Style File: The World's Most Elegantly Dressed

Ike Ude's "Style File" is a remarkable volume that profiles more than 55 of the most influential arbiters of style in the world today. With a foreword by Valerie Steele, director of the Museum at F.I.T., and an introduction by Harold Koda, curator-in-charge of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this beautifully designed book provides an intimate perspective on these unique and influential men and women, offering frank insight to their views on fashion--and life--through evocative interviews and lush photography. Included among the many notable designers, artists, and public figures are John Galliano, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Isabel and Ruben Toledo, Victoire de Castellane, Andre Leon Talley, Dita Von Teese, Ute Lemper, Francesco Clemente, Christian Louboutin, Diane von Furstenberg, Lapo Elkann, Frederic Malle, and many others.

"Style File" also features numerous editorial features that deepen the book's exploration of enduring style. Annotated photo albums examine the work of premier style-making photographers such as Scavullo, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Coreen Simpson, Seydou Keita, and Maripol. Numerous illustrated essays explore a range of fashion eras, influences, and influencers: the Belle Epoque, the Motown Look, the popular blog The Sartorialist, and the late visionary stylist Isabella Blow. Evocative archival and portrait photography of fashion legends from Marchesa Casati to Diana Vreeland, select "aRude" fashion editorials that point to recurring themes in the intertwined cultural-political-style landscape, and style-related aphorisms are featured throughout. This comprehensive, gorgeous book is a rich exploration of personal style thatbelongs in every well-dressed library.