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Isabella Blow: A Life in Fashion
An extraordinary biography of Isabella Blow, whose pedigree, wild style, and outrageous antics catapulted her onto the London social scene and made her a fashion icon.
In 2007, the news of Isabella Blow's suicide at the age of 48 made headlines around the world―but there is more to the story of Isabella than her tragic end. The key supporter and muse of milliner Philip Treacy and designer Alexander McQueen, Blow was truly more than a muse or patron. She was a spark, an electrical impulse that set imaginations racing, an individual who pushed others to create their best work.
Her fascination with clothing began early, as did a willingness to wear things―and say things―that would amuse and shock. She began her fashion career in New York City as assistant to Anna Wintour at Vogue . Over time she became famous for her work, yet it wasn't enough to assuage her devastating feelings of inadequacy. Still, in her darkest moments, even as she began a series of suicide attempts and prolonged hospital stays, Blow retained her wicked sense of humor, making her friends laugh even as they struggled to help.
Lauren Goldstein Crowe has crafted a superbly entertaining narrative; wrapping the anecdotes of Isabella's antics around a candid, insightful portrayal of a woman whose thirst for the fantastical ultimately became irreconcilable with life in the real world.
In 2007, the news of Isabella Blow's suicide at the age of 48 made headlines around the world―but there is more to the story of Isabella than her tragic end. The key supporter and muse of milliner Philip Treacy and designer Alexander McQueen, Blow was truly more than a muse or patron. She was a spark, an electrical impulse that set imaginations racing, an individual who pushed others to create their best work.
Her fascination with clothing began early, as did a willingness to wear things―and say things―that would amuse and shock. She began her fashion career in New York City as assistant to Anna Wintour at Vogue . Over time she became famous for her work, yet it wasn't enough to assuage her devastating feelings of inadequacy. Still, in her darkest moments, even as she began a series of suicide attempts and prolonged hospital stays, Blow retained her wicked sense of humor, making her friends laugh even as they struggled to help.
Lauren Goldstein Crowe has crafted a superbly entertaining narrative; wrapping the anecdotes of Isabella's antics around a candid, insightful portrayal of a woman whose thirst for the fantastical ultimately became irreconcilable with life in the real world.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 9, 2010
9 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Goldstein Crowe
3 books3 followersLauren Goldstein Crowe has written about the fashion industry for over a decade as a columnist at Conde Nast Portfolio.com. and Time magazine in London. Her last book, cowritten with Sagra Maciera De Rosen, The Towering World of Jimmy Choo, was published by Bloomsbury in 2008. Lauren is American and lives in London."
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March 21, 2014
Isabella
Isabella Blow; the ultimate fashion victim, a clothes horse, a tragic figure, an eccentric toff?
I remember Isabella Blow mainly through her appearances in society or party pages. She would always be wearing an interesting outfit or saying something equally amusing. She appeared to be one of those people who are really fun to have around and are outrageous and provocative because that is who they are. I’ve always admired people who can swan out in a hat designed to look like a sailing ship and not worry about the attention.
This book fills in a lot of the gaps to Isabella’s life. It may not be the definitive account but it was a very readable one. Isabella was clearly a woman who inspired a fierce loyalty amongst her friends as well as inspiring a rich treasure trove of anecdotes.
Born into the upper classes as Isabella Delves Broughton, an aristocrat, but without the family fortune to fall back on, Isabella had to make her way in the world. She was also cursed with a dysfunctional family and an inheritance of depression which she held at bay by creating an image and life for herself that was larger than life. Isabella became part of the fashion world; firstly as an assistant on American Vogue to the fearsome Anna ‘Nuclear’ Wintour where she soon revealed her shortcomings in this role and acquired the nickname ‘Dizzy Izzy’. Then onto Tatler, UK Vogue and the Sunday Times Style supplement.
