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The Asylum: True Tales of Madness from a Life in Fashion
After nearly a lifetime spent in the Industry, author and fashion insider Simon Doonan is ready to let you in on a little his peers in this multibillion-dollar industry are just as nutty as the denizens of your local loony bin. In The Asylum , an unabashedly hilarious memoir-in-essays, Doonan, the creative ambassador for Barneys New York, tells the real-life stories of glamorous madness and stylish insanity.
Doonan has seen it from dealing with models unable to work for fear of ghosts, to deep-sea fishing with a couturier pal and his jailbird companion, to watching Anna Wintour remain perfectly calm while the ceiling fell—literally—in the middle of Fashion Week. The outlandish family Doonan knew as a child has given way to alarmingly similar lunatic peers in the fashion style insiders see patterns and trends in everything; they suffer from outsize personality disorders and delusions of grandeur; and, of course, they have a predilection for theatrical makeup and artfully destroyed clothing. No one is more suited to the asylum than the truly die-hard fashionista—after all, eccentricity and extremism are the foundations of great style.
Hailed as “a must-read for fashionistas and non-fashionistas alike,” (Michael Kors) and “raucous and revelatory” ( Booklist ), Doonan’s critically acclaimed collection gives us the scoop on the kooky, cutthroat—but always fabulous—fashion world, and proves the author to be one of the sharpest humorists writing today.
Doonan has seen it from dealing with models unable to work for fear of ghosts, to deep-sea fishing with a couturier pal and his jailbird companion, to watching Anna Wintour remain perfectly calm while the ceiling fell—literally—in the middle of Fashion Week. The outlandish family Doonan knew as a child has given way to alarmingly similar lunatic peers in the fashion style insiders see patterns and trends in everything; they suffer from outsize personality disorders and delusions of grandeur; and, of course, they have a predilection for theatrical makeup and artfully destroyed clothing. No one is more suited to the asylum than the truly die-hard fashionista—after all, eccentricity and extremism are the foundations of great style.
Hailed as “a must-read for fashionistas and non-fashionistas alike,” (Michael Kors) and “raucous and revelatory” ( Booklist ), Doonan’s critically acclaimed collection gives us the scoop on the kooky, cutthroat—but always fabulous—fashion world, and proves the author to be one of the sharpest humorists writing today.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2013
31 people are currently reading
1578 people want to read
About the author
Simon Doonan
39 books106 followersWriter, 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
October 29, 2013
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You want to learn about the ins and outs of fashion? Read Simon Doonan's "The Asylum." Before I started reading the book, I thought this was fiction, but really the book is a collection of essays about Mr. Doonan's experience working in the fashion industry. (He has been responsible for Barney's windows for the past 20+years) I thought the book would be fluff, to be honest, but it is insightful, witty, and he talks about a lot of truths. It was like spending a nice afternoon at the Barney;s restaurant with this fabulous guy who knows and has worked with some of the giants in the fashion industry. I mean, name it - he has an anecdote about them: Diana Vreeland, Suzy Menkes, Anna Wintour, Tom Ford. Some of my favorite stories include a story about his adventures friend's boyfriend, who is a dancer from The Gaiety (I actually know that man, believe it or not) and his involvement with Rei Kawakubo as she was developing her first scent for CDG. I feel like Mr. Doonan and I were in the same New York City at the same time and have fond recollections about his reminiscences. The book reads like the wind. I couldn't stop reading it, and found myself finishing it in the wee hours of the morning, sleep be damned.
You want to learn about the ins and outs of fashion? Read Simon Doonan's "The Asylum." Before I started reading the book, I thought this was fiction, but really the book is a collection of essays about Mr. Doonan's experience working in the fashion industry. (He has been responsible for Barney's windows for the past 20+years) I thought the book would be fluff, to be honest, but it is insightful, witty, and he talks about a lot of truths. It was like spending a nice afternoon at the Barney;s restaurant with this fabulous guy who knows and has worked with some of the giants in the fashion industry. I mean, name it - he has an anecdote about them: Diana Vreeland, Suzy Menkes, Anna Wintour, Tom Ford. Some of my favorite stories include a story about his adventures friend's boyfriend, who is a dancer from The Gaiety (I actually know that man, believe it or not) and his involvement with Rei Kawakubo as she was developing her first scent for CDG. I feel like Mr. Doonan and I were in the same New York City at the same time and have fond recollections about his reminiscences. The book reads like the wind. I couldn't stop reading it, and found myself finishing it in the wee hours of the morning, sleep be damned.
