A beautifully photographed insider s look at the highly influential personal style and wardrobe of Isabella Blow, one of fashion s most courageous, outrageous, and imaginative muses. Isabella Blow was said to have been a one-off of her own creation in a world of copycats.

She had a gift for spotting fashion genius - her discoveries included Alexander McQueen, Hussein Chalayan, and Sophie Dahl, all of whom became instantaneously iconic. Her eye put her at the center of the high fashion scene, yet Isabella s pedigree, intoxicating energy, wicked sense of humor, boundaries-pushing aesthetics, and her willingness to wear the outrageous made her into a fashion icon.

This elaborate volume published with Somerset House and in association with the Isabella Blow Foundation and Central Saint Martins to accompany the fall 2013 exhibition is an exhaustive survey of Isabella s personal collection.

With over 100 gorgeous full-colour and black-and-white photographs shot exclusively for this publication by Nick Knight, this volume is the first to catalogue her own famous wardrobe that includes thousands of pieces by the most important contemporary designers, including McQueen, Philip Treacy, and Manolo Blahnik.

The impact of Isabella s influence can be seen within this captivating and inspiring volume, an essential addition to libraries of the fashionable, cultured, and eclectic.

About the Author:

Alistair O’Neill is a faculty member and a Senior Research Fellow at Central Saint Martins. Nick Knight is one of the world’s most prestigious fashion photographers and has been exhibited in museums and galleries internationally. Caroline Evans is a professor at Central Saint Martins. Alexander Fury is an editor at Love magazine. Shonagh Marshall is an assistant curator at Somerset House, London.

A marvelously illustrated look at the world and the work of Isabella Blow, a central figure in the contemporary fashion world.

From her early days bringing legendary artists such as Michel Basquiat into the offices of American Vogue to the twenty-first-century drama of her televised attempted takeover of the Indian and Middle-Eastern fashion industries, the awesome Isabella Blow pushed boundaries in the fashion world, using her personality as her most offensive weapon. Famous for discovering talents such as Alexander McQueen, Sophie Dahl, and Hussein Chalayan, she nurtured and inspired artists and designers across the industry, as well as serving as muse to the well-known milliner Philip Treacy. She was also a unique stylist, collaborating with major photographers such as Sean Ellis and Robert Astley Sparke on infamous shoots that combined gothic and erotic.

Martina Rink has brought together all those who were moved, influenced, discovered, and inspired by Isabella, in a volume that celebrates not only her life but also her outrageous personality, which left an indelible mark on all who met her. Texts and personal letters written exclusively for this book have been collected from legendary names in the fashion world, from Mario Testino and Manolo Blahnik to Hussein Chalayan and Anna Wintour. There are photographs by some of fashion’s greatest photographers, including Rankin, Donald McPherson, and Richard Burbridge, and illustrations by Hilary Knight and Paul Smith, in a homage to Isabella that celebrates her astonishing life.