She was very bright, creative and took risks with her fashion spreads such as ‘Nipples or Die’ and was renowned for her penchant for wearing Rigby and Peller bras with nothing else under a jacket. Isabella also loved ‘truffling for talent’ as she described it. She discovered Philip Treacy and Alexander McQueen. She bought the latter’s first collection by paying £100 a week for it and having it delivered in black bin bags.
She also coined the phrase ‘Cool Brittania’ when British fashion and culture was at the epicentre again. A style maverick who encouraged designers to create the most amazing and bizarre creations which she would wear in public and carry them off in style. Isabella also produced some of the most celebrated photo shoots such as’ Anglo Saxon Attitudes’ which introduced aristocratic models and she also discovered Sophie Dahl crying in the street.
However, Isabella was also a profligate spender and one photo shoot used up the entire annual budget of the Tatler fashion dept. According to the book, Isabella worried about money throughout her life and lived in horror of becoming a destitute bag lady. But she came from a class who thought it was vulgar to discuss money and so she just went on her merry way and didn’t capitalise more on being the centre of attention and on having her finger on the pulse of culture. She was also mistress of the witty saying such as when describing her husband, Detmar’s, ancestral home, Hilles’ as ‘Wuthering Heights on a withering budget.’
Isabella’s decline in chronicled here; the depression that was under the surface, the ECT treatments that seemed to make her worse instead of better, and the first suicide attempt. The family inheritance had finally caught up with her and she died from drinking weedkiller in 2007 at 48 as her ex-husband’s father had done. Friends had tried to help her but ultimately the urge to die was too great. It’s too easy to blame fashion – who really knows what is the final straw?
I enjoyed reading this book a lot with its insights into Isabella’s working methods, her inspirations, and her determination to make a life for herself on her terms. She knew that the big, black hole was waiting for her and yet she compensated for it by pushing it away for as long as she could. Isabella inspired and cajoled people into designing for her. The world’s a more interesting place with people like Isabella round as, although they may be infuriating, they make you realise that the world doesn’t belong to men in suits. Whatever she did, she did it with style – who else would have cleaned their desk with a bottle of Perrier Water and Chanel No 5?
Isabella Blow; the ultimate fashion victim, a clothes horse, a tragic figure, an eccentric toff?
I remember Isabella Blow mainly through her appearances in society or party pages. She would always be wearing an interesting outfit or saying something equally amusing. She appeared to be one of those people who are really fun to have around and are outrageous and provocative because that is who they are. I’ve always admired people who can swan out in a hat designed to look like a sailing ship and not worry about the attention.
This book fills in a lot of the gaps to Isabella’s life. It may not be the definitive account but it was a very readable one. Isabella was clearly a woman who inspired a fierce loyalty amongst her friends as well as inspiring a rich treasure trove of anecdotes.
Born into the upper classes as Isabella Delves Broughton, an aristocrat, but without the family fortune to fall back on, Isabella had to make her way in the world. She was also cursed with a dysfunctional family and an inheritance of depression which she held at bay by creating an image and life for herself that was larger than life. Isabella became part of the fashion world; firstly as an assistant on American Vogue to the fearsome Anna ‘Nuclear’ Wintour where she soon revealed her shortcomings in this role and acquired the nickname ‘Dizzy Izzy’. Then onto Tatler, UK Vogue and the Sunday Times Style supplement.
She was very bright, creative and took risks with her fashion spreads such as ‘Nipples or Die’ and was renowned for her penchant for wearing Rigby and Peller bras with nothing else under a jacket. Isabella also loved ‘truffling for talent’ as she described it. She discovered Philip Treacy and Alexander McQueen. She bought the latter’s first collection by paying £100 a week for it and having it delivered in black bin bags.
She also coined the phrase ‘Cool Brittania’ when British fashion and culture was at the epicentre again. A style maverick who encouraged designers to create the most amazing and bizarre creations which she would wear in public and carry them off in style. Isabella also produced some of the most celebrated photo shoots such as’ Anglo Saxon Attitudes’ which introduced aristocratic models and she also discovered Sophie Dahl crying in the street.
