Having finally succumbed to mega death cold, I've spent most of the last week curled up on the sofa underneath my duvet, a puffy-eyed snivelling mess surrounded by kleenex and cups of lemsip. But, in probably the most perfect timing ever, my copy of 'In The Mink' arrived from ebay and saved me from Jeremy Kyle and repeats of Bargain Hunt. Written in 1955, the book is the semi-biographical work of Anne Scott-James who worked for British Vogue and Picture Post in the 30s and 40s, and who helped to redefine the fashion magazine following the war, when she took the helm at the British edition of Harpers Bazaar.
Although she was careful to emphasise that 'although the atmosphere may be authentic, the personalities are wholly fictitious', the book tells the story of the main character's work at 'Venus' magazine in London, and her rise from junior copywriter to Editor. It is a fascinating insight into world of fashion publishing both pre- and post-war, and is the absolute precursor to Diana Vreeland's 'D.V', 'Funny Face', 'The Devil Wears Prada', 'The September Issue' and any others that attempt to to document or base themselves on the world of the fashion magazine. There are detailed and entertaining descriptions of photo shoots, working with models and photographers, sittings with socialites and debutantes, Paris and New York fashion weeks, and although no real names are given in these accounts, there are mentions of Dior, Balenciaga, Cecil Beaton and Richard Avedon amongst others, and veiled references to others such as Conde Nast and former US Vogue Editor Edna Woolman Chase. There are many situations described which still ring true today, such as the madness of working on the shows, or the drama of photoshoots, although one very different aspect is the difference in attitudes of the 30s and 40s, when most women had to make a choice between a career or family life, and the main character herself struggles with this. The most entertaining chapter has to be 'Sex in Bond Street' where the author attempts to imply as subtly as possible, the amount of homosexuality within the fashion industry.
'I have written this brief account of the aberrations of Mayfair with a hesitant and (I hope) tactful pen, because I have no wish to enjoy a succes de scandale. But the fact is, all our lives were so dominated by this unusual factor that it is impossible to capture the atmosphere of the fashion world if you leave the thing out. Until you had learnt a whole new code of behaviour for dealing with the boys, you could not hope to tackle any of the bigger jobs in our business.'
Definitely worth reading, try and track down a copy if you can!
