"[A] magisterial monograph."—Laura Jacobs, Wall Street Journal "The . . . catalog, Charles James: Beyond Fashion, is as sumptuous as [James'] work."—Chicago Tribune "This luscious volume took me into another world—a world where gowns are architecture and gossamer and dreams and drop-dead sexy all at once."—Library Journal "This definitive, richly illustrated tome, compiled with the scholarly detail ... Read moreby Koda, the Curator in Charge of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, celebrates the summer exhibition of the same name at the Met. From rare archives featuring a young James, to his rising stardom captured by Matisse and praised by Dali, and his triumphant, structural creations – this book, a fitting tribute to an iconoclastic genius, is a treasure in itself. This is one of Glass’s books of the year."—Glass Magazine "This gloriously illustrated book restores [James] to his rightful pedestal. Not for nothing is he dubbed the poet laureate of American fashion. Ravish your eyes."—Sebastian Shakespeare, Tatler "A must for any fashionista’s coffee table."—The Oldie "Harold Koda’s detailed examination of James’s creative oeuvre proves and reveals the designer’s true genius. . . . This book is beautiful. The printed canvas cleverly opens to endpapers printed with James’s canvas toilet. The photographs are bold and alluring — Cecil Beaton’s fashion-styled interiors, illustrations from Vogue, and the many original garments are a delight to see. But the real merit in this book is the sheer breadth of the source material and the depth of the examination. As the author’s intended, James’s status as a true artist cannot be doubted here. . . . Even the most unyielding reader will be unable to resist its appeal."—Deirdre Murphy, COS Show Less