The best fashion books to add to your coffee table

Well it’s looking like we’re all going to be stuck indoors for a little while, and once you’ve exhausted all the best feel good films, cult fashion shows and Netflix box sets, you might want to distract yourself with a bit of light reading. And while a good novel is always great, if you want […]

The post The best fashion books to add to your coffee table appeared first on Marie Claire.

Well it’s looking like we’re all going to be stuck indoors for a little while, and once you’ve exhausted all the best feel good films, cult fashion shows and Netflix box sets, you might want to distract yourself with a bit of light reading.

And while a good novel is always great, if you want a bit of sartorial escapism, there’s nothing like a fashion book. Plus, let’s be honest, they look great on your coffee table.

From Grace Kelly’s most stylish looks, to Grace Coddington’s memoir and the iconic black women who revolutionised fashion, here are a few to add to your reading list.

Grace of Monaco, Princess in Dior, by Florence Muller. £23.16 on Amazon

Published on the occasion of an exhibition at the Musee Christian Dior in Granville, France, this sophisticated volume celebrates the close collaboration between Grace Kelly and Dior s artistic directors, from Christian Dior to Marc Bohan, who dressed her and her family for more than twenty years.

Supreme Black Models: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Fashion, by Marcellas Reynolds. £20.61 on Amazon

The first-ever book celebrating black models, filled with revealing essays, interviews, and stunning photographs. Written by celebrity stylist and journalist Marcellas Reynolds, Supreme Models features more than 70 women from the last 60 years. The book is filled with gorgeous photographs of the women, and details their most memorable covers, campaigns, runway shows, and editorials.

Grace, by Grace Coddington. £8.99 on Amazon

For decades, Grace Coddington’s personal touch has steered wildly imaginative fashion spreads in Vogue magazine. Then came The September Issue, the behind-the-scenes documentary that turned the spotlight on a woman with a no-nonsense attitude and an unerring visual instinct. Overnight, the flame-haired Grace became a heroine for fashion insiders and the general public alike. Witty and forthright, and illustrated throughout with vintage photographs and exclusive line-drawings, Grace: A Memoir shares the excitement and vision that go into producing so many unforgettable fashion images.

Kate, by Mario Sorrenti. £59.96 on Amazon

This gorgeously produced book features intimate, never-before-published portraits of a young and undiscovered Kate Moss, taken in the early 1990s by her then-boyfriend, Italian photographer Mario Sorrenti. Seen by Calvin Klein, the photographs gave life to the famous Obsession campaign, which launched Moss to international superstardom.

Alexander McQueen, by Claire Wilcox. £24.53 on Amazon

This definitive publication on Alexander McQueen (1969 – 2010) invites you into the creative mind of one of Britain’s most brilliant, daring and provocative designers. Accompanying the V&A’s landmark exhibition Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, this comprehensive catalogue features 28 ground-breaking essays from expert fashion commentators and cultural scholars which examine the richness and complexity of McQueen s visionary fashion.

Advanced Style, by Ari Seth Cohen. £22.31 on Amazon

Advanced Style is Ari Seth Cohen’s blog-based-ode to the confidence, beauty and fashion that can only be achieved through the experience of a life lived glamourously. It is a collection of street fashion unlike any seen before – focused on the over-60 set in the world’s most stylish locales.

Rihanna, by Rihanna. £52.16 on Amazon

From her Barbados childhood to her worldwide tours, from iconic fashion moments to private time with friends and family, the book showcases intimate photographs of her life as an artist, performer, designer, and entrepreneur.

Bill Cunningham: on the street, by New York Times. £42.59 on Amazon

This official book of photographs houses the 50-year collection of the most iconic and beloved photographs taken by prolific fashion photographer Bill Cunningham, the king of street style.

The New Black Vanguard: Photography Between Art and Fashion, by Antwaun Sargent. £40 on Amazon

In The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion, curator and critic Antwaun Sargent addresses a radical transformation taking place in fashion and art today.

Yves Saint Laurent Catwalk: The Complete Haute Couture Collections 1962-2002, by Suzy Menkes. £48 on Amazon

This definitive publication opens with a concise history of the house, followed by a brief biographical profile of Yves Saint Laurent, before exploring the collections themselves, organized chronologically. Each collection is introduced by a short text unveiling its influences and highlights, and illustrated with a gallery of carefully curated catwalk images.

The post The best fashion books to add to your coffee table appeared first on Marie Claire.