Fashion & Beauty

Martine Sitbon: Alternative Vision

The first book on the highly influential French fashion designer renowned for her rock’ n’ romantic style and for reinvigorating the house of Chloé. Martine Sitbon has become an icon among designers and fashionistas, earning her praise from Karl Lagerfeld as being "the only living French designer." Handpicked to breathe new life into Chloé in the mid-1980s, and the first woman to be named designer at the house, while simultaneously working on her own ready-to-wear label, Sitbon has been at the helm of high fashion for decades. Martine Sitbon, sumptuously designed by longtime collaborator Marc Ascoli, deftly illustrates the looks that have built Sitbon’s reputation—including her separates, draped and tucked organza minis, smart trenches, and sexy rocker-girl pieces—and shows how her style has made her not only a woman’s designer, but a designer’s designer, having spent years mentoring such respected tastemakers as Phoebe Philo and Isabel Marant. With never-before-seen sketches and photographs, this book allows readers to gain a better understanding of the designer’s personal universe and inspirations that have until now been largely hidden from view.

About The Author

Martine Sitbon is a French fashion designer. She served as head designer for Chloé for nine seasons, and founded the eponymous label Martine Sitbon (later named Rue du Mail). Marc Ascoli is the art director responsible for the image branding of Jil Sander, Yohji Yamamoto, and Chloé, among others. Olivier Saillard is the director of the Palais Galliera, City of Paris Museum of Fashion. He is a renowned fashion historian and author. Fabrice Paineau is the publications director of Double Magazine. Jerry Stafford is a writer and creative director of Premiere Heure, an advertising and feature film production company based in Paris.

  • Publish Date: October 04, 2016
  • Format: Hardcover
  • Category: Design - Fashion & Accessories
  • Publisher: Rizzoli
  • Trim Size: 9-1/4 x 11-3/4
  • Pages: 304
  • US Price: $95.00
  • CDN Price: $120.00
  • ISBN: 978-0-8478-4938-3

Reviews

"...an extensive collection of images featuring the works of French designer Martine Sitbon by the hands of iconic photographers like Paolo Roversi, Peter Lindbergh, Nick Knight, Mario Testino and more" 
—Models.com

"The book is filled with images by the likes of Nick Knight, David Sims, and Craig McDean, among many others, as well as archive pieces and more intimate Polaroids. And while Sitbon stressed that the fashion industry is a very different place now than it was in 1986 when she debuted her first collection, she hopes Alternative Vision will remind its readers of the beauty of research and creative exploration." 
—Fashion Unfiltered

"Rizzoli's book about Martine Sitbon tells the story of an atypical and independent fashion designer. After a stint as Chloé creative director, Martine Sitbon went on to found her own label. As well as being known for her various creations, the designer has worked with some of the biggest fashion photographers in the business, including Nick Knight, Craig McDean and Jean-Baptiste Mondino. A selection of these photos feature in this coffee-table book, written by art director Marc Ascoli, fashion journalist Angelo Flaccavento and photographer Nick Knight." 
—Yahoo! Style

Author Bookshelf: Martine Sitbon, Marc Ascoli, Olivier Saillard, Fabrice Paineau, Angelo Flaccavento