Book Club

Karl Lagerfeld is as quotable as he is prolific--whether he's criticizing the wardrobe of the German Chancellor or dissing social media, we dutifully document every word he says. Which is why we're kind of in love with the new book titled The World According to Karl.

Clothes line rope has been flying off the shelves at New York City hardware stores recently--but this isn't related to any green, eco-friendly, retro-ironic-hipster initiative against using dryers. No, it's a little more... grey than that. Fifty Shades of Grey, to be precise. According to the New York Post, local ladies are going crazy for the easy to access "accessories" used in the soft-core bestseller, including (but definitely not limited to) soft cotton clothes line rope, riding crops, hand cuffs, and of course, silver-grey menswear ties. Adult retailer Babeland has seen a 30% sales spike in 'kinky products' over the past few months, with an 81% increase in visits to its website's Bondage page since the book's popularity skyrocketed. Maybe the best reaction of all has come from the generally conservative Brooks Brothers, which sent out a cheeky PR blast stating, "We may not have Fifty Shades of Grey Ties, but we do have Eight Shades of Grey Ties." Whoever came up with that zinger, bravo.

For those of you who participated in our first-ever Fashionista Book Club session on Friday, thanks for logging in! Since author Detmar Blow wasn't able to respond directly to your questions, we've put together a Q&A. More than anything, we think you'll find Detmar's answers sincere. Again, many thanks to Detmar for participating. More info on January's Book Club will be posted soon!

Here we go: It's time for the official launch of the Fashionista Book Club. The inaugural title? Blow by Blow, by Detmar Blow, which is the story of

If you've just finished Blow by Blow and you've got a burning question to ask author Detmar Blow, you're in luck! Mr. Blow will join us live today at 3pm for the first-ever Fashionista Book Club session. You'll be able to ask Detmar questions about the book, and of course we'll be exchanging opinions as well. Just come back here at 3pm and there will be a space on the homepage that looks something like this. Looking forward to it!

I picked up Detmar Blow's biography of his late wife, Isabella Blow, while at the shows in Paris. I read it one evening in less than two hours. I have a million things to say about Blow by Blow, but since it's time for the Fashionista Book Club, I'll keep quiet for a little while longer! On Friday, December 3 at 3pm we'll be hosting a live chat about the book right here on Fashionista. You'll be able to hear what each of us thinks about the book, and you'll also be able to voice your own opinion. In the meantime, order your book here. If you have a Kindle or the Kindle app on your iPad or iPhone, you can also order a digital copy.