Women in Control, a Socialite and Heroine, and a Fashion Takeover

Our editors are a diverse lot, and are constantly perusing a long and broad list of publications and sites. Fashion? Art? Trends? Culinary studies? In What We’re Reading, PaperCity shares the wealth.

Peggy Guggenheim was a complex woman: collector, patron, socialite, hostess, sexual adventurer … yes, all of those things, and much more. Her escapades and loves and lives in Venice and New York, among other locales, are the stuff of legend. But she was also one of the great heroines of 20th-century art, argues Francine Prose, and should be remembered for that, as well.

Julian Barnes has art on his mind, and his latest book, Keeping an Eye Open, is a great read about the act of creation and what happens when a human views art. It’s also about Barnes and his storytelling.

The rumors are flying about who will take over Dior and Lanvin, and one name is being heard again and again: Alber Elbaz. Lots of speculation here, and some great cases for and against. And here is a look at his reign at Lanvin.

Paris … we’ll always have it. The light, the Seine, the cafés and bridges. It’s not, however, the city that Luc Sante longs for.

Finally, more fashion. A look at a time when women ruled haute couture; it’s a fascinating read about beauty, control and gender.