However, Isabella was also a profligate spender and one photo shoot used up the entire annual budget of the Tatler fashion dept. According to the book, Isabella worried about money throughout her life and lived in horror of becoming a destitute bag lady. But she came from a class who thought it was vulgar to discuss money and so she just went on her merry way and didn’t capitalise more on being the centre of attention and on having her finger on the pulse of culture. She was also mistress of the witty saying such as when describing her husband, Detmar’s, ancestral home, Hilles’ as ‘Wuthering Heights on a withering budget.’
Isabella’s decline in chronicled here; the depression that was under the surface, the ECT treatments that seemed to make her worse instead of better, and the first suicide attempt. The family inheritance had finally caught up with her and she died from drinking weedkiller in 2007 at 48 as her ex-husband’s father had done. Friends had tried to help her but ultimately the urge to die was too great. It’s too easy to blame fashion – who really knows what is the final straw?
I enjoyed reading this book a lot with its insights into Isabella’s working methods, her inspirations, and her determination to make a life for herself on her terms. She knew that the big, black hole was waiting for her and yet she compensated for it by pushing it away for as long as she could. Isabella inspired and cajoled people into designing for her. The world’s a more interesting place with people like Isabella round as, although they may be infuriating, they make you realise that the world doesn’t belong to men in suits. Whatever she did, she did it with style – who else would have cleaned their desk with a bottle of Perrier Water and Chanel No 5?
June 26, 2012
Lucky for Lauren Goldstein Crowe, Isabella Blow lead a fascinating life. All I knew of Isabella before reading this book was that she was a friend of Alexander McQueen's and a muse to Phillip Treacy; I wanted to learn how she entered the fashion world and what, exactly, she did. This book covers Isabella's family, her working life and some of her personal life. This book functions well as an overview of Isabella's life but, unfortunately, feels repetitive and disorganized. Crowe digresses into anecdotes and fun facts as though she's not quite sure where to place them. Definitely worth a read if you're interested in Isabella's family history, life as a stylist, role in discovering talent, and descent into depression; just be ready for a bit of disorganization and a typo here and there.
November 20, 2025
*personal notes because reading about this magical woman is like looking in a mirror and I am going to admire that reflection until the day I die (alas, hopefully not by weed killer in my estranged husband's estate)*
-'She also lived her life as a story, one that she frequently made up on the fly. It made for captivating conversation, but also made it tricky to know where the truth ended and her fantasy began'
This description is literally the inner workings of a Pisces moon (🙋🏻♀️), but also childhood trauma. Fantasy-the rose tinted swaddle for those of us who find it difficult to stomach the reality of the hardship in their life- allows for continuity and hope, and in the right dosage, is a charming coping mechanism.
-' "Vogue is like joining the CHURCH. It is a whole new perspective on life...It has done a lot for the yellow fang inferiority complex syndrome & I have become quite a megalomaniac instead'
The way she speaks of herself in this poetic caricature sense is so funny, but also shows her self-awareness. She ruthlessly threw herself into her interests and the fashion world like a pedantic, because 1. her position in the aristocratic world was redundant and 2. she carried the hollow rejection of an unloving family that never accepted her. People often think the manic behavior is orchestrated without awareness, we are actually often, consciously acting this way. Isabella had arrested energy from childhood and she was going to vivaciously/ferociously channel it into her occupational life. To understand Isabella one must first see where her whole mantra for life began-a soul desire to be fed. Love, compassion and recognition. Unfortunately the frivolity of the fashion sphere meant that feeding was never consistent or long-lasting.
Wanted to be saved by a knight but this girl was a dreamer by default. Same girl!
-'She didn't turn to self-pity; she pushed her reality to the background and created a new life, and a new persona that was intoxicating to be around. A key element of that new line was her wardrobe. Her clothes were the outward manifestation of her internal thought processes'.
This early on description of Isabella's psychological stance is both beautiful and dark. It pulled at my heart strings when revealed that in treatment towards the end of her life, the psychiatrists aimed to break down her obsession with hats-to strip her of the psychological armour. Fashion meant so much to her psyche, but it also revealed how fragile she was too.
