Literature

Diana Vreeland: The Modern Woman: The Bazaar Years, 1936-1962

The first Vreeland book to focus on her three decades at Harper’s Bazaar, where the legendary editor honed her singular take on fashion.  In 1936, Harper’s Bazaar editor in chief Carmel Snow made a decision that changed fashion forever when she invited a stylish London transplant named Diana Vreeland to join her magazine. Vreeland created “Why Don’t You?”—an illustrated column of irreverent advice for chic living. Soon she was named the magazine’s fashion editor—a position that Richard Avedon later famously credited Vreeland with inventing.  The troika of Snow, legendary art director Alexey Brodovitch, and Vreeland formed a creative collaboration that continued Harper’s Bazaar’s dominance as America’s leading fashion magazine. As World War II changed women’s role in society, Vreeland’s love for fashion and endless imagination provided exciting, modern imagery for this new paradigm. This book covers Vreeland’s three-decade tenure at Bazaar, revealing how Vreeland reshaped the role of the fashion editor by introducing styling, creative direction, and visual storytelling. Her innovative perspective and creative working relationships with photographers such as Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Lillian Bassman, and Hoyningen-Huene brought the American woman into a modern world. Through more than 300 images from the magazine, this book shows how Vreeland’s work not only influenced her readership, but also forged the path for modern fashion storytelling that endures today.

About The Author

Alexander Vreeland is the grandson of Diana Vreeland and the president of Diana Vreeland Parfums and the Diana Vreeland Estate. He is the author of Diana Vreeland Memos: The Vogue Years.

  • Publish Date: October 20, 2015
  • Format: Hardcover
  • Category: Biography & Autobiography - Editors, Journalists, Publishers
  • Publisher: Rizzoli
  • Trim Size: 9-3/8 x 12-3/4
  • Pages: 304
  • US Price: $60.00
  • CDN Price: $60.00
  • ISBN: 978-0-8478-4608-5

Reviews

"Featuring every magazine cover under her direction, the book also presents a selection of editorial features that best illustrate her visionary perspective and creative collaborations with industry veterans."
-BlouinArtinfoBlogs.com

"Dive into the three decades Diana Vreeland spent at Harper's Bazaar and marvel at her matchless expertise and distinct view within the fashion industry." 
-THE SOCIETY DIARIES 

"If you've ever wanted to peer into the mindset of a creative visionary at the helm of a major publication, this book offers just that. Featuring every issue of Harpers Bazaar under her keen eye, this lovely book gives us a closer look at Vreeland's influence over the magazine and a visual history of her celebrated editorial eye."  
-LIFE IN A VENTI CUP BLOG

"What raises [Diana Vreeland: Modern Woman] above the rest is that it replicates the actual pages laid out by Vreeland, as seen in Harper’s each month from the ‘30s to the ‘60s. They elevate the book to the level of visual primer: a ‘how to’ for stylists, photographers, models and, above all, art directors. . . As this book shows, Vreeland knew more about the value of white space and the pithy epithet than any other editor of her time."
-THE BUSINESS OF FASHION

"This is a must have, must read, must see book that can only delight those who revel in fashion. Alexander Vreeland reminds us all that his grandmother was indeed the high priestess of fashion. Thank you for this great souvenir and recollection of just how astoundingly and fashionably brilliant she was!"
-THE NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS 

Author Bookshelf: Alexander Vreeland