Woman in the Mirror - Softcover

Franklin, Caryn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0006511104 ISBN 13: 9780006511106

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1999

Synopsis

A wry and hard-hitting first novel from Caryn Franklin set in the fashion world, and drawing on her insider’s knowledge. Three women have bought into the glamorous dream, but what is it really doing to them?

Three young models are brought in to launch up-and-coming designer Elle Cartwrite’s new collection. Each of them has her own dragon to fight. Charlotte has an eating disorder, Becks is a victim of substance abuse, and Tess, the most balanced of them all, has to fight racial discrimination. Elle, herself, has ghosts from the past which threaten her success. Over two months, as the collection is prepared for its launch, we follow the fortunes of the women – their relationships, the way they come to terms with their pasts and, above all, with their images of themselves and what the fantasy world of fashion does to them.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Every time Charlotte came to the mirror she was there .. watching. Charlotte spoke to her most days. When she stood in front of the mirror, she would pull and poke at her flesh or home in on a minute blemish. Must do better, she would say, and the woman in the mirror would silently agree.

For the re-launch of her Esteem collection, designer Elle Cartwrite selects three models who she hopes will encapsulate the glamorous fantasy her customers want to buy into. Heavenly bodies, flawless faces – Charlotte, Becks and Tess project an image of bliss and fulfilment, inviting the beholder to share the magic that is Esteem. But the airbrushed smiles conceal a disturbing world of eating disorders, drug abuse, racial discrimination, exploitation and pain; where bodies are a battleground in the quest for physical perfection, and flaws are fatal.

During the hectic period leading up to Esteem’s Fashion Week extravaganza, all the usual pressures, thrills and absurdities of the world of fashion are intensified as never before. Against this backdrop, Elle and her three models are forced to confront the spectres that have sabotaged their chances of finding true happiness- the loved ones who have let them down, the parasites who prey on them ... and, most destructive of all, the demands they have placed upon themselves in pursuit of perfection.

About the Author:

Caryn Franklin is best known as the presenter of The Clothes Show and Style Challenge. She also lectures in media and cultural studies, is co-editor of i-D magazine and is the author of two non-fiction books – The Breast Book and Caryn Franklin on Fashion. Woman in the Mirror is her first novel.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0006511104
• ISBN 13: 9780006511106
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 416