April 2, 2017
I actually don't care a fig about the fashion world, but reading Doonan's zippy prose is always fun.
December 31, 2018
Fashion’s world’s version of Sedaris.
I want to write a full review of this hilarious collection of essays, but that will have to wait for the moment.
I want to write a full review of this hilarious collection of essays, but that will have to wait for the moment.
February 19, 2015
I wanted to read his book because I heard the author talking about it on NPR. In the interview, Mr. Doingn was hilarious and charming. The book itself, may be great to someone who is into fashion and knows who all the people are that he talks about; it was less interesting for a non-fashionista like me. The parts that aren't all about big names in the fashion world were sometimes very amusing. The line where he's talking about "plus size" women and refers to a model with measurements of 35-26-36 (that's like a size 8 maybe?) as a "larger gal" and "flesh positive" made me stop reading for good. In the fashion world, I suppose a size 8 appears huge next to the usual 0 size models, but ... Referring to "the fleshy abundance" of a size 8? Really? That chapter ended, though, with an encouragement to the fashion designers of the world to not "remain oblivious to the opportunity represented by the growing, and I do mean growing, number of fashion-starved broads who are size 12 and rising ... Bigger broads need designer clothes too." So it wasn't all bad.
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October 16, 2013I didn't make it through this one - it was a lot of name-dropping and just didn't hold my interest. Not enough fashion, too much gossip, I suppose.
November 25, 2015
This is a hysterical look at the fashion world from the ever-entertaining, Simon Doonan. Clearly he loves his work, fashion, and the crazy creative people who inhabit his space. I appreciated the look at fashion from an insiders perspective, and his ability to present it with a light heart. I've read other fashion books lately where the authors take themselves and their work far too seriously, as if every day they are making life and death critical to the survival of the world. Doonan, on the other hand, looks around him and is able to see the beautiful and the absurd. His writing is incredibly witty and he comes off as incredibly likable as he shares some fabulous stories. He does write about some important issues, such as body image in fashion, and some tragic issues, such as the toll AIDS took during the 80's, however the overall tone of the book is very up-lifting. I smiled and laughed a lot as I read, and was sorry when it was over. I will definitely look at some of his other writing.
As fair warning to sensitive readers, he could not be described as politically correct. His language is colorful.
As fair warning to sensitive readers, he could not be described as politically correct. His language is colorful.
October 29, 2013
ARC for review.
A hodgepodge of reminiscing from Mr. Doonan (and, I suppose, the statutorily required amount of kissing Anna Wintour's ass - I'm guessing there's some sort of word count requirement of praise in order to keep one's job in fashion), but entertaining (as I knew it would be within the first few pages by comparing two unlike things by saying they have as much in common as "Big Ange and Mrs. Petraeus" - and he even misspelled the general's wife's name, as he did TONS of his pop culture references (including Kardashian, J-Woww, Erma Bombeck and Snooki. Seriously, buddy, try Google before you send stuff off to the publisher), but love the "Mob Wives" reference). Lots of namedropping, lots of throwaway foreign phrases (and I'm not sure it would have been possible to work the word "maquillage" into a book once, much less five times) and a fair amount of fun for a few hours, especially for a "Project Runway" lover like myself. Or moi as Doonan would certainly prefer.
