Stacy London
Fashion expert Stacy London usually tells people their shoes don’t go with that dress, to throw out that baggy sweatshirt, to tailor that suit. As host of TLC’s “What Not to Wear” and “Fashionably Late with Stacy London,” no one does the arched eyebrow of disappointment better. Now she’s launching a new service with Sprint (sprint.com/mymobilestyle) to coordinate your cellphone to your individual look.
But London took a break from sartorial matters to tell us how to spruce up something else – your bookshelf. She offered us some of the most fashionable books in her library, no 360-degree mirror required.
Suzuki Beane
by Sandra Scoppettone and Louise Fitzhugh
The best children’s book ever written. It’s about a little girl named Suzuki who is a part of the “beat generation” and lives on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village in the ’60s. I grew up on Bleecker and can’t help loving how scrappy she is. It is a great book about accepting people for who they are, even if they dress (and talk) weird.
Home is Where The Heart Is
by Ilse Crawford
Written by the woman who designed the Soho House in London and New York, this book realizes the essential connection between basic human needs and a livable design philosophy. It is a gorgeous book (the cover is red satin) with detailed photographs and a truly stunning amount of insight about how to create a real home and safe haven.
Love, Loss and What I Wore
by Ilene Beckerman
This book inspired my favorite segment in my new show “Fashionably Late”: My Life In 5 Outfits. Beckerman reminds us that so many of the most indelible memories come to life when we remember what we wore on those occasions. This is an amazing autobiography told through the history of a remarkable wardrobe.
The Feminine
by Richard Kehl
The book is a collection of photo images and quotes that the author culled together to create an idea of what is “Feminine.” Everything, the quotes and images alike, are beautiful. The author is much more of a curator, showing us things he did not create but that he ordered in such a way, as to have a larger context. Everything about this book inspires me.