-'Isabella lived frenetically, so that any pain or disappointment in her life was dulled in comparison to the bright light she emitted. She wasn't just a muse or a patron, She was a spark, an electric impulse that set their (designers) imaginations racing.
As an eccentric, a hysteric, this realisation alone can be the fuel that drives your motivation to get up and show up everyday. Only with Isabella this did spiral into obsessive self-styling and a preoccupation with the process of getting dressed and undressed everyday. Her character in this play of life was unsustainable-the more depressed she became-the more she burned herself out chasing the power that came with being fashion's muse/patron. The Queen of Fashion was a tremulous role and every day, every show, every shoot, she had to reaffirm her regality. Her excess may be correlated, or even intentionally inspired by her ancestors and their positional demise.
'Take "Blow the Feather". In Kenya, if a feather landed on you, you had to have sex with the person who'd blown it. In the Cheshire version (played at Isabella's parent's house parties), the assembled sat under a blanket and if the feather found its way to your lap, an item of clothing had to be removed'.
This watered down version of Isabella's 'White Mischief' grandfather's swinging lifestyle is probably one of my favourite childhood anecdote in the whole book. Firstly, how this influenced her own promiscuity in later life-strip teasing for her hosts and approaching sexuality with a light-hearted, theatrical grace. But also the name of the game-surely in the same way the aesthetician in her fell in love with Hilles (the Blow estate) simultaneously with Detmar, she also fell for his second name. It reflected a core childhood memory that sculpted her adult personality and behaviourism. Even the idea of the single feather in a party game, to be crowned on her head through various hats for the rest of her life. OBSESSED.
-'She also lived her life as a story, one that she frequently made up on the fly. It made for captivating conversation, but also made it tricky to know where the truth ended and her fantasy began'
This description is literally the inner workings of a Pisces moon (🙋🏻♀️), but also childhood trauma. Fantasy-the rose tinted swaddle for those of us who find it difficult to stomach the reality of the hardship in their life- allows for continuity and hope, and in the right dosage, is a charming coping mechanism.
-' "Vogue is like joining the CHURCH. It is a whole new perspective on life...It has done a lot for the yellow fang inferiority complex syndrome & I have become quite a megalomaniac instead'
The way she speaks of herself in this poetic caricature sense is so funny, but also shows her self-awareness. She ruthlessly threw herself into her interests and the fashion world like a pedantic, because 1. her position in the aristocratic world was redundant and 2. she carried the hollow rejection of an unloving family that never accepted her. People often think the manic behavior is orchestrated without awareness, we are actually often, consciously acting this way. Isabella had arrested energy from childhood and she was going to vivaciously/ferociously channel it into her occupational life. To understand Isabella one must first see where her whole mantra for life began-a soul desire to be fed. Love, compassion and recognition. Unfortunately the frivolity of the fashion sphere meant that feeding was never consistent or long-lasting.
Wanted to be saved by a knight but this girl was a dreamer by default. Same girl!
-'She didn't turn to self-pity; she pushed her reality to the background and created a new life, and a new persona that was intoxicating to be around. A key element of that new line was her wardrobe. Her clothes were the outward manifestation of her internal thought processes'.
This early on description of Isabella's psychological stance is both beautiful and dark. It pulled at my heart strings when revealed that in treatment towards the end of her life, the psychiatrists aimed to break down her obsession with hats-to strip her of the psychological armour. Fashion meant so much to her psyche, but it also revealed how fragile she was too.
-'Isabella lived frenetically, so that any pain or disappointment in her life was dulled in comparison to the bright light she emitted. She wasn't just a muse or a patron, She was a spark, an electric impulse that set their (designers) imaginations racing.
