Suzy Menkes
Encyclopedia
Suzy Menkes, OBE has been head fashion
reporter and Editor for the International Herald Tribune
since 1988. In that time she has written over 1.7 million words in the paper.
Menkes was born in Britain
. She was educated at Brighton and Hove High School
. In the 1960s, she went as a teenager to Paris
to study dressmaking. Viewing her first couture
show at Nina Ricci
sparked her interest in high fashion.
On her return from Paris, she read history
and English literature
at Cambridge University. After Cambridge, she worked for The Times
reporting on fashion. In addition to her journalism, she has written several books, particularly on British Royal style.
Among Menkes's trademarks is her signature pompadour
. She lives in Paris, is widowed and has three sons and three granddaughters. She holds the Legion d'Honneur
in France and a British OBE.
In November 2009, she appeared as one of the judges on the finale of Lifetime TV series Project Runway
. In 1996 she appeared in the second 'Last Shout' special in British comedy Absolutely Fabulous
, playing herself.
From the International Herald Tribune:
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
reporter and Editor for the International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune
The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
since 1988. In that time she has written over 1.7 million words in the paper.
Menkes was born in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. She was educated at Brighton and Hove High School
Brighton and Hove High School
Brighton & Hove High School is an independent day school for girls aged 3 – 18 in the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England.Founded in 1876, the school has expanded from being a very small school for less than twenty pupils to its present size of taking some 700 students...
. In the 1960s, she went as a teenager to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to study dressmaking. Viewing her first couture
Haute couture
Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...
show at Nina Ricci
Nina Ricci (brand)
Nina Ricci is a fashion house founded by Maria "Nina" Ricci and her son Robert in Paris in 1932, and owned by the Spanish beauty and fashion group Puig since 1998. Nina Ricci designed gowns while Robert managed the business and finances. She worked with the fabrics directly on the mannequin to...
sparked her interest in high fashion.
On her return from Paris, she read history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
at Cambridge University. After Cambridge, she worked for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reporting on fashion. In addition to her journalism, she has written several books, particularly on British Royal style.
Among Menkes's trademarks is her signature pompadour
Pompadour (hairstyle)
Pompadour is a tall style of men's haircut which takes its name from Madame de Pompadour.There are Latin variants of the hair style more associated with European and Argentine tango fashion trends and occasionally with late 20th century musical genres such as rockabilly and country.The pompadour...
. She lives in Paris, is widowed and has three sons and three granddaughters. She holds the Legion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
in France and a British OBE.
In November 2009, she appeared as one of the judges on the finale of Lifetime TV series Project Runway
Project Runway
Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
. In 1996 she appeared in the second 'Last Shout' special in British comedy Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks...
, playing herself.
From the International Herald Tribune:
Suzy Menkes, the fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune, has been named an officer of the Order of the British Empire for her services to journalism. In January, Menkes was named a chevalier of the Legion of Honor by President Jacques ChiracJacques ChiracJacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
of France. The induction ceremony for that award will take place in Paris next week.
Reputation
Unlike the delicate relationship often shared between fashion houses and designers, with the fashion media and journalists. Menkes has a reputation within the fashion industry for being much loved by all for both her personality and her fair and balanced reviews of fashion shows. A designer once refused to invite her to his show due to taking offense at some negative comments she had made in a previous collection review (though she did give positive comments as well). Many people in the industry rallied behind her and boycotted the designer's show as a result until the situation was resolved.Books
- The Royal Jewels, Suzy Menkes. Contemporary Books, 1990. ISBN 0-8092-4315-6.
- The Windsor Style, Suzy Menkes. Salem House, 1991. ISBN 0-246-13212-4
- Queen and Country, Suzy Menkes. HarpercollinsHarperCollinsHarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
, 1993. ISBN 0-246-13676-6 - Knitwear Revolution: Designer Patterns to Make, Suzy Menkes. Penguin USAPenguin BooksPenguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
, 1985. ISBN 0-14-046695-9 - Hussein Chalayan, Hussein Chalayan, Caroline Evans, Suzy Menkes. NAI, 2005. ISBN 90-5662-443-1
External links
- Profile interview of Suzy Menkes by John Seabrook, The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, 17 March 2001 - Profile of Suzy Menkes, VarsityVarsity (Cambridge)Varsity is the oldest of Cambridge University's main student newspapers. It has been published continuously since 1947, and is one of only three fully independent student newspapers in the UK. It appears every Friday around Cambridge...
newspaper, Cambridge University, 25 November 2005, p. 11 (.pdf file)