A hodgepodge of reminiscing from Mr. Doonan (and, I suppose, the statutorily required amount of kissing Anna Wintour's ass - I'm guessing there's some sort of word count requirement of praise in order to keep one's job in fashion), but entertaining (as I knew it would be within the first few pages by comparing two unlike things by saying they have as much in common as "Big Ange and Mrs. Petraeus" - and he even misspelled the general's wife's name, as he did TONS of his pop culture references (including Kardashian, J-Woww, Erma Bombeck and Snooki. Seriously, buddy, try Google before you send stuff off to the publisher), but love the "Mob Wives" reference). Lots of namedropping, lots of throwaway foreign phrases (and I'm not sure it would have been possible to work the word "maquillage" into a book once, much less five times) and a fair amount of fun for a few hours, especially for a "Project Runway" lover like myself. Or moi as Doonan would certainly prefer.
August 16, 2013
Anyone who loves and follows fashion will really enjoy this collection of essays. Doonan's insights are fascinating and in turn poignant and utterly hysterical. You'll learn and you'll laugh and I don't know what more you can ask for from a book than that.
August 29, 2016
Simon Doonan's book of observations and musings on the fashion world is fun to read.
November 6, 2018
'The ideas and concepts which are brewed and concocted in the rarefied cloisters of the fashion asylum, sometimes, once they encounter the cold, objective light of the outside world, suddenly change in meaning, or have no meaning...'
I frequently come into books blind, and sometimes it's rewarding, sometimes not. This one was a bit of a mixed bag.
A friend of mine recommended I check out Doonan because I'm a low-level merchandiser for a major retail company. He was familiar with Doonan through his column for Slate.com, and I'd never heard of him, so I just grabbed the first book I came across from him. This was it (though I later saw Confessions of a Window Dresser, which would probably be a little more my thing).
This is a loosely-bound collection of reminiscences about Doonan's time in and encounters with the fashion industry, so there's plenty of tidbits about fashion bigwigs and small fries. Some of it is catty gossip, some of it is reverent fawning, but all of it is told with a light touch and a healthy dose of humour. Sure, Doonan tends to use the occasional unnecessary French phrase, but one should expect this when listening to prattle from this corner of the retail world.
I have no genuine gripes with this book. It was an enjoyable, quick read, and one I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone with a sense of humour and a better-than-passing interest in/knowledge of the fashion world. Anyone else...just don't bother, you'll only feel lost.
I frequently come into books blind, and sometimes it's rewarding, sometimes not. This one was a bit of a mixed bag.
A friend of mine recommended I check out Doonan because I'm a low-level merchandiser for a major retail company. He was familiar with Doonan through his column for Slate.com, and I'd never heard of him, so I just grabbed the first book I came across from him. This was it (though I later saw Confessions of a Window Dresser, which would probably be a little more my thing).
This is a loosely-bound collection of reminiscences about Doonan's time in and encounters with the fashion industry, so there's plenty of tidbits about fashion bigwigs and small fries. Some of it is catty gossip, some of it is reverent fawning, but all of it is told with a light touch and a healthy dose of humour. Sure, Doonan tends to use the occasional unnecessary French phrase, but one should expect this when listening to prattle from this corner of the retail world.
I have no genuine gripes with this book. It was an enjoyable, quick read, and one I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone with a sense of humour and a better-than-passing interest in/knowledge of the fashion world. Anyone else...just don't bother, you'll only feel lost.
June 25, 2025
Not quite the sidesplitter promised by the various celebrity references but immensely enjoyable nevertheless with the occasional gaffaw. I did appreciate the funniest chapter (for me at least) being left until last.
I loved the way Doonan introduced each chapter with an illuminating thought or incident which was referenced throughout the chapter. I can imagine him being a thoroughly entertaining dinner guest.
"Oh, young fella, it's not a peacock. I was cycling through Central Park and I found a dead seagull, and I thought, Perfect! For Diana's (Vreeland) show! So I took it home and stuffed it and added goose feathers and peacock feathers! Voila!"
"What would toothless Grampy say about all this? Would he declare it all to be a boil far from his arse? Would he denounce us for our frivolous way of life and condemn us all to drink beer out of shitey rags? Who cares! So what if we are all a bunch of verklempt nellies! So what if our bladders are located too near our eyeballs. At least we have all of our own teeth.....or most of them."
