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Biography
British

Suzy Menkes

1943

British fashion journalist who served as the fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune and later Vogue International, becoming the most influential fashion critic in the world over a career spanning four decades. Her books on royal jewels, royal fashion, and the fashion industry are the standard references in their fields. Menkes is known for her trademark pompadour hairstyle and her fearless critical judgments.

Past sales0
PeriodContemporary
NationalityBritish
1. Biography

A short life of the author

Suzy Menkes (born 1943 in Beaconsfield, England) is a British fashion journalist who was the fashion critic of the International Herald Tribune (later the International New York Times) for over two decades and subsequently served as editor of Vogue International for Condé Nast. She was widely regarded as the most powerful fashion critic in the world — her front-row assessments could make or break collections.

Major Works

The Royal Jewels (1985, Grafton Books) — a lavishly illustrated study of the British Crown Jewels and the personal jewellery collections of the royal family.

The Windsor Style (1987, Grafton Books) — an examination of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s influence on fashion and style.

Fashion Designers A–Z (2012, Taschen, updated edition) — a comprehensive encyclopedia co-authored with Valerie Steele.

Collecting Menkes

The Royal Jewels (1985, Grafton) first editions are the most collected title, bringing $30–$80. Large-format Taschen editions are collected as coffee-table books. Menkes’s daily journalism — the true body of her work — is not collected in book form.