As an eccentric, a hysteric, this realisation alone can be the fuel that drives your motivation to get up and show up everyday. Only with Isabella this did spiral into obsessive self-styling and a preoccupation with the process of getting dressed and undressed everyday. Her character in this play of life was unsustainable-the more depressed she became-the more she burned herself out chasing the power that came with being fashion's muse/patron. The Queen of Fashion was a tremulous role and every day, every show, every shoot, she had to reaffirm her regality. Her excess may be correlated, or even intentionally inspired by her ancestors and their positional demise.
'Take "Blow the Feather". In Kenya, if a feather landed on you, you had to have sex with the person who'd blown it. In the Cheshire version (played at Isabella's parent's house parties), the assembled sat under a blanket and if the feather found its way to your lap, an item of clothing had to be removed'.
This watered down version of Isabella's 'White Mischief' grandfather's swinging lifestyle is probably one of my favourite childhood anecdote in the whole book. Firstly, how this influenced her own promiscuity in later life-strip teasing for her hosts and approaching sexuality with a light-hearted, theatrical grace. But also the name of the game-surely in the same way the aesthetician in her fell in love with Hilles (the Blow estate) simultaneously with Detmar, she also fell for his second name. It reflected a core childhood memory that sculpted her adult personality and behaviourism. Even the idea of the single feather in a party game, to be crowned on her head through various hats for the rest of her life. OBSESSED.
October 2, 2023
There are a number of very influential people in Isabella Blow's life who are not sources - American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, Detmar Blow and leading shoe designer Manolo Blahnik among them. Goldstein Crowe relies heavily upon a few interviewees with mixed results. Blow's first big fashion "discovery" - milliner Philip Treacy - (who also contributed to Detmar Blow's book) was close to Isabella for many years and provides lots of important information and many interesting anecdotes: he thought Isabella unhinged when she insisted he create a hat based upon a sailing ship. Treacy soon discovered that, far from being original, Isabella's idea was a result of historical research - it was a scaled down version of an outrageously impractical style of hat worn at the court of Louis XIV!
Lauren Goldstein Crowe writes a very good book about what seems to be, in the end, the shallow and rather empty life of Isabella Blow. Blow committed suicide in 2007, when she was in her early 50's, by drinking insect poisoning. A pretty grim and painful self-inflicted ending to her life.
But what was Isabella Blow's life? The eldest daughter of three born to a noble family. Her parents divorced relatively early in Isabella's life and she had very little stable home life. Years spent in boarding schools, "Issy" emerged without a goal in life, but with a solid record of having fun. She also had the taste, outsized personality, and funds to become a fashion maven, inspiring designers, photographers, and magazine readers from the 1980's til her death. She championed such designers as Alexander McQueen and hat-maker Philip Treacy, among others, and made them into fashion icons. Her work as a stylist and writer at magazines like Vogue (both British and American publications), Tatler, and others cemented her "presence" in the world of fashion. Known for her outlandish clothes and hat styles, she seemed to be everywhere - New York, London, and Paris - mixing the world of fashion with that of aristocrats.
Lauren Goldstein Crowe writes a very good book about what seems to be, in the end, the shallow and rather empty life of Isabella Blow. Blow committed suicide in 2007, when she was in her early 50's, by drinking insect poisoning. A pretty grim and painful self-inflicted ending to her life.
But what was Isabella Blow's life? The eldest daughter of three born to a noble family. Her parents divorced relatively early in Isabella's life and she had very little stable home life. Years spent in boarding schools, "Issy" emerged without a goal in life, but with a solid record of having fun. She also had the taste, outsized personality, and funds to become a fashion maven, inspiring designers, photographers, and magazine readers from the 1980's til her death. She championed such designers as Alexander McQueen and hat-maker Philip Treacy, among others, and made them into fashion icons. Her work as a stylist and writer at magazines like Vogue (both British and American publications), Tatler, and others cemented her "presence" in the world of fashion. Known for her outlandish clothes and hat styles, she seemed to be everywhere - New York, London, and Paris - mixing the world of fashion with that of aristocrats.
February 2, 2021
Fashion’s Dark Underbelly
A very interesting read for anyone into fashion, magazines, London designers, and the 90s. Isabella changed the London fashion scene by mixing her aristocratic roots with gritty designers and artists.
