March 15, 1992
This is a bitchy, gossipy novel about the fashion business and its trade publications, from the pen of the former publisher of "Women's Wear Daily" and "Harper's Bazaar." It's the story of Yale graduate Bingham Marsh III (aka "Bingo"), whose unpredictable antics and feud-filled freneticism are related by John Sharkey, a columnist for Bingo's "Fashion" magazine. Robin Leach-like voyeurs will feed their fantasies on the famous names, including Coco Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Diana Vreeland, and similar celebrities, and the tales told about them, true or not. It's difficult to identify with Sharkey, who becomes a three-dimensional character only toward the end (when he falls in love with a U.S. Army lieutenant). Yet, as a chronicle of the crazed 1980s, as a picture of a world few readers will ever experience, this is an entertaining novel. ((Reviewed Mar. 15, 1992))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1992, American Library Association.)