Finding Myself in Fashion

by Jeanne Beker

International fashion icon Jeanne Beker dishes on her life on and off the runway

More than 30 years ago, Jeanne Beker set out to live a life that was not just great, but extraordinary. In Finding Myself in Fashion, she recalls some of the high and low points of the turbulent past decade. Personally, she dealt with heartbreak (the end of her marriage) and rediscovered romance.

Professionally, she suffered setbacks that became learning experiences leading to new career paths. She travelled the world with FQ Magazine; witnessed epic events and conducted intimate interviews as a fashion reporter; launched her own clothes labels; wrote newspaper columns; and hosted or appeared on innumerable television shows. Through it all, both at home and at work, she stuck to her youthful resolution. This is Jeanne's candid account of a life lived to the max.

 
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Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Memoir

240 pages, Hardcover

First published April 26, 2011

About the author

Jeanne Beker is the host and segment producer of the internationally syndicated FashionTelevision and style columnist for the Globe and Mail. She was editor-in-chief of FQ and SIR magazines, as well as being a celebrated judge for several seasons on Canada’s Next Top Model. In the fall of 2010, Jeanne launched her clothing line EDIT at the Bay across Canada. She is the author of five books, including The Big Night Out and Passion for Fashion. Her most recent book, Strutting It! The Grit Behind the Glamour (Tundra Books) is a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a model. She lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not a huge Jeanne Beker fan or follower, but I did grow up watching Fashion Television with my mum and so I do feel a bit of nostalgia when I think of her.

If you are familiar with Jeanne and a former fan of FT, then this is a mildly entertaining and pleasantly eye-opening read. Finding Myself in Fashion isn't a wild page turner, but it's been amusing and at times quite interesting to learn about Ms. Beker's growth in the Canadian fashion industry.

The downside is that the events of her life aren't really organized in any particular way. It's a lot of back and forth through the years, and I think it might have been more engaging had the book been better streamlined. As well, Jeanne used the word "inimitable" well over ten times. The inimitable Betsey Johnson, the inimitable Michael Kors, the inimitable Valentino... it's a word I don't think I've ever really heard used before, probably because it's so awkward sounding, but she uses it every time she talks about a designer - so much so that I actually had to do a double take when she switched it up for an even worse word - indefatigable! Get this woman an editor and a thesaurus!

Beyond that, this series of vignettes begets nice, light reading that you can take a break from and come back to at a later date. A good one for the beach!

[Terri Durling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have followed Jeanne Beker’s career in fashion for many years. She has longevity in an industry that is often focused on youth and money. She is also one of the few Canadians who has left a mark in that industry where few others have. She opted to remain in Canada whereas many other Canadians who reach celebrity status opt to leave in order to become more recognizable in an industry inundated with someone who will always be “better” than you. Jeanne is very real and very grateful for all she has achieved in her life and the rewards that come with that. She underwent a very difficult breakup with her husband and the father of her two daughters. This had a long term effect on her confidence and she grieved for that loss for a very long time. She is the daughter of two Holocaust survivors who taught her to “Don’t be afraid. And never give up”. This helped her get through many challenges in her life. She always tried to find the positive which, I can attest myself, is difficult at certain times in our lives. Although this book does not cover it, I know from following Jeanne on social media that she, like myself, is a breast cancer survivor in recent years. She has enjoyed a wonderful life of travelling all over the world, meeting many famous people and celebrities in the fashion world and stayed true to herself. She managed to raise two exceptional daughters despite a very demanding career that often took her away from home. She kissed a lot of frogs after her divorce seeking love and acceptance and finally she also managed to find that.

[Jennifer Whiteford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because I like Jeanne Beker and I generally like her writing for The Globe and Mail. One Globe article in particular, about taking her daughters to Paris and realizing that they just weren't going to love it as much as she did, was what made me decide to read her book. I liked the candid nature of her storytelling, we hear about divorces, failed relationships, mistakes, conflicts, more than in some other celebrity memoirs. My problem came with Beker's apparent need to summarize everything in a pseudo-profoound way. There are a lot of sweeping statements about how things were "meant to be" etc. I could have done without that, because otherwise it is a story about someone who worked hard, became successful, raised children, and chased her passions. I don't need to believe that fate was behind any of it.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's ok... passes the time :). Could maybe have used an edit to be told in a more linear way, or to develop a consistent theme. Basically a series of vignettes.

[Susanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

mildly diverting.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've watched Jeanne Beker on Fashion Television since I was a little girl, so it was really interesting to read bout some of the behind the scenes personalities of my favorite fashion designers and models.

[Jake Wilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to see an inside view of the world of Ms. Beker and how everything isn't always as perfect as it seems. The ups, downs and all the triumph in her career but also her personal life, which often times go hand in hand or work against each other. For anyone who likes fashion and lives in Toronto, or really Canada, this book is a must-read for one of our Canadian pioneers for fashion!

[Darrell Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeanne Beker says that she ''set out to live a life that was not just great but extraordinary'', and you can tell from reading each chapter that's exactly what she has done, and continues to do. It's a candid look at a fashion icons life.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun look into Jeanne's life over the last 10-15 years.

[Katrina Sark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring Blah.