Words to live by
This season's cache of style books are a mix of inspiration, instruction and education. Matthew Hague, Odessa Paloma Parker and Karen Pinchin gather the design, fashion and entertaining titles worthy of the most discerning library (plus, Janna Zittrer's selection of super luxe coffee-table toppers)
DESIGN
by Matthew Hague
Life Unstyled
Emily Henson's new book, Life Unstyled ($30, Ryland Peters & Small), was written as recompense to the world, her way to atone for her career as an interiors stylist. For years, she created "flawless and, frankly, unattainable" rooms for homeware ad campaigns (Ikea was a client) that were "intended to inspire but also [set] impossibly high standards of perfection." Now, her approach is anti-minimalist, pro-stuff and unabashedly eclectic (basically, Marie Kondo's nightmare). A section called "Good Clutter" features "everything you need to feel good about all life's bits and pieces." Another, called "Signs of Life," shows how stacks of old books need not be the indication of a hoarding problem, but instead an impossibly stylish bedside table.
This Brutal World
Some things are ugly but lovable – pugs, chihuahuas, Rodney Dangerfield. And some things are just plain ugly – brutalist architecture, for instance. This Brutal World ($60, Phaidon), by graphic designer Peter Chadwick, attempts to change hearts about the mid-century modern style. It features 300 black-and-white photos of famous and infamous all-concrete buildings from around the world (including a couple Canadian examples: Habitat in Montreal and the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver). The lack of colour brings out the poetry of the buildings, capturing how the rough textures and space-age shapes make dramatic plays with light and shadow. Throughout, quotes from a variety of thinkers, including George Orwell, Zaha Hadid and lyrics from Joy Division, underscore the thoughts and intentions behind the architecture, ideas that might not be apparent with a single, dismissive look.
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Squares & Other Shapes with Josef Albers
For parents who want to set their toddlers on the path to becoming graphic designers or abstract expressionists, Squares & Other Shapes with Josef Albers ($13, Phaidon) is fundamental reading. Albers was a mid-century modern artist who obsessively painted shapes (squares in particular, but also circles, triangles and rectangles) in rainbow of hues. Imagine Mark Rothko with a ruler. This new book, produced in partnership with the late artist's foundation, distills his high-brow work, which otherwise hangs in New York's Museum of Modern Art and other top collections, so that young minds can appreciate his concepts of composition and colour theory. Next step: finding toddler-sized black turtle necks and thick-rimmed glasses.
Footnotes from the World's Greatest Bookstores
The death knell for independent bookstores has been ringing for decades, but Bob Eckstein's new book, Footnotes from the World's Greatest Bookstores ($22, Clarkson Potter), visually illustrates why these shops are so beloved. Eckstein, a cartoonist for The New Yorker, has beautifully painted 75 of the most storied (pun intended) purveyors from around the world. Each image is captioned with an anecdote about the place. Some feature tales of the rich and famous – such as when Deepak Chopra took Michael Jackson, disguised in an Arab woman's veil, to buy the works of Carlos Castaneda at Bodhi Tree Bookstore in West Hollywood – while others capture the profound meaning these spaces can have for ordinary people. City Lights in San Francisco was so meaningful to one man that his daughter secretly spread his ashes in the stacks when he died.
The Hinterland: Cabins, Love Shacks and Other Hide-Outs
In every great romantic tryst, the destination is as crucial as the company. Taking refuge from the world with someone special is significantly less sexy if your secret spot is an off-ramp motel. The Hinterland: Cabins, Love Shacks and Other Hide-Outs ($70, Gestalten) presents over 200 pages of dreamy options from around the world. There are getaways on snowy mountains, overlooking rocky cliffs and in lush forests (some of which are literally suspended in the trees, like something out of Swiss Family Robinson, rope bridges and all). There are a few Canadian picks, including a sinuous sauna overlooking northern Ontario wilderness designed by Toronto-based Partisans. It's the kind of aspirational, dream-like escape that would tempt even the most die-hard workaholics to pack their bags and disappear from the day-to-day.
FASHION & BEAUTY by Odessa Paloma Parker
Victoria Beckham: Style Power
Though her foray into fashion design was met with skepticism, Victoria Beckham has proven her mettle with a parade of highly praised collections and a Designer of the Year award from the British Fashion Awards, not to mention an upcoming collaboration with Target – proof that the appeal of her sleek chic designs extends past Park Avenue. In Victoria Beckham: Style Power ($28.50, Art of Publishing), David Foy, who has written books about other high-profile celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Madonna, details Beckham's impressive empire in this first-of-its-kind title. Though perhaps not as revealing as one of the reality-television shows Beckham has appeared in over the years, this title gives fans what they really, really want.
Fashion: The Evolution of Style
Been there, done that: It's a quote often attributed to the lack of newness in contemporary fashion design, and Lucinda Gosling's latest book, Fashion: The Evolution of Style ($25.95, New Holland Publishers), possibly proves these words with an exploration of a great chunk of human history, sartorially speaking. An examination not only of the 20th century's revolving door of designs but of the political and social contexts that informed them, Gosling's access to the impressive Mary Evans Picture Library lends powerful visual impact to the tale of the way we wore. Subcultures are uncovered and trends are revived, but luckily you can simply observe the emergence of shoulder pads this time around.
Brigitte Bardot: My Life in Fashion
The undeniable appeal of ballet slippers, boho frocks and a cat eye: Today's ingenues and It girls learned these image-making lessons from one woman. Brigitte Bardot's impact on style is confirmed in this retrospective by Henry-Jean Servat, one of her greatest documentarians. His exclusive interview access, along with Bardot's own commentary on photographs throughout Bridget Bardot: My Life in Fashion ($60, Flammarion), gives insight into how she went from teenaged model to international idol. In a world without social media platforms and influencer programs, Bardot built her image from scratch and still remains one of the world's most imitated icons.
