Chic Savages

by John Fairchild

The acerbic wit of the publisher of "Women's Wear Daily" is ever present in this no-holds-barred tome, which reveals the inner working of the world of haute couture

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction

222 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1989

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up about reading a great article on Fairchild in VF. I really enjoyed the beginning, when he went more into the business behind the higher-end designers, but like another reviewer said it just got back to a lot of name dropping. There are great descriptions of the opulence of some of these people's lives, the grand dinner parties, the major houses all over the world. That was fun to read about. Fairchild is wildly unapologetic, which made him the perfect person to head WWD. I would recommend to anyone who has a interest in fashion and its history, as well as an appreciation of the power of opinion of Women's Wear Daily.

[Chris Rosendall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very dated (published in 1989), my friend thought I'd find it interesting and she was right, certainly fascinating as a time capsule...

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a real period piece. The author, who is a terrible snob, documents the beginning of the end of noblesse oblige. He's a heck of an observer, even though I don't agree with many of his observations, it's well worth a read. The salad days of what has become our new ruling class, including Ivana and The Donald are weird.

[Carolyn Di Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a fun trip back in time. I remember so many of the names mentioned being big deals in the 80's! I enjoyed reliving the old gossip and glamour of those days. It's obviously a book that didn't age well, but for those of us "of a certain age", it offered some nostalgia.

[Tabitha Ormiston-Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very disappointing book. I was expecting a really detailed look into the working lives of some ateliers, but it is nearly all just name dropping and Mr Fairchild bragging about his wealth and all the celebrities he knows. Quite boring.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look, there's no explaining this one. I am a simple girl with simple interests and I'll be damned if I don't count it towards my Goodreads total. Let's just mark it as read and move on.

[Christian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not sure why this book needed to be written. Self gloating and lacking substance / purpose.

[Claire Akkan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fashion editor I respect said that everyone interested in fashion should read John Fairchild’s Chic Savages, so I dutifully complied. Fairchild was the longtime editor of Women’s Wear Daily, the authority on the business of fashion until The Business of Fashion came along. This was a very rich portrait of a specific time and place (1980s New York, hence Donald Trump on the cover) and highlighted very fun moments in that era, such as which table at Le Cirque was best to get the good gossip, or who Calvin Klein was sleeping with. If you are interested in this time, then it’s a good read. But it felt a bit like “you had to be there,” and, alas, I was not.

[jillian · Rating 2 out of 5]

quick read. wish it had more about the business and industry, but of course it was more about high society. says a lot about fairchild, though. and learned more about old-school wasps, if anything. some things never change.

[Brannon Boswell · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh...nothing new here..