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10 coffee table fashion books

Mark these titles, it's the right time to start reading them one by one

10 coffee table fashion books Mark these titles, it's the right time to start reading them one by one

The danger of a second lockdown has been close to us in recent months, and now between "red zone" and "orange zone", some of us will again spend a lot of time at home between videocalls and smart working, or distance learning. It is certainly the right time to treat ourselves with moments of relax and unleash our creativity, or just reading a lot, "pulling the plug" when necessary. What about expanding our fashion bookshelf and leave the computer screen for a while, at least in our free time?

Moreover, Christmas is not too far away, here we are on a constant search for gift ideas. nss G-Club comes to rescue with a list of 10 fashion books to add absolutely in your bookshelf, or even on the living room table. Yes, these books, thanks to their wonderful covers, can also be an element of home decor. Not surprisingly, they are also named coffee table books.

 

Storia della Moda - Enrica Morini

If you want to travel through time, passing through all the most important stages in the history of fashion, this is definitely the book for you. In these 608 pages, there is the evolution of fashion starting from its birth, what is meant when we talk about the creation of a fashion and how much society has power over it. And to get a more complete picture, certainly there is no shortage of the names of the great designers from all over the world who have contributed to its change.

 

Fashion Designers A-Z - Valerie Steele, Suzy Menkes

This 592-page book is a real review, from A to Z, of all the most important fashion designers. It also illustrates a collection of 500 items selected from the permanent collection of the museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, iconic not only for their beauty, but also and above all for their symbolic value. To write is the director and curator of the museum, who tells the story of the same, flanked by the well-known fashion journalist Suzy Menkes, who takes care of the short preface.

 

Items: Is Fashion Modern? - Michelle Miller Fisher 

Structured in 288 pages, it is a catalog of the first exhibition dedicated to fashion at the MoMA museum in New York. 111 of the most iconic high fashion objects of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries are therefore listed, including clothing, shoes and accessories. Objects that have influenced our culture: suffice it to recall how Levi’s 501 jeans, a piece of clothing created as a work uniform for miners, has become a symbol of rebellion and a change in fashion.

 

Moda. Dalla nascita della haute couture ad oggi - Sofia Gnoli

From the French hegemony of the second half of the nineteenth century till today, the book traces the history of fashion. With a privileged look at Italy, alongside the profiles of the most important international designers, the essential stages of the affirmation of fashion and its passage from haute couture to prêt-à-porter, up to globalization. In addition to the study of various topics and designers, like autarchy and Elsa Schiaparelli, haute couture and Cristóbal Balenciaga, huge space is given to current topics, like fast fashion, heritage, sustainability, the "waltz" of creative directors and the impact of Coronavirus on the fashion system.

 

Pantone Fashion. Un secolo di colori nella moda - L. Eiseman, E.Cutler

For those who are Pantone enthusiasts and can't wait to find out what the new shade of the year will be, here is a book designed especially for you. Pantone has always played a fundamental role in fashion. Color in fact has the power to transform the perception of things. And it is precisely for this reason that the creations of the designers or their collections, without the color trends of the moment, would not have been the same. Indeed, it is often color that creates fashions such as Hunter Green, better known as forest green, in the 1920s, or Rose Wine, a shade of burgundy, in 2000.

 

Lagerfeld: The Chanel Shows - Simon Procter 

The text recounts the great successes that characterized the brilliant career of King Karl Lagerfeld, meticulously illustrated by the author Simon Procter, as well as an English photographer who also collaborated with him. From 1955, when for the first time he signed the wool coat for Balmain, passing through collaborations like the one with Fendi, up to the unforgettable work with Chanel and the creation of his own brand. The book is also embellished with the scenography of Chanel's most famous fashion shows under the creative direction of Karl.

 

Christian Dior & Moi - Christian Dior

Before suddenly passing, Christian Dior decided to write down his memoir, to tell his life because as he said: "I have yet to live my best memories, my past is still very young". He ironically claimed to be animated by two identities, the public and the private, and he wished, therefore, to make them both known to his audience. Thus, the autobiography starts from his move to Paris up to the fateful day in 1946, when the namesake maison was born.

 

Gucci: The Making Of - Rizzoli 

Starting from the Florentine origins, we proceed with an in-depth analysis of the history and style of Gucci. Highlighting the importance of craftsmanship and the perennial pursuit of innovation, characteristics that have made the brand what it is today. The volume is entirely edited by the creative director of that period, Frida Giannini, with numerous contributions from famous fashion figures such as Katie Grand, all embellished with Arnell Group graphics. Published simultaneously with the opening of the famous museum of the brand in Florence, "Gucci Garden".

 

Gods & Kings: The Rise & Fall of Alexander Mcqueen & John Galliano - Dana Thomas 

Two very similar out-of-the-ordinary personalities, two visionary artists: in this book, the journalist Dana Thomas tells the story of two designers who have marked fashion, Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. Two different approaches, but the same result: that of leaving one's own mark. John known for his sensual and imaginary fairy-tale dresses and Alexander, younger, brilliant technician with a darker vision.

 

Prada, Sfilate - Susannah Frankel

The text begins in 1979, when Miuccia Prada took control of the brand. Miuccia, after focusing on accessories, a few years after her debut, decides to undertake a creative turning point that will mark her success forever: to present the first prêt-à-porter collection. The rest is history, the brand is recognized as one of the most innovative of the century. The book, therefore, is an overview of photographs of the Prada catwalks, from the debut until today.