There’s nothing like poring over the carefully curated pages of exquisite art, fashion or design books. Created with extreme care, and designed to speak to the importance of their subjects via beautiful imagery and impactful covers, the ‘coffee-table’ genre brings forth the kinds of tomes that are a joy to collect and a privilege to keep pride of place in the heart of our living spaces. As such, they also happen to make excellent presents come Christmas time, particularly for those who are typically harder to buy for. Here, we round up some of the most notable new coffee table book releases, from an ode to the late, great Virgil Abloh, to an exploration of the humble egg.
Louis Vuitton: Virgil Abloh
The inimitable legacy of Virgil Abloh is being celebrated in print, with Louis Vuitton (where he was Men’s Artistic Director before his untimely death last year) releasing an exquisite new coffee table book with two collectable covers. A beautiful ode to a cultural icon, this book offers an intimate portrait of a man who broke the rules in the best way, and documents, via stunning imagery, the eight collections that Abloh created in his tenure for Louis Vuitton.
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Pop Art Style
Part of Assouline’s Style series, this vibrant new book spotlights one of the most important artistic and aesthetic movements of our time — pop. Delving into its historical roots from Andy Warhol’s artworks, to Eero Aarnio’s furniture designs, to London in the swinging ’60s, before uncovering how it remains hugely significant today, this meticulously-detailed tome is essential reading for anyone obsessed with Pop Art and the colourful culture surrounding it.
Tiffany & Co. Vision and Virtuosity
Initially conceived as the catalogue to accompany Tiffany & Co.’s Vision and Virtuosity exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London, this breathtaking book encapsulates all the romance, heritage and craft of the iconic American brand, from creative inspirations, to notable campaigns, to Blue Book jewellery collections, to the famous Yellow Tiffany Diamond, and so much more.
The Gourmand’s Egg
In this quirky but fascinating new book, born from a collaboration between Taschen and food magazine The Gourmand, the humble egg takes centre stage — and rightly so. Comprising a collection of stories, recipes and original still-life images by renowned photographers that speak to the egg’s inherent dichotomy as both classic household ingredient and universal symbol of life, this book is equal parts sumptuous and absurd, lurid and mouthwatering. Inside, works by the likes of Salvador Dalì, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Frida Kahlo sit alongside writing by celebrated Chef, Food Writer, and Critic Ruth Reichl who sums it all up with this: “In cooking as in almost everything else, it all starts with an egg.”
Formula 1: The Impossible Collection
Documenting the milestones that have elevated Formula One to the international spectacle it is today — drawing millions of fans from all around the world — this detailed new book uncovers the exceptional technical innovations, remarkable drivers and exciting races that have made history. It is a beautiful culmination of the passion that drives this highly-technical, glamorous and storied sport and will prove essential reading for any Formula One fanatic.
Cape to Bluff
In this thoughtful, inspiring book, world-renowned New Zealand photographer Simon Devitt invites us into 30 of our country’s most architecturally spectacular homes. Taking the reader on a journey from dreamy, seaside baches to dramatic houses in the deep south — and everything in between — this book offers an exclusive look inside private spaces designed by this country’s leading architects.
Dior by Sarah Moon
Exploring the three distinct phases that make up the story of iconic French fashion house Christian Dior, this epic book offers a visual history in three volumes — told in photographs taken by one of France’s most lauded fashion photographers, Sarah Moon. The first volume includes 33 black-and-white images of Dior’s original designs, meticulously staged and artistically shot. The second, offers 43 images that document a selection of garments designed under the brand’s creative directors between 1958 and 2015 (Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano and Raf Simons). And the third, is made up of 38 photographs taken since the start of Maria Grazia Chiuri’s successful (and ongoing) tenure.
