In 1950s Paris, Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld were friends, the rising stars of the fashion world. But by the late sixties, the city was invaded by a new mood of liberation and hedonism, and dominated by intrigue, infidelities, addiction and parties. Each designer created his own mesmerizing world, so vivid and seductive that people were drawn to the power, charisma and fame, and it was to make them bitter rivals. "The Beautiful Fall" is a dazzling expose of an era and the story of the two men who were its essence and who remain its most singular survivors.

'There’s an elegance to Drake’s writing that marks her out as a writer to be reckoned with and she shows fearlessness as she explores the mind of that most troublesome of creatures, the teenage boy . . . I Love You Too Much is a considerable achievement.' John Boyne

In the sixth arrondissement, thirteen-year-old Paul is adrift in a sea of wealth, pretence and an obsession with status. Struggling with a self-absorbed mother who doesn’t pay him any attention and her new boyfriend Gabriel who is chasing his dream of becoming a rockstar, all while trying to form a connection with his own narcissistic father, Paul is desperate to be loved. Always overlooked, it is only a matter of time before he sees something he isn’t supposed to see . . .

Longing for connection, Paul comforts himself with the beauty of Paris – gorging on its sweet confections and elegant patisseries – and in an unlikely friendship with his rebellious classmate, Scarlett.

A moving story set in one of the world’s most beautiful cities, I Love You Too Much by Alicia Drake is told with humour, grace and unflinching honesty.

"Deliciously dramatic... The Beautiful Fall crackles with excitement."-New York Times Book Review
In the 1970s, Paris fashion exploded like a champagne bottle left out in the sun. Amid sequins and longing, celebrities and aspirants flocked to the heart of chic, and Paris became a hothouse of revelry, intrigue, and searing ambition. At the center of it all were fashion's most beloved luminaries - Yves Saint Laurent, the reclusive "enfant terrible, " and Karl Lagerfeld, the flamboyant freelancer with a talent for reinvention - and they divided Paris into two fabulous halves. Their enduring rivalry is chronicled in this dazzling expose of an era: of social ambitions, shared obsessions, and the mesmerizing quest for beauty.

"Fascinating." -"New York"" Times"

"Addictive." -"Philadelphia"" Inquirer"

"It's like "US Weekly," 1970s style." -"Gotham"

"A story constructed as exquisitely as a couture dress. . . . It moves stylishly forward, with frequent over-the-shoulder glances at some very dishy background." -"Boston""Globe"