Martine Sitbon Alternative Vision

The first book on the highly influential French fashion designer renowned for her rock’ n’ romantic style and for reinvigorating the house of Chloé. Martine Sitbon has become an icon among designers and fashionistas, earning her praise from Karl Lagerfeld as being "the only living French designer." Handpicked to breathe new life into Chloé in the mid-1980s, and the first woman to be named designer at the house, while simultaneously working on her own ready-to-wear label, Sitbon has been at the helm of high fashion for decades. Martine Sitbon, sumptuously designed by longtime collaborator Marc Ascoli, deftly illustrates the looks that have built Sitbon’s reputation—including her separates, draped and tucked organza minis, smart trenches, and sexy rocker-girl pieces—and shows how her style has made her not only a woman’s designer, but a designer’s designer, having spent years mentoring such respected tastemakers as Phoebe Philo and Isabel Marant. With never-before-seen sketches and photographs, this book allows readers to gain a better understanding of the designer’s personal universe and inspirations that have until now been largely hidden from view.

Martine Sitbon is a French fashion designer. She served as head designer for Chloé for nine seasons, and founded the eponymous label Martine Sitbon (later named Rue du Mail). Marc Ascoli is the art director responsible for the image branding of Jil Sander, Yohji Yamamoto, and Chloé, among others. Olivier Saillard is the director of the Palais Galliera, City of Paris Museum of Fashion. He is a renowned fashion historian and author. Fabrice Paineau is the publications director of Double Magazine. Jerry Stafford is a writer and creative director of Premiere Heure, an advertising and feature film production company based in Paris.