"Back in the last century, I once blithely snapped a picture of Martin (Margiela) while he was chatting with my colleague at the time, Ronnie Newhouse. This caused a scandale fou. Nobody is ever allowed to snap Monsieur Margiela. I was subsequently chased around the whitewashed showroom by admonishing Margiela acolytes in white couture lab coats...."
I loved the way Doonan introduced each chapter with an illuminating thought or incident which was referenced throughout the chapter. I can imagine him being a thoroughly entertaining dinner guest.
"Oh, young fella, it's not a peacock. I was cycling through Central Park and I found a dead seagull, and I thought, Perfect! For Diana's (Vreeland) show! So I took it home and stuffed it and added goose feathers and peacock feathers! Voila!"
"What would toothless Grampy say about all this? Would he declare it all to be a boil far from his arse? Would he denounce us for our frivolous way of life and condemn us all to drink beer out of shitey rags? Who cares! So what if we are all a bunch of verklempt nellies! So what if our bladders are located too near our eyeballs. At least we have all of our own teeth.....or most of them."
"Back in the last century, I once blithely snapped a picture of Martin (Margiela) while he was chatting with my colleague at the time, Ronnie Newhouse. This caused a scandale fou. Nobody is ever allowed to snap Monsieur Margiela. I was subsequently chased around the whitewashed showroom by admonishing Margiela acolytes in white couture lab coats...."
June 10, 2025
I don't remember where I learned about this book - maybe in one of those "10 books to read on the beach" articles that come out every May. But in any case, the library had it, and I put it on hold.
It's dated, obviously - it was published in 2013 - but this is a fun book. Simon minces and snarks his way around people you have heard of and people you have not, while telling tales of growing up in England and working in fashion and making wry observations along the way. He drops names like he's Isaac Newton discovering gravity. And it's intelligent and well-written, with a good vocabulary to boot. Simon does have a habit of name-calling in the book, albeit in a loving way, much like an older sibling, but he's certainly self-deprecating enough that you can tell this is equal-opportunity dissing, but if you are sensitive to that sort of thing be warned.
3.5 stars, a fun Pride Month read.
It's dated, obviously - it was published in 2013 - but this is a fun book. Simon minces and snarks his way around people you have heard of and people you have not, while telling tales of growing up in England and working in fashion and making wry observations along the way. He drops names like he's Isaac Newton discovering gravity. And it's intelligent and well-written, with a good vocabulary to boot. Simon does have a habit of name-calling in the book, albeit in a loving way, much like an older sibling, but he's certainly self-deprecating enough that you can tell this is equal-opportunity dissing, but if you are sensitive to that sort of thing be warned.
3.5 stars, a fun Pride Month read.
May 8, 2017
I LOVE fashion. I've worked in fashion a little bit, I read fashion industry magazines, watch fashion shows and movies, etc. I also love the author and really enjoyed his autobiographical book "confessions of a window dresser."
Unfortunately I had to abandon "Asylum." It was too glib and manic. I felt like the author was guarding himself with accelerator-to-the- floor zaniness. I wished he could have slowed it down. The guy is a charming genius in real life, who has accomplished amazing things from humble beginnings. Maybe he felt like he would get too much of a backlash from industry insiders if his material wasn't presented in a cartoonish manner? Or maybe this is just his sense of humor.
I respect Doonan so much that I don't regret buying the book in the least. I'll always support his work.
Unfortunately I had to abandon "Asylum." It was too glib and manic. I felt like the author was guarding himself with accelerator-to-the- floor zaniness. I wished he could have slowed it down. The guy is a charming genius in real life, who has accomplished amazing things from humble beginnings. Maybe he felt like he would get too much of a backlash from industry insiders if his material wasn't presented in a cartoonish manner? Or maybe this is just his sense of humor.
I respect Doonan so much that I don't regret buying the book in the least. I'll always support his work.
February 21, 2018
As a fashion student, I found his writing very amusing and I feel like these stories are just industry gold when bringing up subjects that include famous designers, models, and his own experiences.
