Elvis: The King of Fashion

Author(s): Lorraine Gibson

Location(s): United States (USA)

Genre(s): Biography

Era(s): 1930s depression, through 1950s to 1970s

A highly-engaging homage to the iconic style of Elvis Presley, who shook up the world of music and fashion, triggering a cultural revolution that stopped 1950s America in its tracks.
Born into poverty, his voice of liquid gold and show-stopping appearance propelled him into a life of extreme wealth.
Elvis’ extraordinary story – told through a fashion lens – celebrates the shy, lonely boy who awakened an entire generation to forbidden fruit.
The defiant hair, the sultry good looks, the gender-ambivalent outfits – even the famous sideburns of the man who would be King – are all considered in loving detail.
From impoverished scamp and teenage anti-hero in pink, through Hollywood heartthrob and sensual leather-clad Rockstar, to caped superhero in Vegas jumpsuits, the author describes his clothes with as much joy as she does his journey through the decades.
A contemporary take on the evolution of Elvis the Showman, with interviews with people who knew, met and dressed him.
A rags-to-riches tale, forged in the hardship and music of the poor South, it personifies the American Dream, retold with style by an author raised on Elvis’ songs and movies and who walked in his shoes through Memphis to discover they really were two-toned.
Set in a fascinating period in time, it looks at his powerful legacy, preserved by his devoted fans, and the films and tributes still being produced in his honour today.

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