Rizzoli (RCS MediaGroup)

Michael Smith is the new darling of the American design world and decorator to the stars. Stylish, glamorous, lively, and varied — Michael Smith's interior design work has been hailed from coast to coast. Divided into two parts, and ranging from the artistic to the practical, the book captures the diversity of influences and ideas that emerge from Michael's work. In Part One, several houses are presented, each one as a complete story so that the reader sees how each room works on its own and within the house as a whole. The houses will be grouped by five themes (eg, country houses, city apartments, family houses, and private retreats).Part Two is a dynamic, informative, and idea-filled resource of photo-illustrated tips, provocative opinions, and insider decorating advice.

One of the most beautiful regions of the California coast, Santa Barbara also has one of America's most affluent and stylish demographics. Possessing the most summery, mild, seductive climate in the country, Santa Barbara has been an elegant and chic style destination since the turn of the last century, when wealthy East Coast families wintered there. Soon after, villas and estates were being built, designed by the finest architects and landscape designers. In recent years the Santa Barbara region continues to be an outpost of style and culture — now with many leading Hollywood producers, directors, and stars acquiring the historic estates for their weekend escapes. Today, cultured and stylish couples are living in Santa Barbara continuing the traditions of beautifully appointed mansions (many of them in the Spanish style first brought to California in the 1850s). The first book to take readers inside the mansions and estates of Santa Barbara today, Santa Barbara Living will feature the houses and gardens that make Santa Barbara a rarified version of the American Dream. This book will show how that dream is lived.

Originally published in a deluxe limited edition, this compact book captures the magnificence of the city's architecture and breathtaking natural surroundings — from the most coveted homes of Hollywood and Beverly Hills, to the best examples of modern and contemporary architecture by the sea. From the Eames's Case Study House to Gehry's Disney Concert Hall, this book spans Venice Beach to Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills mansions to motels, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels to the Chateau Marmont, and Deco theaters to drive-ins. From high culture to pop, Tim Street-Porter conveys the essence of the L.A. experience in stunning color and detail.

When those in the magazine industry need inspiration, they look to Purple. It has influenced countless other magazines and spawned trends that have trickled down through all levels of culture. To celebrate its fifteenth anniversary, this volume brings together the best in fashion, art, and culture from Purple's illustrious history. Purple revolutionized fashion photography in the nineties by commissioning fine artists to shoot fashion editorials. What resulted was a raw, improvisational aesthetic, which continues to exert its power today. Many of our most promising artists contribute to Purple's pages, including Terry Richardson, Juergen Teller, Jack Pierson, Richard Prince, John Currin, and Vanessa Beecroft. Among the celebrity muses who appear regularly are Kim Gordon, Chloe Sevigny, Kate Moss, Catherine Deneuve, and Vincent Gallo. Along with images, the book also presents essays by such renowned writers as Glenn O'Brien, Gary Indiana, and Dave Hickey. These texts further the book's larger purpose: to chart the development of art and fashion during the past fifteen years. This is the ultimate deluxe collection for serious fashion, art, photography, graphic design, and magazine aficionados.

The name Valentino has been synonymous with high fashion for almost fifty years. Based in Rome, Valentino is only one of two couture houses recognized by the French government outside of Paris. His exquisite designs are coveted and worn by young Hollywood and high society the world over. On the occasion of his last couture collection, presented in Paris in the spring of 2008, this landmark book celebrates forty-five years of Valentino's remarkable career. Published in association with a prestigious exhibition at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs's famed costume department in Paris, this volume focuses on Valentino's haute couture creations, highlighting the most important and iconic creations of his half-century in fashion through recurring themes in Valentino's work — variations on the ideas of volume, line, and texture as well as motifs such as geometry, pleats, and flowers — through new photography, sketches, fabric samples, and commentary on the dresses by Valentino himself. In addition, unprecedented photography by Francois Halard of Valentino's last fittings and backstage of his runway show reveals Valentino's private world for the first time. Valentino On Valentino, a chapter of first-person accounts of the designs of these iconic dresses, along with Valentino's commentary on his fashion, will make this publication unique in the study of Valentino as a cultural and artistic icon.