Overall, there is a good takeaway from each story in this book that focuses on issues like the AIDS epidemic, depression, the link between creativity and suffering or coming from a ugly neighborhoods as refugees that enter the safe haven that is fashion where these so called "crazy" people are welcomed with open arms filled with designer handbags.
Simon Doonan has a credible and impressive background that makes him the perfect outlet for people who are in or are interested in the industry of fashion. Highly recommend!
Overall, there is a good takeaway from each story in this book that focuses on issues like the AIDS epidemic, depression, the link between creativity and suffering or coming from a ugly neighborhoods as refugees that enter the safe haven that is fashion where these so called "crazy" people are welcomed with open arms filled with designer handbags.
Simon Doonan has a credible and impressive background that makes him the perfect outlet for people who are in or are interested in the industry of fashion. Highly recommend!
June 14, 2020
A series of essays by Simon Doonan about his life in fashion. Doonan, now in his late Sixties, started off as a window dresser in John Lewis in Reading, moved to London and from there to the States where he got his big break working with Diana Vreeland. He then went on to be chief creative buyer for Barneys where he has been for over twenty years. I love his sense of humour. Someone described him as the David Sedaris of fashion and that makes perfect sense to me. I loved this.
October 11, 2023
I did not expect to appreciate Simon Doonan's "The Asylum" as much as I did! I hoped to learn more about the fashion industry's inner workings, but I didn't expect such humorous and candid writing. Each essay is delightful and funny, and I couldn't put this book down. Simon Doonan has certainly had a full life, and I am grateful to the author for sharing it with the rest of us. I highly suggest this to fashion aficionados and everyone who likes imaginative and snappy essays!
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March 23, 2024Simon Doonan turns his amused eye and sharp pen on his fellow inmates in the asylum of fashion- all its wacky foibles, it's eccentricities, it's beauty and its squalor.
It makes for a read that both fascinated and repells, and Doonan is the perfect tour guide through this glittering world of both hollow beauty and rich imagination.
Recommended for anyone who has ever wondered if a life in fashion would be for them. It would not be for me, but I am happy to peek around the curtain.
It makes for a read that both fascinated and repells, and Doonan is the perfect tour guide through this glittering world of both hollow beauty and rich imagination.
Recommended for anyone who has ever wondered if a life in fashion would be for them. It would not be for me, but I am happy to peek around the curtain.
May 2, 2019
I enjoyed the writing style of Simon Doonan. I felt like he was sitting next to me telling me his fashion industry stories first-hand. I wish the flow was a little smoother, but overall, I enjoyed this read.
November 28, 2019
Fairly funny, sometimes insightful, sometimes a touch too irreverent. His age shows a little bit, sometimes in a way that draws respect and interest out of the reader and sometimes in a way that seems just musty. So, all in all, a mixed bag - nothing terrible but some things better than others.
December 16, 2016
I laughed out loud but it is not for the faint of heart. Foul language abounds, but it is part of the humor. I loved his colorful descriptions of people and pop culture.
September 11, 2018
This was so great just like all his other books. I love that he in a funny and charming way managed to bash one of the worst books ever. The devil wears Prada
December 31, 2018
Reading too much of this book at once felt a bit much, like eating too much candy all at once. There were some funny stories in here, but the author can also be a bit insensitive.
March 15, 2022
Always a fan of Simon Doonan's writing. This one is right up there with Beautiful People as a witty, and sometimes cringe inducing, slice of memoir.
April 26, 2023
Some fun anecdotes from the world of fashion especially in the '80's and '90's. I am of an age that I remember most of the names mentioned. I think Simon describes the vibes of these times.
October 2, 2023
Laugh out loud hilarious. I don't even care about fashion, Simon Doonan's prose is what makes this book so entertaining.
September 2, 2016
The Asylum is an autobiography of sorts of Simon Doonan, fashion consultant and analyst, where he gathers all of his ridiculous experiences in the fashion industry and compiles all of them into a book with anachronistic chapters. Several big names in the industry are referenced here including Michael Kors, Anna Wintour, Kate Moss and the late Alexander McQueen.