A very interesting read for anyone into fashion, magazines, London designers, and the 90s. Isabella changed the London fashion scene by mixing her aristocratic roots with gritty designers and artists.
February 16, 2021
Fascinating & Tragic.
April 24, 2015
The reason I have this book is because, just before I left on a round the world trip, I went to an exhibition on Isabella Blow’s cloths, bought the book and took it with me. To be honest, I didn’t know anything about her when I went, but it looked interesting and I like to go see things I’ve never seen before or know little about.
The exhibition fascinated me to the point, that when I walked out, I wanted to know more about this woman and what made her wear such incredible cloths, so I bought the biography.
Something that has struck me about many of the books I decided to take with me was, the fact, there were a lot of biographies in my luggage. I had not done it consciously, but this is the last of them, so it is quite poignant that it’s the most recent and most tragic. She committed suicide, after struggling, for many years, with mental illness.
This had me in tears at the end of it, but I can���t really say why, but it seemed well written, if, for no other reason, it moved me to tears. I have to be honest, I believe, by what Lauren has written about Isabella, I would have found her a tough personality to be around, but that didn’t stop me from being moved. It really shows how someone so loved could not see or feel that and was lost in her illness.
There’s no doubt that she added a flare and colour to the world which is now lost and, I have to admit, I’ve not seen a lot of anyone else being able to bring it out like she seems to have done in her time here on earth. Lucky for me, I got to find out about her and went along to that exhibition – ya never know where life will take you. It’s quite fitting, someone who would inspire fashion, photographers and the like, by going to an art gallery, is the place where I found out about her. Seems Isabella Bow was a living, breathing piece of art, which is not something I really thought a person would be able to be, but she has shown me otherwise.
The exhibition fascinated me to the point, that when I walked out, I wanted to know more about this woman and what made her wear such incredible cloths, so I bought the biography.
Something that has struck me about many of the books I decided to take with me was, the fact, there were a lot of biographies in my luggage. I had not done it consciously, but this is the last of them, so it is quite poignant that it’s the most recent and most tragic. She committed suicide, after struggling, for many years, with mental illness.
This had me in tears at the end of it, but I can���t really say why, but it seemed well written, if, for no other reason, it moved me to tears. I have to be honest, I believe, by what Lauren has written about Isabella, I would have found her a tough personality to be around, but that didn’t stop me from being moved. It really shows how someone so loved could not see or feel that and was lost in her illness.
There’s no doubt that she added a flare and colour to the world which is now lost and, I have to admit, I’ve not seen a lot of anyone else being able to bring it out like she seems to have done in her time here on earth. Lucky for me, I got to find out about her and went along to that exhibition – ya never know where life will take you. It’s quite fitting, someone who would inspire fashion, photographers and the like, by going to an art gallery, is the place where I found out about her. Seems Isabella Bow was a living, breathing piece of art, which is not something I really thought a person would be able to be, but she has shown me otherwise.
March 5, 2016
Thoroughly tragic, yet witty, "Isabella Blow: A Life in Fashion", by Lauren Goldstein Crowe was so remarkable I felt drained after reading it. If "a collection of clothes is like a diary, a journey of a life, and a living embodiment of a person" then this book proves that a factual account of one's personal style is like a testimony of where that person's been and where they're going. for Isabella Blow that was a lot of places, some good and some bad.
The trait I found most captivating about her was her total devotion to creation, whether it was a phenomenal Philip Treacy hat or an otherworldly Alexander McQueen designer dress. She went all in as an editor, a patron of young artists and a cheerleader for the avant-garde to the point that it adversely affected her financially, personally, physically and psychologically. Now that's devotion! While I admired her stellar fashion sense and eye for talent and trends I can't help feeling frustrated that she never found fulfillment on all of the marvelous roads she traveled on in her life.
