Denise Raab Jacobs
Translation for publishers, magazines, museums, media, website content.
I love what I do and approach each translation project as a new adventure. I focus on luxury brands, fashion, jewelry, the arts, travel, film, culture and lifestyle.
As a student of semantics and semiotics, I learned that the truth always lies in the words. A good translation requires close reading, textual analysis, research, context, localization and common sense. A great translation will incorporate all of the above and, when truly successful, be completely invisible.
I have translated books and articles on:
- Fashion and luxury lifestyle (Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Dior, Pierre Cardin, Alexander McQueen, Paul Smith, Jacques Fath, Le Bon Marché, Longchamp)
- Jewelry (Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Chaumet, Chanel, Dior, Fred, Dinh Van)
- Museum catalogs for fashion exhibitions (Musée des arts décoratifs, Palais Galliéra)
- The arts (Ballets Russes, Antique Markets of Paris, Gardens of Monet, Peynet)
- Architecture (Hotel Lambert)
- Photography (François Halard, Jean-Michel Berts)
- Travel (Rio, La Mamounia, Venice, Rajasthan, the Plaza-Athénée, the Ritz Paris)
- Film (Francis Ford Coppola)
- Documentaries on WWII and Princess Diana
- Fiction (The Green King)
- Biography (The Many Lives of Toto Koopman)
I've had the privilege to work with a variety of different clients, including Rizzoli, Abrams, Assouline, le Musée des Arts Décoratifs, CBS News, and more.
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Martin Margiela: The Women’s Collections 1989-2009 by Alexandre Samson, Introduction by Olivier Saillard (New York: Rizzoli, 2018)Translated in collaboration with Liza Tripp
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Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style by Florence Müller. Catalog for the Seattle Museum of Art (New York: Rizzoli, 2016) -
Fashion Forward: Three Centuries of Fashion at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs by Pierre Bergé, Olivier Gabet, Pamela Golbin and Denis Bruna (New York, Rizzoli, 2017)Translated in collaboration with Liza Tripp
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Harmony Korine by Harmony Korine, Alicia Knock and Emmanuel Burdeau (New York: Rizzoli, 2018) -
Francois Halard: A Visual Diary by Francois Halard (New York: Rizzoli, 2019) -
The Many Lives of Miss K: Toto Koopman – Model, Muse, Spy by Jean-Noël Liaut (New York: Rizzoli, 2013) -
Olivier Theyskens: She Walks in Beauty by Kaat Debo, Elisa De Wyngaert, Vanessa Freidman, Lydia Kamitsis and Wim Mertens (New York: Rizzoli, 2018)
Assouline
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Yves Saint Laurent: The Impossible Collection by Laurence Benaïm (2020) -
Cartier Panthère by Bérénice Geoffroy-Schneiter, Vivienne Becker, Joanna Hardy, André Leon Talley (2015) -
Van Cleef & Arpels by Bérénice Geoffroy-Schneiter (2015) -
Dior Jewelry
by Jérôme Hanover (2012)
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Chanel Parfums-Beauté
by Martine Marcovich (2011)
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Ballets Russes
by André Tubeuf (2011)
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The Ritz Parisby Laure Verchére (2017)
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Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche
by Monica Burckhardt
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Antiquaires: Paris Flea Markets
by Laure Verchère (2010)
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Le Pliage by Longchamp
by Laure Verchère (2014)
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Hôtel Plaza Athénée, The Couture Address in Paris by François Simon (2015) -
Pierre Cardin by Jean-Pascal Hesse (2017) -
Fred (2017) -
In the Spirit of Rio by Bruno Astuto (2016) -
Dinh Van by Bérénice Geoffroy-Schneiter (2015) -
Rajasthan Style by Laure Vernière and Anne Garde (2015) -
Chaumetby Fabienne Reybaud (2017)
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The Light of Jerusalem by Jean-Michel Berts and Elie Wiesel (2014) -
Pierre Cardin: 60 Years of Innovation
by Jean-Pascal Hesse (2010)
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Lovers by Peynet
by Raymond Peynet, forward by Jean Plantu (2011)
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Les Mondes de Chaumet by Bérénice Geoffroy-Schneiter (2018) -
Hôtel Lambert by Patrick Mauriès (2020, for private release)
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Icons of Vintage Fashion: Definitive Designer Classics at Auction 1900-2000 by Penelope Blanckaert (Abrams, 2013)Translated in collaboration with Lenora Ammon
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Claude Monet’s Gardens at Giverny Dominique Lobstein and Jean-Pierre Gilson (Abrams, 2013) -
Love Looks Not with The Eyes: Thirteen Years with Lee Alexander McQueen by Anne Deniau (Abrams, 2012) -
Paul Smith: A to Z by Olivier Wicker (Abrams, 2012)
More About Denise
Raised in Paris, now living in New York City.
Education
- B.A. Finch College, M.A., M.Phil. French Literature, Columbia University, New York
- NYU translation studies courses: translating the news, subtitling for film and multimedia, marketing and advertising, and journalistic translation.
Other projects
- Taught translation courses at Columbia University, private tutoring.
- Translated/edited speeches for the United Nations General Assembly.
I would love to hear from you, whether you're interested in working with me or want to learn more about the work I've done.