew of skinny jeans and sodas gave Bingaman-Burt a wake-up call: She noticed how rampant her spending habits were and used the pictures to help her reign it in. Now in book form, Bingaman-BurtâÄôs drawings of her haircuts and cups of coffee are whimsical renderings of how we choose to distribute our income. Her book isnâÄôt preachy, just a bit sweet and twee. It makes you think, âÄúDo I really need this pack of cigarettes or this cup of soup?âÄù

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