Oona Chanel creates new Luxury Book Series “AUTHOR”

Some people collect paintings, some people collect sculptures, some people collect cars, and some people collect beautiful books of photography and art. We are part of the latter, and the new book by Oona Chanel, AUTHOR, falls definitively into that category. Lavishly produced, richly illustrated, and thoughtful content makes this a valued edition in any set of collectible books.

With a call to “unfollow fashion,” Oona Chanel has created a new, luxury hardback publication series titled AUTHOR that will serve as a vital new publishing platform to explore the intersection of art, glamour, storytelling, and timeless style.

With Oona serving as Editor-In-Chief, AUTHOR, scheduled for biannual publication, presents an aesthetic playground dedicated to the experience of beauty, and harkens back to the time when iconic fashion magazines were the pinnacle not only of glamour, but also of radical creative exchanges. “Back then,” Oona recalls, “everything that was printed was done so with thought and consistency. I remember the joy of picking up the newest issue of a magazine, the smell of the pages, and the excitement of the upcoming season of fashion. When browsing through the beautiful, older print publications that I have collected since I was little, I am still inspired and touched. I actually feel something, and so I wanted to bring that feeling back to the printed page.”

“AUTHOR stands for storyteller,” says Oona. “Each contributor tells a story through their passion and commitment to their craft, whether they are the writer, photographer, model, stylist, or make-up artist. I say that AUTHOR is choosing to unfollow fashion because it’s not the fashion that matters per se, but the heart that we put into it. AUTHOR is a space designed to unify, connect and ultimately, inspire.”

AUTHOR No. 1, the first issue of AUTHOR, is emblazoned with four collectable covers that feature some of the most exciting top models in the fashion industry today: Chiharu Okunugi, Katlin Aas, Aymeline Valade, and Ajak Deng.

ALTERNATE COVERS

Courtesy AUTHOR

Courtesy AUTHOR

Courtesy AUTHOR

Courtesy AUTHOR

Bringing together contemporary voices that celebrate diverse points of view and illustrated with 188 photographs, the uniquely creative and original editorial content of AUTHOR No. 1 includes:

· Interviews with designer Gaia Trussardi, ASVOFF founder Diane Pernet, DSquared2 founders Dean and Dan Caten, athlete and actress Aimee Mullins, visual artist Simon Henwood, film icon Sophia Loren, artist and activist Ai Weiwei, artist Tomoo Gokita, and artist Mary Obering, all illustrated with spectacular photographs;

· Four twenty-page major fashion features that showcase AUTHOR No. 1’s cover models in stories inspired by the visuals of iconic music videos;

· Exclusive new work by artist and photographer Nobuyoshi Araki and photographer Daido Moriyama;

· Never-before-seen Polaroid images taken by photographer Steven Sebring twenty-five years ago;

· Striking photo essays on perfume and beauty by photographer Helmut Stelzenberger;

· Poems by Felix Macherez, illustrated by photographer Frederick Evans.

· A “Last Word” essay by Harvard Business School lecturer Pauline Brown on today’s need for sources of inspiration and self-expression at a time when Big Data leads firms, including those in fashion, to dehumanize their customers.

Translations of the main articles into French, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese appear at the back of the book.

Book publisher Thames & Hudson Inc., known for its illustrated volumes in the fields of art, photography, fashion, and architecture, will make AUTHOR available to the book trade, through its distributor W.W. Norton & Company. Priced at $100, the 3-lb, 240-page oversized volume (9½” x 12”) is available wherever books are sold.

AUTHOR launched its first issue with promotions scheduled to coincide with Fashion Weeks in New York, Paris, London, and Milan. The planned roll-out included window displays featuring the publication’s hashtag “#unfollowfashion” in bookstores, art galleries, and magazine stores.

Future issues of AUTHOR will be published biannually in February and September coinciding with Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer Fashion Weeks. AUTHOR No. 2 and AUTHOR No. 3 are scheduled for publication 2017.

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ABOUT OONA CHANEL

Oona is as serial entrepreneur, fashion consultant, and model. She has produced work for major European fashion houses and is an internationally recognized figure in global fashion.