"The
collection of images spans a decade of fashion, and through these pictures,
the viewer can see how the industry has been transformed. Individually,
Perkins' photographs capture the nuances of the new fashion world; collectively,
they help to explain how this new fashion order came to be." The
Washington Post, September 20, 1998
"Runway Madness is an up-close look at the absurd/exciting three-ring
circus (a.k.a. the fashion collections) Lucian's photos make you feel
like you're right in the middle of it, getting elbowed in the eye by a
bratty overpaid supermodel." Jane, October 1998
"The combination of candid photos and off-the cuff commentary is
neither mocking nor reverent, illustrating fashion's contradictions and
its magnetic appeal. The biz is shown to be at once absurd and overblown,
but also reflective of current mainstream notions of femininity and individuality.
Fashion's spectacle has become so pervasive that an experienced perspective
like Perkins' is needed to understand it all. Occasionally, Madness reveals
the attitude that keeps insiders' heads together--they're only clothes,
after all." Washington City Paper September 18, 1998
"The best photojournalism takes us to worlds we would otherwise not
see: to war, to disaster, to exotic lands. In his new book, Pulitzer Prize-winning
photographer Lucian Perkins turned his lens on the alien world of New
York's fashion shows. Frivolous, you think? Just look at the conflict
and drama before designer Carmen Marc Valvo's presentation."
Life, October 1998
"Runway Madness manages to pinpoint that exact moment of revelation
when the lights dim, creativity peaks, the clothes speak, and the audience
responds. The frenzy of the visible eclipses time and space until the
smoke clears, then it's either the "Next Thing," or merely,
"Next." Detour, September 1998
"A fresh new photo book goes behind the facade, exposing the world
of high-fashion supermodels." Entertainment Weekly, September
25, 1998
"An insider's guide to the behind the scenes drama in the fashion
world. Celebrate fashion week with a vicarious trip down the catwalk."
Marie Claire, October 1998
"Perhaps because Perkins is more removed from the fashion world than
some photographers, he is able to focus not so much on the clothes as
the people behind the productions." American Photo, September
1998
Readers who don't share original supermodel Iman's fashion ennui--she's
quoted as saying she "couldn't get excited about another dress"--should
be more than sated by the 100 fantastic photos of frocks, gowns, and shifts
in Runway Madness. Amazon.com, October 1998
"I love this book. It is so much fun. It has real attitude. It takes
you right out there, starting on the runway and into a live action, exciting
fashion show. If you have never been to one, this book takes you there."
Digby Diehl, Book Critic on ABC's Good Morning America, December
1998
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