Tundra Telegram: Books That Do a Li’l Turn on the Catwalk

Hello, and thanks for joining us at Tundra Telegram, the column where we dig into the subjects on readers’ minds and recommend some recent great books to continue the discussion.

This past Monday was the Met Gala – ostensibly a fundraiser for New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, but more widely known as “Fashion’s Biggest Night.” The theme in 2022 is “The Gilded Age” (not to be confused with the new HBO show by the same name), and while we didn’t see Rihanna as a bejeweled pope or Katy Perry as a hamburger, there were some notable fashions, like Blake Lively‘s reversible gown and Ashton Sanders‘s vampire steampunk look.

If you want to read some books that delve as deeply into high fashion and serving lewks, we have some recommendations for you. But whatever you read, as Tim Gunn would say, “Make it work!”

PICTURE BOOKS

With such fans as InStyle magazine and Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie, the picture book Mitford at the Fashion Zoo by Donald Johnson, the fashion illustrator and a creative director at Estée Lauder, should be on your list of fashion picture books. Part Zootopia, part The Devil Wears Prada, Mitford’s story is both a fashion satire and inspirational tale of following your dreams.

But there’d be no fashion without the textiles used to make those gorgeous gowns and thrilling threads. And Julie KraulisA Pattern for Pepper follows Pepper as she journeys through notable patterns and their origins – pinstripe, houndstooth, ikat, toile, and more – in her effort to make a dress for a special occasion (not unlike the Met Gala).

If Lady Gaga’s 2019 Brandon Maxwell gown was one of your favorite Gala look in recent years, Kyo Maclear and Julie Morstad’s Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli will probably intrigue you. Schiaparelli, known for turning art into fashion and for her imaginative designs, invented the color shocking pink (among other things). And you’ll learn that and more in this lyrical picture book biography.

MIDDLE GRADE

There are few better guides to fashion than Canada’s own Jeanne Beker. The FashionTelevision correspondent, style columnist, and Canada’s Next Top Model judge wrote Passion for Fashion: Careers in Style, illustrated by Nathalie Dion, as an introduction to the fashion industry and career guide, with information and profiles of agents, designers, models, photographers, stylists, makeup artists, publicists, journalists, fashion illustrators, creative directors, fashion show producers, color specialists, personal shoppers, and more!

The couture outfits of the Met Gala are one thing, but Fashionopolis: The Secrets Behind the Clothes We Wear by Dana Thomas, looks at the social issues surrounding fast fashion and its impact on the environment and social justice. If you ever wondered how designer jeans ended up in your local mall, this book is a helpful tool.

In the mood for fiction instead? Look no further than Lakita Wilson’s Be Real, Macy Weaver, a funny and fashion-filled story of friendship. Macy is fresh from a friend breakup and a move when she meets Brynn, a smart girl who seems to have her whole life figured out – right down to her future as a high fashion model. That’s when one small fib turns Macy’s life into one of dazzling dresses and glamour – like a Met Gala Junior High!

As Lee Pace could tell you at the 2021 Met Gala, The Swag Is in the Socks. And that’s the name of a novel by Kelly J. Baptist, in which young Xavier learns about the power of some out-there socks, and the importance of swagging out and speaking up.

YOUNG ADULT

If you’re looking to marry your love of high fantasy and high fashion, Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim has you covered. A teenage girl, Maia, poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and enters a cutthroat competition to sew three magic dresses – from the sun, the moon, and the stars. If that sounds like a cosmic version of Project Runway, you’re not wrong! (And check out the sequel, Unravel the Dusk.)

One thing the Met Gala excels in is showing a little skin. This very idea propels Marya Cuevas and Marie Marquardt’s Does My Body Offend You?, a story about two teenagers who join forces to fight the school’s dress code and find friendship, despite their different backgrounds.

Okay, so Namina Forna’s bestselling and blood-soaked fantasy The Gilded Ones may not have a lot to do with fashion, but it is an incredible tale filled with warrior women, and the title just fits the theme so well.