During its more than 50-year history, the Corvette has developed into much more than an automotive nameplate — it has become one of the world's most recognized automobiles. How the Chevrolet Corvette came to be one of the most popular sports cars in the world — and the longest-running automotive nameplate in Chevrolet history — is a rich and compelling story that combines politics, passion, performance, design, and popular culture. This uniquely sleek and sexy American car has become a worldwide icon much like the Coca-Cola symbol, McDonald's arches, or Marilyn Monroe. It is a symbol of freedom, speed, power, and fun. Corvette: America's Sports Car — Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, documents the genesis and evolution of this treasured American icon through many never-before-published photographs from the archives of General Motors as well as a comprehensive story drawn from exclusive interviews with the risk-taking engineers and designers who defied conventional thinking to create this uniquely American automobile. Corvette: America's Sports Car — Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow celebrates America's beloved sports car in a stylishly handsome volume, with a custom cover design in Corvette red proudly bearing a sixth-generation Corvette crossed-flags hood emblem.

Standing among the most important cities of the world, and a planned city from its inception, Washington, District of Columbia, is abundantly documented. In Washington in Maps, Iris Miller delves into this historic documentation, into sometimes rare and often buried maps and letters and charts, and reveals to us a brilliant portrait of this ever-evoloving capital of a nation. Washington in Maps features, in full color, over 100 glorious maps, dating from the seventeenth century to the present, featuring the most splendid antique maps of Washington-to the extraordinary, otherworldly satellite imagery of today. Included are maps by Thomas Jefferson and Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the man upon whose design modern Washington now stands; a map of Captain John Smith from 1608; and maps by the Senate Park (McMillan) Commission, among many others. Maps detail both the current reality of a place, and, as well, offer imaginative renderings of future possibility, in the process often becoming something of extraordinary beauty in their own right. Washington in Maps charts a passionate course through this terrain and serves as a testament to the wonder, artistry, and intelligence that these maps manifest.

Cosa ci fanno il diavolo sotto le spoglie di un esperto di magia nera, un enorme gatto che prende il tram da solo (tentando di pagare il biglietto!) e altri bizzarri personaggi a zonzo per le vie della Mosca anni '20? Un capolavoro assoluto, un affresco della realtà infernale della Mosca sovietica.

Una raccolta di storie tragiche che indagano sui «luoghi oscuri» della coscienza, sui dolori di vite sbagliate, su amare solitudini. La commissaria Adele Sofia е una donna ricca di umanita e intuito pur nell'apparente durezza. E lei a indagare su delitti irrisolti ed е grazie al suo desiderio di giustizia che molti di essi trovano una soluzione. Sono pagine che raccontano, interpretati da Dacia Maraini, fatti realmente accaduti, storie di «ordinaria follia» in cui le vittime sono i piu deboli: donne e bambini.

This pioneering art series combines stunning high-quality color reproductions with expert commentary on the most popular artists of all time at an extremely accessible price. Giotto, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Vermeer are names well known to any student of art history, museum-goer, or culturally engaged. individual. Rizzoli is pleased to launch its Classics of Art series with monographs on these six world-renowned painters, whose signature styles and sheer genius continue to inspire both scholars and lay people to this day. Each book in this series features a literary introduction and thoroughly researched essay followed by a section devoted to a detailed description of a selection of the artist's masterpieces. An extensive chronology of the artist's life and important historical events of his era as well as a compilation of remarks by famous historians, modern and old, add cultural perspective and insight into each painter's stylistic development. A visual chart with captions as to the whereabouts of each painting and a concise bibliography with suggested further reading provide invaluable research tools. With authoritative text by leading art historians from around the globe, these lavishly illustrated editions provide fresh insights into the art and lives of the most brilliant artists in the history of painting. No matter what your knowledge of art history, this series will compel you to explore a world of art beyond the canvas.

