Fleur Cowles’s legendary magazine Flair is remembered for its blend of cosmopolitan sophistication, innovative design, and its intuitive discovery of many artists and writers well before they achieved fame and fortune. The magazine was celebrated not only for its content but also for its lavish production. Unfortunately the magazine was short lived, 2 monthly issues were published from February 1950 to January 1951. It was the resulting cost of production that killed the magazine, since the expensive special costs (for cover cut-outs for some issues, for example) could not be supported in the long run. Among the many contributors were John O’Hara, Saul Steinberg, Gypsy Rose Lee, Margaret Mead, Tallulah Bankhead, Salvador Dalí, Colette,  Flannery O’Connor and countless other writers and artists. The first issue issue featured Auden, Cocteau, Lucian Freud, Tennessee Williams, Angus Wilson.

Description: Hard bound with die-cut dust jacket, in original red cloth clamshell case. A beautifully produced edition with tipped-in booklets, tissue guarded reproductions of famous die-cut covers, fashion, décor, and everything that Flair was famous for. Stated first edition. Wear and minor soiling to publishers clam shell case. Some minor wear to dust jacket, otherwise flawless. This lavishly produced collector’s item combines the best material from Flair, the landmark magazine of the ’50s, with the singular design that made it so illustrious. Forty-five years after it ceased publication, Flair is still one of the most talked-about and influential magazines. It is remembered for its innovative design and production quality, its superb coverage of the arts and its intuitive discovery of artists and writers well before they achieved fame and fortune. When Flair was conceived in 1950 by Fleur Cowles and her then-husband Gardner Cowles, founder of Look magazine, it was truly on the cutting edge, with postcard inserts, die-cut covers and specially tipped-in booklets and fold-outs. However Flair published only 12 issues from February 1950 to January 1951, issues that remain treasured by those who saved them and sought by many others. The Best of Flair is beautifully illustrated in full color and produced with all the unique features of the magazine, including the best pieces from the original 12 issues and a selection of the famous die-cut covers, fold-outs and self-contained booklets.

Bookseller Inventory # 26912

SOLD

The Best Of Flair
Cowles, Fleur

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 1996
Binding: Hardcover
Book Condition: Fine
Dust Jacket Condition: Fine
Edition: 1st Edition

· Category: Sold ·