If one were to mix a sassy college student with a
professional writer with a fashion twist you would get Amy Odell’s Tales from
the Back Row. Odell’s Tales from the Back Row is a non-fiction piece on her first
hand experiences of being a journalist in the online fashion blogging world.
The book takes you on a journey of Odell and her learning the ins and outs of
the fashion business. From interviewing with Anna Wintour for a position at
Vogue to getting invited to a Victoria Secret Fashion Show Odell describes a
wide range of topics that would be interesting to any fashion lover. The title
of the book reveals the underlying theme that Odell is an underdog in the
industry. She isn’t wearing $3,000 Chanel suits or sitting in the front row of
a fashion show sipping champagne.
While each chapter progresses, Odell
becomes more informed and more experienced in the fashion world. I think one of
the main purposes of this book is to illustrate her journey through the
business in a different and unique way. Although this book mimics the style of
an autobiography Odell creates a more casual and fun dialect in the book. I
couldn’t help but feel like I was reading a book written by my best friend. Her
witty humor was intertwined with facts and stories that made it a fun and easy
read. This book would appeal to anyone
interested in the fashion business of course, but I think it is also just a fun
read on what it is actually like to work in fashion.
Since I am
a fashion industry junkie my opinion may be biased, but I do think this was an
awesome read. Although I found the sections well organized I did feel the book
was choppy at times. Sometimes I wish it were broken up chronologically so that
we could see more of a journey through her career. Despite the very strict
chapter structure I thought the book was a quick and enjoyable read. Odell is a
captivating writer and conveyed her message well. I think Odell wrote this book
to expose what working in fashion journalism is like. To some people’s
disbelief fashion journalism isn’t exactly like the famous movie The Devil
Wears Prada. Just because Anna Wintour walks around wearing outfits more then
my tuition bill doesn’t mean that everyone in the fashion industry lives a lavish
lifestyle. I think her message and
overall tone will resonate well with readers. Even if someone isn’t a fashion
professional or even interested in fashion I think Odell has create a book that
is fun and entertaining for readers.
Although I
wasn’t completely naïve to the realistic life of working in fashion journalism,
the book had some amazing incites into the industry. I found Odell to be very relatable,
charismatic, and down right hilarious in this book. This book made me excited
to be apart of an industry that has it flaws but is very interesting and
creative. This book is a must read to feed the fashion lover in all of us.
Have you read Tales from the Back Row? Let me know in the comments!
XOXO
Miranda
No comments:
Post a Comment