The Camp 100: Glorious flamboyance, from Louis XIV to Lil Nas X

by Simon Doonan, Kenzo Hamazaki (illustrator)

Celebrate the unapologetically, outrageously CAMP with this vivacious party of 100 people, objects, art movements, and much, much more.   What do Grace Jones, Benjamin Disraeli, Salvador Dali, K-Pop, and a giant art nouveau vase covered in fairies and stuffed with peacock feathers have in common? they are all, wildly, completely, and utterly ... Camp. Yes, C-A-M-P, that strange, hard-to-define quality. Over the last few decades, Camp has been tucked up in her four-poster, fast asleep. But now, having been roused from slumber by Anna Wintour for the 2019 Met Ball, Camp is back, and she might just be the thing you need to make sense of – and add some humor and irony to – this crazy, all-too-serious world. In this hilarious, era-defining book, author and cultural commentator Simon Doonan gets to grips with Camp. Who is she? Where did she come from, and where did she go? Why is she back? Just who is Susan Sontag when she’s at home?! Beautifully illustrated throughout, the book includes 100 entries that are completely and unapologetically Camp – of course, Dynasty, poodles and RuPaul are here, but vampires, tattoos, Queen Victoria and even cake? Absolutely. Doonan makes the Camp case for these as well.The Camp 100 is a manifesto like no other, a manifesto to turn down the temperature dial and take the world a bit less seriously. In seeing ‘Camp’ in the most unlikely places, this book might revolutionize the way you see the world entirely.

208 pages, Hardcover

Published September 10, 2024

About the author

Writer, fashionista, acclaimed window dresser and author Simon Doonan is the Creative Ambassador for Barneys New York. His books include Confessions of a Window Dresser, Soccer Style, Eccentric Glamour and Gay Men Don’t Get Fat. His memoir 'Beautiful People’ was turned into a BBC TV series starring Oscar-winners Olivia Coleman and Brenda Blethyn. Simon appears as a judge on the NBC television show Making It, co-hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published September 10, 2024.

An exploration of one hundred things that are “unapologetically camp” according to the author (jury’s still out on whether he’s the 101st thing. Lots of the things are historic, it’s not filled with of-the-moment flashes in the pan, so it’s not meant for the children (thank you, Simon, for writing a book for the adults in the room. He dives deep.

I won’t spoil any of the fun by giving anything away, but it’s with a fun couple of hours while you debate whether you agree and whether it’s Camp or camp.

[Brittany McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great place to start with lots of beautiful narrations and some awesome photos to put a name to a face in case you didn't already know the person in the narration.

This book only encompasses 100 Camp options, not ALL of them. So there will always be someone left out.

The layout was mostly intuitive.

I did wish for a bit more than surface level, but it was worth a read.

4 Stars

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simon Doonan, fashion and camp mainstay and the former creative director at Barney's, has written a delightful successor to Susan Sontag's Notes on Camp. He details 100 different Camp and campy figures and ideas throughout his book, which are brought to life in beautiful illustrations by Kenzo Hamazaki.

Throughout the book, Simon covers historical figures ranging from Attila the Hun all the way up to Lil Nas X. I really appreciated all of his essays and his experiences with so many of these Camp figures made it all the more personal and informative.

My one complaint is that Simon's age shows a bit, and I hope that this is corrected in the final printing, but there are a handful of times where transsexual is used rather than transgender for a few different folks, and using the wrong pronouns for Sam Smith where the entire essay is otherwise devoted to celebrating their non-binary campiness. I also bristled at making fun of the Amber Heard/Johnny Depp trial, but given that this is more recent, I don't know how I'd feel for the similar jabs at some of the historic feuds that were covered.

This would make a really beautiful coffee table book for casual perusal and any time you need a bit more Camp in your life.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and White Lion Publishing for the advanced copy.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Camp 100 covers major events or key people who embody Camp. From Louis XIV to RuPaul and even Queen Victoria, these examples are detailed within the book's pages. With wild explanations and illustrations, it includes everything camp. I particularly enjoyed the page on Latin Divas, especially La Lupe, but with the number of divas who are Camp, this doesn't do them justice. If we're speaking of Latin Camp, we are missing key icons such as Juan Gabriel. It was interesting, but I think that could have been better.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Camp 100" is hilariously irreverent while being informative and interesting. This collection of icons from historic figures to celebrities is all about being camp. This reads as a collection of stories, but told in a more lighthearted satirical way. A book about camp, written in a campy way - that sums it up. There are lovely illustrations of all of these kings and queens throughout - very cool.