Guest Book Review: Natalie Meg Evans - The Dress Thief

Reviewed by Sarah Brew

Alix Gower has a dream: to join the ranks of Coco Chanel to become a designer in the high-stakes world of Parisian haute couture. But Alix also has a secret: she supports her family by stealing designs to create bootlegs for the foreign market. A hidden sketchbook and two minutes inside Hermès is all she needs to create a perfect replica, to be whisked off to production in New York.

Then Alix is given her big break - a chance to finally realize her dream in one of the most prominent Parisian fashion houses - but at the price of copying the breakthrough Spring Collection.

Knowing this could be her only opportunity, Alix accepts the arrangement. But when a mystery from her past resurfaces and a chance meeting has her falling into the arms of a handsome English war reporter, Alix learns that the slightest misstep - or misplaced trust - could be all it takes for her life to begin falling apart at the seams.

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I was attracted to The Dress Thief by its unusual setting and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a vivid evocation of a fascinating world – Parisian haute couture in the 1930s.

It’s heroine,Alix Gower, has a real talent – but not one she can boast about. A hidden sketchbook and two minutes inside Hermès is all she needs to create a perfect replica, to be whisked off to production in New York. She also has a dream - to join the ranks of the great designers.

It seems her chance has come but the price is high. Her big break is the opportunity to work in one of the most prominent Parisian fashion houses but it comes at the price of copying the breakthrough Spring Collection. She takes the chance, but it’s a high risk strategy; one false step and all will be lost.  Amongst an enticing cast of characters, who can she trust?

It’s easy to pre-judge and criticise Alix for her dishonesty but (like all good heroines) she is doing it for her beloved grandmother as much as for her own ambition. I really warmed to her character and was 100% behind her from early on in the book, ensuring that I read it in every spare moment to see what happened to her. I was transported to a fascinating world – a time when women were really beginning to make their mark and it gives an excellent insight into the attitudes of one woman and her fight to take what she felt was her rightful place. A most enjoyable read.

I'd like to thank Lauren at Quercus for sending a copy of this book to Sarah to review.