Over the years, whenever I look back to the times she enlivened various fashion magazines with her elan and effervescent sartorial spirit, I know I'll always wonder over how she coordinated her masterpieces and be thankful we were blessed with her presence on this earth, even if it was for an all too brief time.
The trait I found most captivating about her was her total devotion to creation, whether it was a phenomenal Philip Treacy hat or an otherworldly Alexander McQueen designer dress. She went all in as an editor, a patron of young artists and a cheerleader for the avant-garde to the point that it adversely affected her financially, personally, physically and psychologically. Now that's devotion! While I admired her stellar fashion sense and eye for talent and trends I can't help feeling frustrated that she never found fulfillment on all of the marvelous roads she traveled on in her life.
Over the years, whenever I look back to the times she enlivened various fashion magazines with her elan and effervescent sartorial spirit, I know I'll always wonder over how she coordinated her masterpieces and be thankful we were blessed with her presence on this earth, even if it was for an all too brief time.
August 24, 2016
A provocative look into the life of style icon, Isabella Blow. She was a fascinating, eccentric character and to be around her must have been intoxicating and exasperating at the same time. She appears to have been a damaged soul, strong and opinionated yet fragile and vulnerable; highly amusing and witty but masking a sadness few rarely saw. She had a genius for finding talent and was responsible for discovering Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, Sophie Dahl and Stella Tennant. Her penchant for fashion is extraordinary and she could carry off ensembles that most would look completely out of place in. She came from money but struggled with the reality that she would never have quite enough of it and worried she would end up a bag lady. It didn't stop her from reining in her spending habits and much of her debt was from her own irresponsibility. She knew how to make an entrance and many sought her company for the entertainment value alone. She surrounded herself with extraordinary people and nurtured many special relationships but in the end no one could save her, least of all herself. To be with her would have compared to being Alice finding yourself in "Wonderland". She epitomized what it is to have true style - to wear what you love and says "this is me" with confidence and she did that in spades.
June 26, 2011
Lately, I have become increasingly interested in Isabella Blow, but I don't know that this book provided me with the sort of details I'd wanted. Frankly, I don't think it's the place of a biographer to interject personal conjecture within the text. Save that for the Afterword. That said, the Afterword in this book is an interesting commentary on the savaging and the blaming of the Fashion Industry vis-a-vis Isabella Blow's death.
I would have enjoyed a few more photographs. Given that Isabella Blow was such a visually interesting woman, the lack of photos of her outfits and hats made this book of 240+ pages of small type (9 point font?) seem excessively wordy. Indeed, my strongest criticism is that the book seems a bit overwritten. It made me think of Tim Gunn commenting on Project Runway designs that seemed overworked and tortured.
Had the book been more concise and more anecdotal regarding Isabella Blow herself (and not about Philip Treacy, Alexander McQueen, as well as a host of other friends and family), it might have been a bit more lively. While I can appreciate that context is required, I found the book's stories of those who surrounded Isabella Blow to undermine the purpose of the book -- a study of Isabella Blow.
I would have enjoyed a few more photographs. Given that Isabella Blow was such a visually interesting woman, the lack of photos of her outfits and hats made this book of 240+ pages of small type (9 point font?) seem excessively wordy. Indeed, my strongest criticism is that the book seems a bit overwritten. It made me think of Tim Gunn commenting on Project Runway designs that seemed overworked and tortured.
Had the book been more concise and more anecdotal regarding Isabella Blow herself (and not about Philip Treacy, Alexander McQueen, as well as a host of other friends and family), it might have been a bit more lively. While I can appreciate that context is required, I found the book's stories of those who surrounded Isabella Blow to undermine the purpose of the book -- a study of Isabella Blow.
June 28, 2011
This is a much better written biography than 'Blow by Blow'. She doesn't dwell as much on Isabella and Detmar's upbringing (though critical points are included) and focuses more on Isabella's life and career once she was out of school. She makes relationships more clear; for example, while Detmar mentions Isabella's closeness to Bryan and Lucy Ferry, he never explained the relationship. It was helpful to know that Lucy and Isabella went to school together. I also liked the 'Cast of Characters' at the beginning of the book - not only to know who was who, but the author included an update of where they were now, which I liked.
