Daphne Guinness Valerie Steele, Daphne Guinness

'She is one of the - if not the - most stylish women living', says designer and film director Tom Ford, speaking of Daphne Guinness, the subject and co-author of this extraordinary book. From her platinum-and-black striped hair to her towering 10-inch heels, her to-die-for couture collection and amazing diamond jewellery, Daphne Guinness embodies the rarified, personal style of a true fashion icon. A designer, editor, model, muse, and stylist, Ms. Guinness is renowned for the way she uses fashion to transform herself. As her friend, the art historian John Richardson puts it: 'She is the object of her own creativity. Her persona is her own masterpiece'.

Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel, Valentino, Azzedine Alaia, and the late Alexander McQueen are among the many great fashion designers whose spectacular garments form part of Daphne Guinness' personal collection of haute couture. But Ms. Guinness is far more than a great couture client, she is also an inspiration to designers because of her fearless personal style. In an extended interview with the curator and fashion historian Valerie Steele, "Daphne Guinness" explains the origins and characteristics of her style. She also discusses her friendships and collaborations with other creative fashion personalities from the late Isabella Blow to the photographer Steven Klein and the jeweller Shaun Leane. Sumptuously illustrated with both high-fashion photographs and paparazzi shots, the book is a spectacular showcase for the world of Daphne Guinness.

Valerie Steele is director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, New York. Daphne Guinness is prominent in the fashion world as a fashion icon, journalist and collector of haute couture.

“Daphne Guinness is a spectacular showcase of the inimitable style and haute couture collection of this incredible fashion icon."—Laurel Waldron, www.allinlondon.co.uk

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Daphne's Window, directed by documentary filmmaker Brennan Stasiewicz, offers an intimate glimpse into the life of Daphne Guinness, who has long been recognized as one of this generation's creative forces for her contribution to the worlds of fashion, art and style. 2011 marks a particularly significant year for Daphne, with the efforts of many long-term collaborations coming into the public eye, most notably, a retrospective exhibition celebrating her visionary style at The Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

The film illustrates the contrasts between the stoic, dark, and alluring imagery filmed at her private residence and the hectic, frenetic, in-the-moment energy that occurred during her recent performance art installation at Barneys. Daphne was commissioned to curate Barney's flagship store windows in New York, which currently features pieces from Guinness' own collection, as well as a selection from the collection of Isabella Blow, which Guinness purchased in its entirety last year. Additionally, pieces from both collections are currently on view in the exhibition, 'Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty,' at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The film concludes with an unveiling of Guinness' first installation in a series of armor inspired sculptural pieces, the result of a four year collaboration with Shaun Leane. The piece will be exhibited by Jay Jopling, in an exclusive viewing in London, at the end of June.