I have a confession to make – I am a bookworm and cannot resist combining my love of fashion to splash out on glossy books. Looking at my coffee table, these are the style tomes that I’ve bought this year and wanted to share with you.
From my favourite exhibition this year I would recommend Cartier as a gift for any fashion lover. Authors Helen Molesworth and Rachel Garrahan have created a keepsake of the V&A exhibition as a sumptuous guide to jewellery that most of us can only dream of wearing and owning! Few jewellers are as celebrated as Cartier, even fewer have as many instantly recognizable designs – some of which, such as the Tank watch, Love bracelet and Trinity ring, have become iconic. Glamorous, witty, beautiful and beloved of stars such as Grace Kelly, over 150 dazzling Cartier pieces are featured here.
Continuing the luxury theme is Vintage Icons of Fashion. A Birkin bag, a Hermès scarf and the Chanel Première watch this elegant book highlights the most emblematic vintage pieces from throughout the 20th century and into the early 2000s. Discover their history, their trademarks, manufacturing secrets and why they have become such sought-after staples of haute couture.
The stories behind the fashion houses and brands are just as interesting and that’s partly why I bought I Shop,Therefore I Am. Mary takes us behind the shop window of Harvey Nichols, to the people who kept the show on the road and the early lessons that shaped her career. Told with her trademark wit, grit and candour, readers will see first-hand how she created an era-defining global brand destination. I read this in one weekend!
At weekends (when I haven’t got my nose in a book!) I love to visit exhibitions and country houses too, especially where there are clothes on show, so this next book was an obvious purchase.
Did you know that The National Trust looks after more than 30,000 items of clothing? 100 Things to Wear is the first book to explore the breadth and depth of their collection, from attire of extraordinary luxury to everyday items worn by those who lived and worked in the Trust’s historic houses. It was only £12 and has inspired me to hop on a train and visit some of the houses so that I can get up close and personal with these historical gems.
As a designer who unashamedly trawled through the history books for inspiration, next on my list is Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery I was surprised that this is the first book dedicated to her jewellery creations. Whether a skilfully rendered safety-pin brooch, a hand-strung “broken” pearl necklace, or the iconic Westwood orb in crystal, these are pieces that define the brand and still do today after her death. From punk masterworks such as the “Hardcore Paperclip Earrings” and “Chaos Necklace” through the pastel-toned “Flower Skull Necklace” and “Rubber Earrings” to the recycled-can “Simone Earrings” and the pagan “Conkers Necklace,” contemporary creations mingle with reimagined classics. Each piece is identified with its name, fashion season, and what is often an extraordinary range of materials. Through evocative still-life vignettes and close-ups, images of catwalk models, and stunning portraits of Vivienne Westwood, this glittering volume welcomes readers to a vibrant world that draws on the house’s rich heritage.
Learning about the origins of a brand and what it takes to be a successful fashion designer were the reasons I bought the next book In We Might Just Make It After All as Elyce Arons paints a moving portrait of friendship with the designer she met in college and cofounded the multi-billion-dollar fashion company as they came of age in 1990s New York.
Was the 90s your decade? Then Captivate! by supermodel Claudia Schiffer is for you. It was the era of the meteoric rise of the supermodel, and who better to guide you through the decade other than Claudia Schiffer with over 130 colour photographs, revealing unseen private archives published for the very first time. As a 90s super, Claudia stood alongside Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patitz and Naomi Campbell. I bought Naomi In Fashion last year and still flick through to admire the incredible couture she has been lucky enough to model from the world’s best designers.