Inspirational Women: Rediscovering Stories in Art, Science and Social Reform by Samira Ahmed and Lydia Miller - Published: National Portrait Gallery - 31-03-2022 - 168 pages.
Biography & Literature - Biography & Literature - Published to celebrate Women’s History Month, this book focuses on the stories of inspirational and pioneering women whose work has changed the course of British history. Although the successes of many of these women have not been celebrated historically, this new title will shine a light on their achievements and contributions to history and culture both in Britain and, in some cases, internationally. These stories of perseverance and achievement have been grouped into four broad themes: Art & Architecture; Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM); Social Reform, Politics and Law; and Women Abroad.
It features an introductory essay by Samira Ahmed as well as extended captions by Lydia Miller. The publication provides a snapshot of Reframing Narratives: Women in Portraiture, a three-year project supported by the CHANEL Culture Fund. This project aims to enhance the representation of women in the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection and highlight the often-overlooked stories of individual women who have shaped British history and culture. Some of the sitters featured in this book include Mary Beale, Gwen John, Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Dorothy Hodgkin, Olive Morris, Cicely Saunders and Laura Knight.
Portugal: The Monocle Handbook: Your guide to the best hotels, restaurants, beaches and design - Published: Thames and Hudson Ltd - 08-11-2022 - 200 pages.
Lifestyle - Travel - From the team at Monocle, the first in a new series of practical travel guides.
Following in the footsteps of the hugely successful Monocle Book of Italy and The Monocle Book of the Nordics, Monocle’s latest title turns its focus to Portugal in an exciting new series of country-specific books.
A handbook in feel and tone, this practical guide will transport you to the sun-dappled hills of Lisbon and the winding streets of Porto as well as lesser-known locales from the Alentejo region, with its plentiful vineyards, to the dramatic landscapes of the Azores. Plus, discover Monocle’s favourite places to stay, eat and shop – stop off at an elegant palácio, indulge in a family-run tasca and scour the streets for the creamiest pastéis de nata – and the cross-country trips we’d make (whether by car, boat or horse). You’ll also be introduced to the country’s rich culture, including the history of Portugal’s vibrant visual identity and the folks at the heart of it all. So join in, hit the tiles and explore this fascinating country in Portugal: The Monocle Handbook.
Chloé Catwalk: The Complete Collections by Lou Stoppard and Suzy Menkes - Published: Thames and Hudson Ltd - 08-11-2022 - 632 pages.
Fashion & Jewelry - Fashion & Textiles - The first comprehensive overview of Chloé’s collections presented through catwalk photography, published in collaboration with Chloé to celebrate the house’s 70th anniversary in 2022.
Founded by Egyptian-born Gaby Aghion in 1952, Chloé pioneered luxury ready-to-wear that was all about ease and femininity, offering an elegant haute bohemian style for the modern, liberated Parisienne. Resolutely contemporary, the house spotted and hired a young Karl Lagerfeld as early as the 1960s: he stayed for over two decades, achieving fame and recognition worldwide through his Chloé work, before Stella McCartney (and her then assistant Phoebe Philo) succeeded him straight out of fashion school.
This definitive publication opens with a concise history of the house of Chloé before exploring the collections themselves, which are organized chronologically. Each new era in Chloé’s history opens with a brief overview and biography of the new designer, while individual collections are introduced by a short text unveiling their influences and highlights, and illustrated with carefully curated catwalk images. A rich reference section, including an extensive index, concludes the book.
After Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada, Vivienne Westwood and Versace, Chloé is the eighth in a series of high-end, cloth-bound books that offer an unrivalled overview of the collections of the world’s top fashion houses through original catwalk photography.
New Nordic Houses by Dominic Bradbury - Published: Thames and Hudson Ltd - 15-08-2019 - 320 pages.
Architecture & Landscape Design - History & Reference - In a climate that ranges from cold, dark and unforgiving to endless sun and crystalline skies, the homes of the Nordic countries are lifted by ever-changing and dramatic natural light balanced by an intrinsic sense of warmth. Nordic architects today are as much informed by vernacular traditions and natural materials as their forebears, but the most recent generation of practitioners reflects a new appetite for spatial exploration and changing lifestyles.
Divided into four chapters – rural cabins, coastal retreats, town houses and country homes – this survey of over forty of Scandinavia’s finest and most innovative houses features work by a broad spectrum of leading architects, such as Jon Danielsen Aarhus, Tham & Videgård, Snorre Stinessen, Reiulf Ramstad and Todd Saunders. Structured by terrain to reveal the full diversity of the landscape and its architectural challenges, the book is full of fresh thinking about living spaces that are at once universal and distinctively Nordic. From country houses complete with traditional Nordic fireplaces, saunas, window seats and verandas, to remote cabin hideaways and artist’s studios, there are details and grand ideas that can be applied to residential design anywhere. A reference section includes an appendix of architectural plans.
Shocking: The Surreal World of Elsa Schiaparelli by de la Carrière, Marie-Sophie Carro and Dilys Blum - Published: Thames and Hudson Ltd - 25-08-2022 - 288 pages.
Fashion & Jewelry - Fashion & Textiles - Published to accompany the major exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, this book is destined to become a must-have work of reference for all fashion lovers.
The couturière Elsa Schiaparelli (1890–1973) was a key figure in Paris fashion between the two World Wars. Following in the footsteps of her mentor Paul Poiret, she designed her first knitwear collection in January 1927. Decorated with trompe-l’oeil motifs in black and white, her sweaters were an immediate success in both France and the USA. In 1935, the Maison Schiaparelli opened in the Place Vendôme in Paris, selling collections designed for sports, city and evening wear.
Like her arch-rival Gabrielle Chanel, Schiaparelli also worked closely with artists, including Man Ray, Jean Cocteau and Salvador Dalí, with whom she created a lobster dress. Taking a cue from Surrealism, her creations were hugely imaginative and made use of innovative new materials. The ‘Schiap’ style continued to develop through the 1930s. Her most famous collections had themes including the circus (summer 1938) and astrology (winter 1938–39). In 1937, Schiaparelli launched the fragrance Shocking, named after shocking pink, which had become her signature colour.
Alongside vintage photographs, sketches and contemporary features from Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, this volume presents specially photographed masterpieces from the collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. All 120 garments and accessories from the Schiaparelli archive are illustrated, along with a selection of her drawings dating from 1933 to 1953.
