Denise L'estrange Corbet

A fascinating memoir from one of New Zealand's leading fashion designers. This is Denise's L'Estrange Corbet's honest and frank account of her turbulent life - from her difficult childhood through to her successful business life today. She covers the emotional landscape of her childhood, her malevolent grandmother, her dysfunctional family and most of all the development of her depression. This is a really honest, raw story that shows how mental illness can develop through childhood. Her insights into the causes and effects of depression are enthralling; it's a compelling story of mental illness, written with a great deal of humour. At times, it's like a darkly fascinating version of Bill Bryson: funny anecdotes about childhood with the menacing tinge of depression. Her account of the early years of WORLD, her time as a fashion student in London and her interactions with people in the business are terrific. This is an eye-opener and a page-turner of a book, with great anecdotes about the fashion world and strong, compelling writing about childhood and depression. The foreword is by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and all royalties go to the Mental Health Foundation.