Philip Treacy by Kevin Davies

Davies (Fashion Now) first photographed celebrated milliner Treacy at an American Vogue photo shoot in 1991. It was just a year after Treacy had graduated from the Royal College of Art and set up his first studio, and the same year Treacy won his first British Fashion Council award for British Accessory Designer of the Year. After several more encounters between designer and photographer, Davies became part of the Treacy studio family—along with the dog, Mr. Pig, and the house model, Alla. Most of this book is fashion photojournalism: black and white, often grainy, taken with existing lighting whenever possible. Most compelling are photographs of Treacy interacting with his clients—from Isabella Blow, the stylist most associated with Treacy’s work, to pop icon Grace Jones, to Princess Anne. The book concludes with the most important fashion “show” of Treacy’s career, the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Davies provides the most unvarnished version of the clients, assistants, and journalists that packed the milliner’s studio. Extended captions, written by both authors, are full of nicknames and insider references. A third-party introduction to Treacy and Davies would have increased the visual impact of the book and illuminated the intersection between their careers. Photos. (Apr.)