There is no shortage of reality TV stars and social media influencers found at the Met Gala, from Kendall Jenner to Addison Rae, which makes Raziel Reid’s Followers another perfect YA pick. This over-the-top satirical romp follows a naïve teenager thrown into a back-stabbing world of reality television, designer labels, and tabloid gossip.

Strut It! with Jeanne Beker


In collaboration with H&M and Globe Recognition, we celebrated last night with fashion, shopping, and Jeanne Beker! Here, let me take you through the night:


The event was held at H&M on 15 Bloor Street West. The event officially started at 7:30pm, with doors opening at 7:15pm. Security was pretty strict, but luckily we were able to get in earlier to show you what happens “behind the seams:”


Thank you to the crew that had all the posters and signs up and ready.


Caterers standing by, some of the dressing rooms had to become coat checks and swag bag storage. Do you see the pink lichee drinks?


Gorgeous pink tulips to match the book.


Jeanne Beker also arrives early and is given the run down of events by Lindsay, Emily, and her amazing Publicist, Pamela!


Jeanne has a look through her “Jeanne’s Picks” with Emily.


Taking a peek on the second floor, it looks like guests are already lining up outside!


Doors open and guests come in to meet Jeanne and shop with an exclusive 20% off.


While all the guests were shopping, we thought it would be fun to find some of “Jeanne’s Picks” among the racks.

Later in the evening, Emily and Jeanne chatted about the season’s hottest trends and how to wear them. The models showed off the “Jeanne’s Picks” outfits:


Before the night ended, guests went to meet Jeanne and get their copy of Strutting It! signed.

We would like to thank Jeanne Beker, Globe Recognition, the team at  H&M, the  models, the caterers, and  all the guests who joined us last night. Randy, Pamela, and Alison – we tip our hats to you! It wouldn’t have been a celebration without you, now go and strut it!

We also posted an album on facebook, so check out more of our photos there! More photos can be found at Globe Recognition’s gallery and from the Globe and Mail.

February Pub Date Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered our second Pub Date Giveaway of the year! We used trusty random.org to generate the winning number:

Number 21, which means…

Congratulations to Shawna Sanderson, you will be receiving a copy of Jeanne Becker’s Strutting It! The Grit behind the Glamour. Please check your inbox for an e-mail from us!

If you would like more information about the book or Jeanne Becker, visit these links:

Our next Pub Date Giveaway will be on March 8, 2011 and March 22, 2011.

Tuesdays with Tundra 8

Tuesdays with Tundra is a monthly post on our new releases. The following books are available today in stores and online!

Noni Says No
By Heather Hartt-Sussmann
Illustrated by Geneviève Côté
Hardcover | Ages 2-5
ISBN 9781770492332
Noni can do many things: she can give her baby brother his bottle, she can help her mother in the kitchen, and she can even walk over to her friend Susie’s house. But Noni just can’t say “no.” When she was very small, it was easy saying “no” to everybody, but now that she has a best friend, she wants to please. Noni can’t say “no” to her friend, even when it means she has to hand over a precious toy, or when it means agreeing to a hideous haircut, or even giving up her bed at a sleepover. But when Noni finally finds her voice, the consequences are not what she – or the reader – expects.

Strutting It! The Grit Behind the Glamour
By Jeanne Beker
Trade Paperback | Ages 11+
ISBN 9781770492240
eBook 9781770492585
Who wouldn’t want to wear gorgeous clothes, travel the world, hang out with stars, have adoring fans – and get paid a fortune for it? But is that what the life of a model is like?

World-famous fashion guru Jeanne Beker offers a unique insider’s look at the reality behind the glitz. She demystifies the industry for those who are thinking about a career in modeling and for those who simply want the scoop on an intriguing world. Strutting It! is full of fascinating information, from getting discovered to finding a personal style, from the team of people behind every model to the education a good model should have.

With a foreword by modeling superstar Coco Rocha, Strutting It! is packed with biographies of successful models, lots of black-and-white photos, and the great humor and common sense Jeanne Beker is known for.

Pub Date Giveaway: Show us some love! Which book would you love to get your hands on? Leave us a comment below and one lucky reader will receive a copy of their requested book, courtesy of Tundra! One request per person and please review our rules. This offer ends at midnight on Thursday, February 10, 2011!