So beautiful, you'll want to buy two - one to work with, one to keep

books:


	• Victoria and Albert Museum Desk Diary 2008: The Golden Age of Couture 1947-1957 (Desk Diary) Frances Lincoln Frances Lincoln, 2007 - 112 pages average customer review:based on 3 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

Lovely

I agree with the previous reviewer and I probably won't use it because it's just too nice. I also bought the pocket sized one. A must for any dedicated follower of fashion!

So beautiful, you'll want to buy two - one to work with, one to keep

This lovely desk-size 2008 diary is actually a companion to the spectacular book "The Golden Age of Couture" (edited by Claire Wilcox), which is itself a companion to the Victoria and Albert Museum's 2007-08 exhibit on the fashions of the decade from 1947 to 1957. As such, the chief attraction here is nearly a hundred photos and illustrations, in mixed color and B&W, most of which don't appear in the book. You probably will want to buy two copies - one for your permanent library, one to scribble in. :) A pocket-size version, with many of the same pictures (but also with some different ones) is also available. If you can't afford the big book, by all means get this one!

for more information click here

A particularly stylish desk diary

The Victoria & Albert museum in London puts out two engagement diaries every year. There is a desk diary and a smaller purse sized diary. The desk diary is printed on beautiful quality stock. Each two page spread covers one week, with a good-sized blank space for each day. There are 2008 and 2009 calendars up front, an integrated bookmark and a couple of blank pages at the end of the diary for notes.

What really sets the V&A diaries apart is the quality of the photographs. Every year a different theme is chosen from the V&A's vast collection: recent themes have included Middle Eastern Art and details of vintage fabrics. The photographs are always beautifully composed and pleasingly varied.

The theme for this year's diary is "The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957" and it makes full use of the extensive couture clothing collection held by the museum. Illustrations include fashion photography from the 40s and 50s, catwalk sketches, advertisements and detailed photographs of dresses, hats, shoes and jewellery from the V&A collection. Designers who are featured include (but are not limited to) Balmain, Dior, Worth, Chaumont, Desses, Cavanagh and Fath.

This would be an excellent gift for anyone who has an interest in photography or fashion - or just culture in general. It does a beautiful job of capturing a golden decade of high glamor.

for more information click here

These Victoria & Albert Museum diaries are illustrated with images of Parisian and British couture from a decade that Christian Dior described as the 'Golden Age' of fashion.