Turning the Page
12TH MAY 2021
Essential reading
Take a page from these legends, icons and artists.
From memoirs to coffee table books, non-fiction page-turners to must-read biographies – the fashion industry has an entire literary genre of its very own that feeds and fuels the creativity and interests of readers and style obsessives the world over. For decades, editors, photographers, models and icons have all shared their stories, providing rare glimpses into a captivating world of curiosity, creativity and innovation. The following books are sure to pique your interest and celebrate the various impacts art, fashion and design can have on our lives.
Reinvention and Restlessness: Fashion in the 90s Written by Colleen Hill
Contributions by Valerie Steele, Patricia Mears, Shonagh Marshall.
Available through Rizzoli
There’s no shortage of praise and adoration for the decade that created ‘the supermodel’, introduced us to grunge and celebrated the newfound combination of high and low fashion, but 90s style was about more than just famous faces and emerging trends. With the rebirth of established couture houses and the arrival of new creative minds that were set to revolutionise the industry – it was a representation of changing culture, evolving attitudes and the beginning of the fashion internet boom.
This book transports us back to the 90s and looks at those who played pivotal roles in defining the space. From Sander to Yamamoto, McQueen to Galliano – fashion’s heavyweights, as well as their editorial counterparts, are all reunited in this nostalgic yet informative new release. Written by Colleen Hill, curator of costume and accessories at The Museum at FIT, this book doesn’t just look at the concepts that defined 90s fashion but delves into its enduring legacy and reveals why it’s still coveted to this day.
Image @colleen_hill_fashion
Villa Jeux De Peau By Henrik Purienne
Available through Owl Bureau
The fourth book by photographer Henrik Purienne, Jeux De Peau instantly transports the reader to another world with each page. With his undeniably chic approach to capturing his subjects, Purienne has created an evocative and aesthetically desirable piece of work. Snapped at his residence in the Hollywood Hills, Jeux de Peau (also the name of his home) ensures each page shimmers, glimmers and reflects the dreamy escapism we’re all longing for right now. Poolside, under the sun, head in the clouds and toes in the sand.
Image @owlbureau
Made in France AVEDON By Judith Thurman
Available through Dashwood Books
Comprising of beautiful black and white photographs, reproduced annotations, stains of original pieces and an introduction by Judith Thurman (staff writer for The New Yorker), this first edition is one of only 5000 copies ever made worldwide.
Originally published for a 2001 exhibition at Fraenkel Gallery in California, this book features a small but important body of Avedon’s work - treating readers to images he captured for Harper’s Bazaar magazine in Paris in the 1950s. Importantly, it captures a postwar France as it looked to fashion to help reclaim its position as the world’s cultural hub.
This book is a true piece of art. Thin yet oversized and bound with heavy pictorial boards and a linen spine, it also happens to be printed on coated cover stock paper. Importantly, particularly for Avedon fanatics, each uncropped image has been reproduced to the exact scale of the engraver's original prints made for Avedon himself, and feature his notations on both the front and back of the book. This particular copy from Dashwood also happens to be signed. A rare gem, indeed.
Image courtesy of DASHWOOD BOOKS
Le Livre Du Bain By Francoise de Bonneville
Available through High Valley Books
You don’t have to be fluent in french to appreciate the universal themes of rest and relaxation presented in this book. Devoted to the most indulgent and dreamy baths and bathrooms in the world, this book will leave you yearning for the quiet escapism of the water, and the power of rejuvenation only felt after you’ve floated away for as many hours.
IMAGE @HIGHVALLEYBOOKS
It Just Happened By Bob Colacello 1976-1982
Available through Ivory Press
Written by photographer and former “Interview” magazine editor, Bob Colacello, this book is more like a photo album that celebrates and contextualises the images with handwritten notes and anecdotes by the author.
As Andy Warhol’s former best friend and confidant, Colacello ensures each page brings to life an intimate chronicle of the enviable social circle that surrounded Colacello and Warhol on a daily basis. Each candid photograph is presented in chronological order and accompanied by fascinating details and insights into what it was like to be part of the New York arts scene in the late seventies and early eighties. Take us there, now.
IMAGE @IVORYPRESS