Just an ok read for me, more like a collection of snippets of gossip from a the tabloids. I really enjoyed Hotel Bablyon and was disappointed in this one. ( )

Enjoyed this book as much as Hotel and Air Babylon - an eye-opener of the fashion world.

Back Cover Blurb:
Following in the glamorous footsteps of Hotel Babylon and Air Babylon, Fashion Babylon gets under the skin of the fashion industry. Taking you through six months in a designer's life, it explains how a collection is put together - from the rail of found objects to the catwalk, into the shops and, hopefully, the cover of a magazine. It explains who goes to the shows, where they sit and whose backside they have to kiss to get there. ( )

You'll be disappointed if you read this book for the plot or the characters, as both are rather thin. I didn't feel any real engagement with the characters, but that's not really the point of this book - it's "fictionalised non-fiction".

I was really interested in the description of how the fashion industry works - the mark-ups, the pecking order, the behind-the-scenes look at fashion shows, and so on.

If you're looking for a quick, easy-to-read introuduction to the world of fashion, this is the book for you. ( )

I was in the mood for trash and this DEFINITELY fit the bill! The blurb compares it to DEVIL WEARS PRADA which is true in many respects, but not terribly fair to Lauren Weisberger (I liked DEVIL WEARS a lot)... FASHION BABYLON is a load of gossipy anecdotes thinly held together with plot. The charcters aren't well developed, I ended the book thinking 'was that it?' -- the ending is such that it really felt to me as though the final chapter had been left out!, and yet it was strangely compelling reading. In the same way that it is possible to watch E! on TV for a couple of hours knowing full well that it's bad for me and a complete waste of time and yet I keep on watching. Still, it's thoroughly entertaining and was laugh out loud funny at times so I guess that's not a bad way to pass a few hours. I just wish the plot was a little more developed. ( )

(one of 24 books found today at 2nd hand shop...24 for $10!)