John Varvatos: Rock in Fashion

John Varvatos · Holly George-Warren

Oct 2013 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

In John Varvatos, the legendary designer reveals his perspective on how rock & roll music and style have influenced his own designs and fashion worldwide. Varvatos’s personally curated collection of more than 250 images are some of the most provocative ever shot by top rock photographers from the late 1960s to today, from the Rolling Stones to the Kings of Leon. The featured photographers are among the world’s finest, including Mick Rock, Bob Gruen, Elliott Landy, Danny Clinch, Lynn Goldsmith, and more. Also included are select images from Varvatos’s own advertising campaigns, featuring artists such as Slash, Iggy Pop, Scott Weiland, and Miles Kane. Varvatos’s captions and incisive commentary on the artist and his or her look accompany each image. Every chapter also contains numerous quotes from the musicians themselves, including Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Iggy Pop, Jack White, Pete Townshend, Robert Plant, Steven Tyler, and Patti Smith. An extraordinary anthology of some of the finest images in rock & roll and the most influential rock looks in fashion and popular culture, this volume will delight music lovers, and fans of music photography, fashion, and fashion history.

About the author

John Varvatos is one of the world’s most renowned menswear designers. Born and raised in Detroit, John was exposed to rock & roll from an early age. The spirit, electricity, and edginess intrinsic in the personal style of iconic bands such as Led Zeppelin, the Who, Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, Iggy Pop & the Stooges, and MC5, among others, influenced the evolution of his design sensibility and is a unifying force in every expression of his award-winning brand today. In fall 2008, John opened his Bowery NYC boutique in the space that formerly housed the seminal underground music club CBGB's. He pays homage to the spirit of the legendary club, which closed in 2006, with ongoing performances that have included the likes of Guns N' Roses, The Roots, Paul Weller, The Wallflowers, and more. Since 2009, John has hosted New York Nights, a monthly radio show that includes music by and interviews with various artists who have influenced his career in fashion on SIRIUS XM’s Spectrum channel. He lives in New York City. A look at rock & roll fashion through the eye of menswear designer John Varvatos and the lens of some of the most iconic photographers of all time, John Varvatos offers music fans and fashion aficionados a unique perspective on rock & roll and its influence on the designer’s work as well as on style and popular culture.

Holly George-Warren is an award-winning writer and editor who has contributed to more than forty books about rock & roll. She is the author of Punk 365, Grateful Dead 365, and Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry, among other books. She cowrote The Road to Woodstock and is coeditor of The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: A Musical Journey, and Farm Aid: A Song for America. Her writing has appeared in such publications as the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Mojo, and the Village Voice.