Un alternarsi di orrore e solitudine, di incapacità di comprendere e di essere compresi, in una narrazione che nonostante tutto è un inno alla vita e alla forza del “sentire”. Alda Merini ripercorre il suo ricovero decennale in manicomio: il racconto della vita nella clinica psichiatrica, tra elettroshock sguardo della poetessa su questo inferno, come un’onda che alterna la lucidità all’incanto. Un diario senza traccia di sentimentalismo o di facili condanne, in cui emerge lo “sperdimento”, ma anche la sicurezza di sé e delle proprie emozioni in una sorta di innocenza primaria che tutto osserva e trasforma, senza mai disconoscere la malattia, o la fatica del non sentire i ritmi e i bisogni altrui, in una riflessione che si fa poesia, negli interrogativi e nei dubbi che divengono rime a lacerare il torpore, l’abitudine, l’indifferenza e la paura del mondo che c’è “fuori”.

Pretty flowers, expert styling, and flattering designs characterize some of the features that define high fashion hats of the 1950s to 1980s. This comprehensive book combines over 700 color photographs with carefully researched facts about historical events, hairstyles, and hat designers in each decade. An extensive millinery glossary is very useful. Hats are becoming again an important fashion accessory.

»Delitto e castigo» e un romanzo giallo? Gli ingredienti ci sono tutti: un delitto, un delinquente e un investigatore, oltre a un ambiente complesso e misterioso come Pietroburgo. Ma, come giallo, e un ben strano romanzo: all'inizio assistiamo al delitto, sappiamo quindi chi e il delinquente, e il resto del libro, la sua maggior parte, e dedicata a un'inchiesta in cui l'investigatore, non meno del lettore, conosce gia il colpevole. Eppure, se la prima parte, quella del delitto, e piena di febbrile tensione, le parti successive sono addirittura convulse. Scrivendo il piu geniale romanzo poliziesco che si conosca, Dostoevskij dunque ha violato le leggi del «genere», e prima di tutto la legge per cui la scoperta finale dell'assassino annulla tutto l'intrigo che a quel risultato ha portato, complicando insieme il percorso verso di esso. Delitto e castigo invece riceve nuova luce a ritroso dal suo finale e permane in tutta la sua ricchezza di significati.

Jean-Michel Frank was perhaps the most influential Parisian designer and decorator of the 1930s and 1940s, inspiring such varied talents as Andree Putman and Bonetti and Garouse. Frank established his reputation and signature look with the design of the Paris apartment of the Vicomte Charles de Noailles. The Noailles were leading progressives of their day and patrons of the major painters of Paris. Frank's style of understated luxury — vellum-sheathed walls, bleached leather, lacquer and shagreen — perfectly complemented the Picassos and Braques on the walls. Frank's blocky, rectangular club chairs and sofas have been endlessly copied and produced by many admirers. He is credited for the design of the modern Parsons table, a stark form that Frank embellished with the most luxurious finish. Admiringly described by the French le style Frank, his look continues to exert its influence through the powerful combination of the simplest forms and the most exquisite materials to produce objects that are truly noble and utterly modern.

Accompanying Rizzoli's best-selling Frank Lloyd Wright: The Houses, this exceptional publication features Wright's major projects and programs, including such masterpieces as the Guggenheim Museum, Marin County Civic Center, Unity Temple, Johnson Wax, Taliesin, and Taliesin West, to name only a few. Also included is stunning archival imagery of the great demolished buildings, such as the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, as well as inspiring visions of the great unbuilt work drawn by Wright, including The Baghdad Opera House and The Mile High Illinois, among others. Extensive, all new color photography shows the buildings to an extent rarely seen (including such little-known gems as Beth Shalom Synagogue, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, and Lindholm Gas Station). Frank Lloyd Wright: The Buildings invites a reevaluation of Wright's work and is a must-have for anyone interested in this very important American architect.

