I've never really given much thought to fashion, thought I didn't really care, but a few weeks ago a friend and I had the exquisite good fortune to stumble upon an exhibit from the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection. There were a range of items from various eras, but there was A LOT of couture from the first half of the 20th century. Ho-ly cowwww. I was halfway through the exhibit before I realized I was hardly breathing, it was all so amazing. There was so much philosophy and history behind the littlest things, it completely changed the way I consider fashion. I was particularly taken with the female designers--of course, I knew of Chanel, but it was the first time I'd heard of Schiaparelli, Grès, Hawes, and others--leading the way in art movements and feminism. I needed to know more, more, more, and I wanted more than just coffee table books with only pictures of the clothes.

I requested this from the library not realizing at first that it's a children's biography, but like so many children's biographies, it stands up really well for gleaning some key information. It was fascinating to learn how many items and styles Schiap created and her role in the Surrealism community. She struck me from the aforementioned exhibit as one of the more playful designers, and it certainly comes across as such in this biography. I'm thrilled that this biography is available to kids to show them just how far imagination can take them and how fun it can be. There is a date discrepancy in a caption at the very end, but otherwise, this is a solid read. Recommended for all ages! ( )

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