Simon Doonan Champions Eccentric Style in New Book (Fashion Wire Daily)

New York - Simon Doonan, creative director of Barneys New York, style guru, New York Observer columnist and best-selling author, celebrated the publication of his latest book, "Eccentric Glamour," in New York Tuesday night, April 8, at a dinner party hosted by Elle magazine and Moschino on the top floor of Barneys.

Toasted by an assortment of Doonans pool of glamorously eccentric friends, including John Waters, Iman, Lynn Yaeger, Michael Musto, Mickey Boardman of Paper magazine, Suzanne Bartsch and Isabel and Ruben Toledo, Doonan, who wore a trim gray suit jacket by Moschino with the words "Good Taste Doesnt Exist" embroidered on the backside, proclaimed an end to the overdone tabloid sense of style as exemplified by Paris and Britney.

"The goal is really to say no to ‘ho, and yes to eccentric glamour," said Doonan in between air kisses and photographs. "Its about saddling the porno trend. The slut trend is so ubiquitous and so huge, that people dont even see it anymore. Dressing like an eighties porn star is like the norm now for women who have a makeover."

Instead, Doonan proposes in his book, which is a humorous take on the "how-to" style guide genre, the trick is to take cues from unconventional style icons who have learned to embrace their own individual style.

"You find your inner eccentric by being who you are," said Doonan. "Fashion now is about personal expression; its not about following trends or looking outside. Its about looking inside and then getting your own look together."

The book outlines three types of glamorous eccentrics to get women started on their transformation from bland to glam: The Existentialist, the Gypsy and the Socialite.

"Tilda Swinton would be an Existentialist, and a Gypsy would be Joss Stone or Stevie Nicks…very bohemian, more unstructured," said Doonan. "And then Socialite is a big group. Its anyone with turned out fashion sense and glamour."

John Waters, known for his celebration of bad taste and no stranger to eccentricity, was the first to have Doonan sign his copy of "Eccentric Glamour," and gave his take on what eccentric glamour meant for him.

"Eccentric glamour is effortless," said Waters. "Its just an inner fashion sense that has nothing to do with money. Its when youve just found your look. It can be a Band-Aid; it can be a rag. Its a signature look that somebody effortlessly put together thats singularly them and that other people copy. Thats eccentric glamour. You cant plan to be it, you just have to have it."