This book features a literary introduction and thoroughly researched essay followed by a section devoted to a detailed description of a selection of the artist's masterpieces. An extensive chronology of the artist's life and important historical events of his era as well as a compilation of remarks by famous historians, modern and old, add cultural perspective and insight into each painter's stylistic development. A visual chart with captions as to the whereabouts of each painting and a concise bibliography with suggested further reading provide invaluable research tools. With authoritative text by leading art historians from around the globe, this lavishly illustrated edition provides fresh insights into the art and lives of one of the most brilliant artists in the history of painting. No matter what your knowledge of art history, this series will compel you to explore a world of art beyond the canvas.

Cliff May’s modern homes epitomize the indoor-outdoor lifestyle characteristic of the American Dream, fusing the open plan/open living philosophy with the traditional ranch house. Starting in the 1930s, the modern ranch house took the country by storm, migrating from California to Arizona, and Cliff May was the chief proponent of this style. His long, low designs managed to be both modern and traditional, celebrating a casually elegant, indoor-outdoor lifestyle, and drawing inspiration from California’s Spanish Mexican ranchos while embracing the latest technological gadgetry. With their low profile, large carports and garages, patios, and expansive horizontality, May’s modern ranch houses became synonymous with the nascent California lifestyle and were enthusiastically promoted by the popular Sunset magazine throughout the U.S. He personally designed and built more than 1,000 homes and commercial buildings, and over 18,000 designs are attributed to his office, including the Robert Mondavi Winery and the offices of Sunset.Complete with new color photography, Cliff May and the Modern Ranch House celebrates the best of May’s work, from his start building homes during the Depression to how he evolved a brand of regional modernity that fulfilled the public’s desire for informal living in the 1950s and 1960s.

In the tradition of Rizzoli’s Historic Houses of the Hudson Valley and The Houses of McKim, Mead & White, Great Houses of New England features a stunning array of newly photographed houses that range over four centuries and are distinctive examples of the architecture of the region — from the mid-seventeenth-century New England Colonial Judge Corwin House (Witches House) in Salem, MA., and the eighteenth-century Jeremiah Lee Mansion in Marblehead, MA., to the late-nineteenth-century McKim, Mead & White Shingle-Style Isaac Bell House in Newport, R.I. With lavish photography of sumptuously appointed interiors including many rarely seen rooms, wonderfully detailed house exteriors and gardens, and authoritative text by architectural historian Roderic H. Blackburn, Great Houses of New England comprehensively considers the magnificent building styles of the region —including Early New England Colonial, Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Shingle Style, Colonial Revival, and Tudor. Great Houses of New England is a landmark work of enduring interest to homeowners, architects, architecture historians, and all those who love fine architecture and interiors.

On assignment for Esquire magazine in 1962, fashion photographer and filmmaker Jerry Schatzberg documented the ultra-exclusive world of French haute couture in stunning photographs of famous fashion icons. All the glamour and drama of the runway is presented, including images of Yves Saint Laurent’s first collection after leaving Dior, as well as tastemakers such as Diana Vreeland and American Vogue editor Jessica Daves mingling in the chic crowds. As an insider, Schatzberg was permitted entry into the private, behind-the-scenes world of the models and photographers, which he reveals in candid images of renowned photographers such as Helmut Newton, William Klein, Hiro, and Norman Parkinson perfecting their glamour shots.Schatzberg’s images embody an era in fashion history, and document the glamour, intrigue, and opulence of the Parisian runway shows. With an eye for subtle moments of elegance, drama, and humor, Schatzberg captures the essence of the period’s style and grace.

Any urbanite has faced the challenges of limited living space. This valuable survey of the latest in small-scale apartment and loft design features the best examples of smart and chic urban living from the most fashionable cities around the world. The apartments, lofts, and small houses profiled here prove that small-scale efficiency as well as beautiful, thoughtful design can overcome the apparent constraints of a tiny setting. Each project includes a case history describing the challenges that confronted the designer and how these constraints were overcome. Creating color schemes to enhance the feeling of openness, taking advantage of high ceilings to make multiple levels, and using movable furniture and sliding doors to maximize space are some of the clever solutions that anyone can apply to their own homes. Full of color photographs and helpful floor plans, this book is a remarkable showcase of the latest design trends and creative ideas to turn any small space into a comfortable and modern home. It is an inspiration to anyone in interior design or residential architecture, as well as to anyone looking to improve and revitalize a small-scale home.

