Trunk Show: Swimwear Inspires Art Hardcover – October 20, 2011

the photos they truly stunning

Jason Salzenstein is a creative consultant, fashion editor, and award-winning film producer whose interests and scope of work covers all areas of design. He studied in Paris, worked with Hollywood celebrities for Dolce and Gabbana, and has contributed to publications around the world. His clients are global, but he calls Boston, Los Angeles and Seattle home. Last year he presented the audience with his very fine book BRIEF ENCOUNTERS and this year he continues to explore the 'hidden world' of men's underwear. Now that underwear has become a fashion designator all its own there is still competition (pardon the pun) among fashion designers to come up with styles that are unique, that consider comfort for the wearer but that also can be appreciated for style. Who hasn't noticed the ads for Calvin Klein or Jockey underwear and the big name models and movie stars who support those ads?Bruno Gmünder Verlag knows a fine topic when one comes along and so here is an even better version of Swimwear Inspires Art. Once again Jason Salzenstein has gathered information about this fashion form, written some very fine essays about his chosen topic, and then has provided page after page of companies who make underwear and swimwear. Some of the designer firms represented here are well known and others will become well known after this book has circulated! Aussiebum, 2EROS, Baskit, Ca-Rio-Ca, ES Collection, Craig Port, Timoteo, Andrew Christian, Pistol Pete, Teamm8, Papenberg, Skmpeez, Good Devil, Rufskin, Narciso - each of these companies have their goods placed on exceptional models to sell their product and it is this form of photography we see here, richly colorful, graced by land and sea, and very sensual.The second half of the book is devoted to examples of some of the finest photographers of models in swimwear/underwear and each photographer is given visual representation as well as a brief bio explaining their CV and gifts. This book is a high quality outline of fashion for men. It would be as appropriate gift for women as for men as there is no nudity in the book at all. But as is often said, the more left to the imagination ....the better! TRUNK SHOW: SWIMWEAR INSPIRES ART is a hefty, beautifully designed source of inspiration and satisfaction, and a fine way to demonstrate the fine art of Advertising! Grady Harp, December 11

Not edgy at all!! Only 5 percent of shots had some passion. The rest are so bland. I am Not talking about nudity here as there is none.

What a disappointment. Bruno Gmunder has provided us a collection of pretty boys with their manhood stroked away. There is nothing realistic or manly about these guys in their swimwear. If you're hoping for what you see in the free UnderGear catalogs, you, like me, will be left limp. Instead, we see beautiful guys posing in unrealistically well-padded, or cruely brush-stroked, skimpy wear, showing nothing but a nice body and a rounded, smooth, shapeless proximity of a package. That's fine if you like what you see in the free Jockey pamphlets: beautiful guys with G-rated, grandma-approved versions of what underwear might really look like on a guy. That's what this collection is: G-rated, grandma-approved versions of what men might really look like in swimwear. This book is total rip-off. Go to the beach instead of buying this.

Any book that features a bunch of hunky guys advertising their swimwear can't be all bad. Great bodies in the model tradition all shot in picturesque settings, nothing very erotic, just your basic swimwear pics you would more than likely find in a young woman's mod magazine these days. The author, a fashion consultant, provides very detailed summaries of current men's brands and fashion shoots, so if you are a budding photographer or shopping for some new togs, this book is probably just right for you. The best of the shoots? Probably ES, Aussie Bum and Timoteo but overall a rather expensive and sadly, not a particularly sexy catalog.