Beautiful People My Family and Other Glamorous Varmints

Long before he became a celebrity in his own right -- as the author of bestselling books, as the style arbiter of VH1 andAmerica's Next Top Model, and the marketing genius behind Barneys New York -- Simon Doonan was a "scabby kneed troll" in Reading, England. In this, his breakthrough memoir, the writer whom Donna Karan calls the "male Lucille Ball" revisits his childhood and delivers an array of droll observations about his quirky family and early days as a fledgling tastemaker.Fearing he will contract his family's insanity bug, Doonan decamps with his flamboyant best friend Biddie to London, where he hopes to establish himself among the Beautiful People: those elusive creatures who luxuriate on floor pillows and amuse each other with bon mots. Doonan continues his pursuit of the fabulous life, only to learn, in the end, that perhaps the Beautiful People were the ones he left behind.

Simon Doonan is the bestselling author of Wacky Chicks and Confessions of a Window Dresser. In addition to his role as creative director of Barneys New York, Simon writes the "Simon Says" column for The New York Observer. He frequently contributes observations and opinions to myriad other publications and television shows. He is a regular commentator on VH1, the Trio network, and Full Frontal Fashion. He lives in New York City with his partner, Jonathan Adler, and his Norwich terrier, Liberace.