Pared to programmatic essence, Michael Gabellini’s work emanates a serenity that belies an underlying complexity. His spaces unfold as intricately crafted, yet subtle stages for the interaction of volume, light, and materials. Initially recognized for his work for major fashion brands such as Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, and, especially, Jil Sander, Gabellini set a new aesthetic standard in retail design. Equally innovative is Gabellini’s approach to the design of private residences and spaces for contemporary art, including both internationally-known galleries and special exhibitions. Gabellini’s luminous aesthetic will be the centerpiece of this monograph, his first ever, featuring the alluring retail interiors and provocative art installations together with his highly sought-after residences and large-scale, public spaces, such as the recently reopened and widely acclaimed Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center. Revealing photography and insightful text contributions by Paola Antonelli and Hans-Ulrich Obrist, among others, will make this one of the most anticipated design monographs of the year.

Edited by Mark Rappolt with contributions by: J. G. Ballard, Chris Bangle, Rene Daalder, Sonia Eram, Imaginary Forces, Brian C. Goodwin, Jeffrey Kipnis, Sylvia Lavin, Ross Lovegrove, Ari Marcopoulos, Peter Schroder, and Bruce Sterling. One of the most provocative and exciting architects today, Greg Lynn has defined how designers and architects use computers as a medium, operating in an expanded field that fuses cutting-edge technology, contemporary art, and science fiction aesthetics with architectural form. At the epicenter of a debate about the role of digital design in architecture and design, his projects skillfully blend high technology and detailed craftsmanship, driven by modeling software from the film and aerospace industries. Included are contributions from theorists, architects, and artists, and futurists such as J. G. Ballard and Bruce Sterling. Greg Lynn Form offers a window into Lynn’s methods and techniques, theoretical positions, and career trajectory. Rather than a retrospective of Lynn’s career, it is thought-provoking and forward-looking.

The two-time winner of the Best Designer of the Year Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and hailed as the king of minimalism, Narciso Rodriguez is poised to take his place in the pantheon of great American designers. As Anna Wintour put it, «No one but Narciso has ever made a simple line look more stunning». Like the famously copied wedding dress he made for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Rodriguez’s designs are revered for their exquisite tailoring but also for being wearable. His exceptionally varied and loyal following — from Salma Hayek and Sarah Jessica Parker, to Oprah Winfrey and the late Celia Cruz—is a testament to his success. This elegant volume reveals the artist at work in his atelier. Rodriguez takes his inspiration from the life that surrounds him — whether it’s the subtle color of faded paint on a façade, a pattern made by the sand, or the gesture of a young man on a skateboard — and records it in sketchbooks and vivid snapshots. Always experimenting with new textiles and textures, he creates deceptively simple montages — artworks in their own right — that gracefully yield the stunning dresses we see flowing down the runway.

The classical elegance of the Regency period in England is considered one of the most sophisticated and refined moments in design history. Throughout the twentieth century, designers took elements of the Regency vocabulary and restyled them to meld with the reigning design aesthetic of the day to extraordinary effect. The book opens with an introduction to the original Regency period, which built its sophisticated aesthetic on the example of the Neoclassical style of Napoleon’s time. It then picks up with the Art Deco designs of Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann and Süe et Mare in France. By the 1930s, the Vogue Regency returned home to England where Sibyl Colefax and Syrie Maugham created stylized classical interiors. In America, the Regency revival took hold in Hollywood on the lavish film sets of the 1930s and ‘40s. Designers and architects to the stars such as Billy Haines and T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings made a mark with their work for the Hollywood elite. The book concludes with Regency fashions of the 1930s and ‘40s, when Dorothy Draper and Elsie de Wolfe cut a stylish swath with their Regency-infused designs from coast to coast. Rounding out the vintage interiors are designs by acclaimed contemporary designers. Each chapter is illustrated with a rich selection of images of interiors, film sets, and furniture.