un)FASHION - hardcover

This delightfully unconventional view of contemporary fashion as seen in the creative ways that people around the globe adorn their bodies - is the brainchild of graphic designer Tibor Kalman, who had finished the picture selection and design when he died in May 1999. Completed by his wife, noted children's book author Maira Kalman, (un)Fashion will startle, amuse, engross and enchant as it adds posthumously to Tibor Kalman's reputation as one of the graphic design geniuses of the 20th century. The images are organized by theme. A section on headgear ranges from men in bowler hats to hats fashioned out of newspapers and even a watermelon. The 'uniform' chapter groups together such unlikely companions as matadors, the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders and Australian lifeguards. Teeming with surprising sights, from a Russian military dog in full gas-mask regalia and a whole body costume made of flowers, to an Indian Elvis and French chimney sweeps, (un)Fashion scans the globe to show how real people dress: at work, on the street or for ceremonial occasions. With virtually no text, it pokes gentle fun at the elitism of the fashion world, presenting its provocative observations through dynamic images by some of the world's foremost photojournalists., In an effort to capture great exuberance for life, authors Maira and the late Tibor Kalman put together a chaotic blend of current images from all over the world. (un)Fashion is a personal and loosely anthropological photo essay full of costumes, clothes, faces, and cultures. It is an incredibly colorful and vibrant collection of pictures that capture the expressive qualities of human dressing.

The images are organized by theme. A section on headgear ranges from men in bowler hats to hats fashioned out of newspapers and even a watermelon. The uniform chapter groups together such unlikely companions as matadors, the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, and Australian lifeguards. While cross-cultural similarities are drawn, there does not seem to be a strict attempt to force meaning out of likeness. Rather, the book is a meandering and barely organized journey teeming with surprising sights--a Russian military dog in full gas-mask regalia, a whole-body costume made of flowers, a tin can worn through an ear as jewelry. If you're at all interested in travel and the wacky things we put on our bodies, this book is for you. --J.P. Cohen