I am someone who clearly has neither much interest nor knowledge in the world of fashion. I picked up this book hoping for some outlandish tales that perhaps any audience could enjoy. Doonan however references so many examples of figures only famous in the fashion industry that it becomes hard to keep up after a while and I just went with the flow of the book. That is more of a mistake on my part than his though.
The book has its funny and emotional moments. Some of the banter that Doonan has with his friends and colleagues, like the first chapter detailing his conversation with his friend who was employed at an asylum about the similarities between her patients and his peers, is pretty humourous and enjoyable. However, these moments are not consistently found in the book. Some information that Doonan shares about the industry are startling in a way, like models ingesting tapeworms to lose weight, and are highlights in the book. His views on certain famous/controversial events that happened in the fashion industry and made news all over the world were pretty insightful as well, namely Karl Lagerfeld's comments about Adele and John Galliano's anti-semitic outburst. Besides all the aforementioned points, the rest of the book is actually relatively boring. Doonan tends to self-indulge in his own experiences and musings which end up alienating me from what he is talking about. It is hard to determine whether he is exaggerating or stating the plain truth too, more so when he gives a warning at the beginning of the book that he exaggerates some of the incidents mentioned. This just messes with my mind even more.
Overall, this book was somewhat okay to read but it did not manage to retain my interest for long. 2.5/5
I am someone who clearly has neither much interest nor knowledge in the world of fashion. I picked up this book hoping for some outlandish tales that perhaps any audience could enjoy. Doonan however references so many examples of figures only famous in the fashion industry that it becomes hard to keep up after a while and I just went with the flow of the book. That is more of a mistake on my part than his though.
The book has its funny and emotional moments. Some of the banter that Doonan has with his friends and colleagues, like the first chapter detailing his conversation with his friend who was employed at an asylum about the similarities between her patients and his peers, is pretty humourous and enjoyable. However, these moments are not consistently found in the book. Some information that Doonan shares about the industry are startling in a way, like models ingesting tapeworms to lose weight, and are highlights in the book. His views on certain famous/controversial events that happened in the fashion industry and made news all over the world were pretty insightful as well, namely Karl Lagerfeld's comments about Adele and John Galliano's anti-semitic outburst. Besides all the aforementioned points, the rest of the book is actually relatively boring. Doonan tends to self-indulge in his own experiences and musings which end up alienating me from what he is talking about. It is hard to determine whether he is exaggerating or stating the plain truth too, more so when he gives a warning at the beginning of the book that he exaggerates some of the incidents mentioned. This just messes with my mind even more.
Overall, this book was somewhat okay to read but it did not manage to retain my interest for long. 2.5/5
October 2, 2013
Simon Doonan is an extremely entertaining personality who first made his mark by way of his wildly creative windows for Barney's. In this breezily entertaining and often hilarious fashion memoir, a wide array of portraits are included. Of course, names are dropped all over the place: Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Diana Vreeland, John Galliano, Suzy Menkes Kate Moss and Anna Wintour. What makes this so fun is Simon Doonan's inside and very on point observations. I especially enjoyed his riffs on Karl Lagerfeld who has long been noted for his cutting assessments.
The unusual title comes from the comparison of mental patients with those in the fashion set. It seems Simon Doonan has an ongoing competition with his friend in the psyche field - who is nuttier - the inmates of the asylum or the flakes in the fashion industry? It's a tough call!
But not all is one happy party. At the heart of this is Simon's wistful remembrances of the many, many people who died in their prime from the scourge of AIDS. It's fitting and quite touching that Mr. Doonan doesn't gloss over this very tragic chapter.
So for all you fashionistas or arty types looking for prose with a sharp and satirical edge, I heartily recommend "Asylum." It's a laugh out loud frolic with a gnomish gay man at your side.
The unusual title comes from the comparison of mental patients with those in the fashion set. It seems Simon Doonan has an ongoing competition with his friend in the psyche field - who is nuttier - the inmates of the asylum or the flakes in the fashion industry? It's a tough call!