There is a lot less of Detmar in this book, which I liked. While he was a key relationship in Isabella's life, this book is a lot more objective. It was helpful to know how her stints in institutions were paid for; the Matthew Mellon affair was omitted from Detmar's book entirely and the Venetian was only included in a paragraph or two. It sounds like his influence may have been more far-reaching.
I thought it was good to read both books; it gave a pretty complete picture of her life and tragic end. However, if you're only going to read one, read this one.
There is a lot less of Detmar in this book, which I liked. While he was a key relationship in Isabella's life, this book is a lot more objective. It was helpful to know how her stints in institutions were paid for; the Matthew Mellon affair was omitted from Detmar's book entirely and the Venetian was only included in a paragraph or two. It sounds like his influence may have been more far-reaching.
I thought it was good to read both books; it gave a pretty complete picture of her life and tragic end. However, if you're only going to read one, read this one.
March 2, 2011
Insightful and I enjoyed the web of people and incidents in the life of someone I had fixated on for years and years. There were some awful mistakes however, such as calling "Harold & Maude" a classic British film, and calling Pam Hogg an American designer famous in the 70's! There was also a lot of patronising explanation of British concepts and terms. These things ticked me off and made me doubt Crowes' accuracy in general. Despite that I did enjoy it, but now I want to read Detmar's account.
November 30, 2011
Isabella Blow was of course fascinating but this volume has a "rush to print" quality that does not do the subject justice. Crowe makes a point of thanking her editors (who she claims actually edit) which I took to mean that they had to do a lot of work trying to whip a substandard manuscript into shape. Even so, there were typos (even on the very first page) and clunky sets of words posing as sentences, which distracted from the narrative. All in all, this bio made me crave a well-written one about the same fascinating and tragic subject.
January 6, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know much about Isabella Blow, other than she worked in fashion editorial and liked to dress extravagantly.
I learned a lot about the strange, exciting, impressive, and sad life she led. It was also interesting reading this book right after I read Grace: A Memoir, because it mentioned a lot of the same people in the world of fashion glossies in the 80's and 90's.
I think even those who are not necessarily interested in the world of fashion but are interested in the worlds of unique human beings,would enjoy this book.
I learned a lot about the strange, exciting, impressive, and sad life she led. It was also interesting reading this book right after I read Grace: A Memoir, because it mentioned a lot of the same people in the world of fashion glossies in the 80's and 90's.
I think even those who are not necessarily interested in the world of fashion but are interested in the worlds of unique human beings,would enjoy this book.
June 12, 2013
A really enjoyable read about a woman who was determined not to come to grips with how the world had turned out. Isabella was born into a world that never expected a woman of her station to have to earn a living. She had some major talents and made a huge impact in the fashion world but she did seem to take ownership of people as if they were staff. A good insight into the world of her protégés, Philip Treacy and Alexander McQueen. A very sad but very funny book - or am I just insensitive?
February 15, 2016
The first 50 pages and the last 50 pages are absolutely enthralling. The rest is all over the place, drab and mundane. Which is odd, when the subject of the book is some one as eccentric as Isabella Blow.
November 22, 2010
What a fascinating human being! I cried at the end, bi-polar disorder is so heartbreaking. Isabella Blow seemed to be so inspirational to those around her and that in and of itself is precious.
December 1, 2010
was not something I would normally pick up, but was really interesting to read.
October 29, 2011
I can't believe people like Isabella make a living just getting dressed. It is fantastic. Olden Day Lady Gaga...
June 9, 2012
The writing isn't amazing, but hey, it's the best book so far about Isabella...
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June 17, 2012Enlightening.
February 25, 2014
I had never heard of Isabella Blow until I ran across this book. The book was a fast, interesting, engaging read. She haunted me for days after finishing the book.
May 25, 2016
I really felt like I knew Isabella much better after having read this book.
April 8, 2017
Research.
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