Lisa Fonssagrives: Three Decades Of Classic Fashion Photography

Far from simply a "good clothes hanger", as she is known to have described herself, Lisa Fonssagrives brought her considerable talents as a dancer, fashion designer, photographer, and sculptor to her modeling, creating a persona at once earthly and larger than life. Lisa Fonssagrives: Three Decades of Classic Fashion Photography chronicles Fonssagrives's modeling years and establishes her role in bringing fashion photography to the level of high art. It's easy to forget the clothes in light of her sleek, athletic form and engaging Mona Lisa smile. While the tall columns of text may dissuade you from reading the essays, plug on. David Seidner's and Martin Harrison's essays are informed and engaging. The beautifully produced illustrations prove her more a muse than a model for fashion photographers such as Richard Avedon, Anton Bruehl, Horst, Man Ray, and Irving Penn. Readers have the pleasure of watching her become more beautiful as she ages.