But not all is one happy party. At the heart of this is Simon's wistful remembrances of the many, many people who died in their prime from the scourge of AIDS. It's fitting and quite touching that Mr. Doonan doesn't gloss over this very tragic chapter.
So for all you fashionistas or arty types looking for prose with a sharp and satirical edge, I heartily recommend "Asylum." It's a laugh out loud frolic with a gnomish gay man at your side.
December 23, 2013
In his books of essays, Simon Doonan has proven he can be both tremendously funny and touching. His determination to be iconoclastic and outré without being offensive or—heaven forbid—mean renders him into an eccentric little darling, a compact and lovable example of walking drollery free of spite.
Some of his essays in The Asylum are laugh-out-loud funny. But as always with Doonan's books, it's difficult to anticipate what one will be getting from chapter to chapter. He simply tells stories as they occur to him, without chronological organization or overall arcing narrative. The Asylum is nominally focused on the fashion industry, but so loosely that it gives Doonan leeway to ruminate on any of the odd people or experiences he's encountered in his lifetime. One can almost hear his husband in the background between chapters, saying, "Don't forget to tell them about Tom Ford seeing your toenail fungus!" or "Make sure to include about when you auditioned for The Devil Wears Prada!"
Throughout, Doonan manages to be just enough on the outside of the A-List to make the reader feel as if he or she is part of his circle. Although the overall scattershot effect is a little like listening to a garrulous old friend nattering away at a cocktail party, The Asylum—especially taken in small doses—is a rewarding read.
Some of his essays in The Asylum are laugh-out-loud funny. But as always with Doonan's books, it's difficult to anticipate what one will be getting from chapter to chapter. He simply tells stories as they occur to him, without chronological organization or overall arcing narrative. The Asylum is nominally focused on the fashion industry, but so loosely that it gives Doonan leeway to ruminate on any of the odd people or experiences he's encountered in his lifetime. One can almost hear his husband in the background between chapters, saying, "Don't forget to tell them about Tom Ford seeing your toenail fungus!" or "Make sure to include about when you auditioned for The Devil Wears Prada!"
Throughout, Doonan manages to be just enough on the outside of the A-List to make the reader feel as if he or she is part of his circle. Although the overall scattershot effect is a little like listening to a garrulous old friend nattering away at a cocktail party, The Asylum—especially taken in small doses—is a rewarding read.
May 16, 2014
Simon Doonan is a breath of fresh air and extremely amusing! I recommend this book to anyone who thinks they care about fashion. Once again, Simon is asking where are the punks, the losers, the weirdos, The Creative Types in fashion!!!
The book is basically a collection of essays all related to the fashion industry and the various people in it. Everyone from Anna and Andre to McQueen and Rei Kawakubo are at least mentioned. It helps if you've read his earlier books, but is certainly not necessary. I laughed out loud a number of times, and found the chapter about the Aids epidemic well done.
In short, this is one of the wittiest books written about fashion, but it helps that Mr Doonan is one sassy queen!
The book is basically a collection of essays all related to the fashion industry and the various people in it. Everyone from Anna and Andre to McQueen and Rei Kawakubo are at least mentioned. It helps if you've read his earlier books, but is certainly not necessary. I laughed out loud a number of times, and found the chapter about the Aids epidemic well done.
In short, this is one of the wittiest books written about fashion, but it helps that Mr Doonan is one sassy queen!
November 8, 2013
Simon Doonan acknowledges upfront that the fashion world is certifiably crazy, and doesn't apologize for any of the tales that follow. In his opinion, the only bad thing to be is safe and boring! In a world where an ugly toenail is major faux pas, he names names and tells tales but always with indulgence and a warped kindness. With hysterically funny lines like "faster than chicken vindaloo through a senior citizen," Doonan is always amusing but his breakneck narration is occasionally hard to follow. Personally, I wanted to know more about his rise from shopclerk to fashion mogul, but perhaps that's in another of his many books. Since none of the stories are related, you can dip into a chapter at a time, when you need a laugh.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews