Shopping on Saturday

This week I started reading my copy of The Beautiful Fall: Lagerfeld, Saint Laurent, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris by Alicia Drake. So far I love the way Drake weaves together the lives, personalities and obsessions of two iconic designers and illustrious rivals—Yves Saint Laurent, the charmed genius and Karl Lagerfeld, the patrician workhorse.

As always, my book obsession is being fueled and my reading list is growing. I have a habit of taking notes of interesting details as I read so that I can search Amazon for more books, and thus the vicious cycle begins. Here are a few books I have added to my Amazon wish list in the past few days:

The Finest Houses Of Paris by Christiane de Nicolay-Mazery

Photos include a table set for sixty in Baron Guy de Rothschild's palace, considered the grandest private house in France and Hubert de Givenchy's left-bank garden. In some cases, the owners have refused to be identified, but you can still get a glimpse of their elegant interiors.

Paris, 1962: Yves Saint Laurent and Dior, The Early Collections by Jerry Schatzberg and Julia Morton

On assignment for Esquire magazine in 1962, fashion photographer and filmmaker Jerry Schatzberg documented the ultra-exclusive world of French haute couture in stunning photographs of famous fashion icons. All the glamour and drama of the runway is presented, including images of Yves Saint Laurent’s first collection after leaving Dior, as well as tastemakers such as Diana Vreeland and American Vogue editor Jessica Daves mingling in the chic crowds.

Christian Dior and Germany 1947-1957 by Adelheid Rasche

Published in 2007 the book is a tribute to the great Christian Dior on the fiftieth anniversary of his death. The book is filled with full-page photography, mostly in black and white, and showcases everything Dior, from his gowns to his accessories to his atelier in Paris. As the book's title implies, the focus is on Dior's connections with Germany in his great years, 1947-1957.