Frocking Life: Searching for Elsa Schiaparelli
BillyBoy*, a glamorous multi-hyphenate and member of Andy Warhol's entourage, shares his devotion to enigmatic designer Elsa Schiaparelli in this passionate read, which is inspired by Schiaparelli's own memoir, Shocking Life. The owner of the largest private collector of Schiaparelli's designs, BillyBoy* first discovered the Italian's compelling, unusual work at a flea market in Paris. Frocking Life: Searching for Elsa Schiaparelli ($39.95, Rizzoli) is peppered with mentions of the art and fashion world's most eclectic figures, and features some of Schiaparelli's most notable designs. Fans of surrealism, decadent design and over-the-top personalities will get a kick from this heady love letter.
Pretty Iconic: A Personal Look at the Beauty Products That Changed the World
Journalist and former makeup artist to the likes of George Michael and Belinda Carlisle, Sali Hughes imparts her knowledge about the stars of the beauty universe in Pretty Iconic: A Personal Look at the Beauty Products That Changed the World ($34.99, Fourth Estate), a catalogue of makeup must haves and game-changing cosmetics throughout time. With the addition of new products from cult brands like Charlotte Tilbury, and highlights from high-fashion fixations (Chanel No. 5, of course) to more accessible items from Maybelline and Oil of Olay, Hughes's wealth of wisdom lends weight to the serious business of beauty and its storied history.
ENTERTAINING by Karen Pinchin
Appetites
Anthony Bourdain, the shock jock of culinary travel and celebrity chefdom, is an acquired taste. Now a father and an established voice with nothing to prove, he must have mellowed, right? Wrong. Appetites ($46.50, Ecco), Bourdain's first cookbook in more than 10 years, is an explicit romp, both in language and photography: Korean noodles spill wetly out of a camouflage army helmet while bits of dead animals run amok across these pages. While tender recollections of his childhood and his daughter Ariane accompany recipes for laksa and sandwiches, quesadillas and clams, it seems this leopard has not changed his stripes. These rich, in-your-face dishes prove Bourdain is still out for blood.
Regarding Cocktails
Before the craft cocktail revolution there was Sasha Petraske, whose speakeasy Milk & Honey opened in 2000 in a former New York mahjong parlour. Completed by his wife and colleagues after his sudden death last year, Regarding Cocktails ($39.95, Phaidon), a sleek compendium of methods and recipes, is a modern, obsessive look at the equipment, process and components of a perfect drink. There's even a bookmark legend of symbols and colours denoting each spirit and component, extending to the minimalist illustrations. "He led us out of the wilderness to a place where soft-spoken bartenders solicit your favorite spirits and flavor," writes fellow bartender Dale DeGroff. If there's a fitting cocktail for celebration or melancholy, it is certainly to be found here.
The Del Posto Cookbook
Nothing at Del Posto, New York City's Michelin-starred Italian restaurant, is done in half-measures, so it's appropriate that The Del Posto Cookbook ($60, Hachette) is a luxurious bacchanal. But don't let the meticulous photography and impeccable Old World-styling fool you. This is a warming, cozy book, which is strange given its formality. These recipes, from executive chef Mark Ladner and his team, are surprisingly approachable, built on high-quality ingredients – primarily made in Italy, although regional substitutions are suggested – and exacting technique. For cooks craving challenge, there's Le Virtu, a painstaking 50-ingredient, seven-pot soup affair, and Timpano, a labour-intensive stuffed baked pasta dish from Abruzzo. Bon courage.
The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook
While the bleak carrot-munching stereotype of a vegan is passé, the festive season can still challenge anyone avoiding meat, eggs or dairy and their panicked or chagrined carnivorous relatives. Enter blogger and bestselling cookbook author Moskowitz, who wrote The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook ($42, Hachette), a large, colourful cookbook "for everyone who's ever asked what to serve to the vegans in their lives," and vegans looking to please a crowd. The book divides into 17 festive holidays, from Oscars Party to Cinco de Mayo to Hanukkah, striking a balance between party snacks, appetizers, main dishes and sweets. Highlights include chicken and waffles made with seitan, and a creamy, rich pot pie that makes us want to avoid dry Thanksgiving turkey altogether.
Drinks: A User's Guide
Long-time drinks writer and bon vivant Adam McDowell's Drinks: A User's Guide ($27, TarcherPerigee) provides practical, conversational advice on how to conduct oneself around alcoholic beverages, including choosing, ordering, mixing and drinking – and sleeping them off. Knowledge-forward, with a frisson of Buddhism, this compact book is ideal for the curious casual drinker or serious hobbyist. From choosing a wine (avoid cartoon animals) to tasting Scotch (avoid mansplaining), this is a charming, readable foray into the complicated, polarized world of libations. But perhaps its best advice is existential: "In any conflict between enjoying the moment and obsessing about the drinks," he writes, "the moment must win out."
LUXURY by Janna Zittrer
The Luxury Collection: Room with a View
A showcase of the spectacular rooms and suites from the Starwood brand's impressive roster of more than 95 hotels and resorts, The Luxury Collection: Room with a View ($1,270, Assouline) takes you to the world's most exquisite destinations, from the turquoise waters of the Aegean Riviera in Turkey to the Sacred Valley at the base of Machu Picchu in Peru. Rounding out the book's breathtaking images are the musings of stylish jet setters, including Valentino global brand ambassador Carlos Souza, art director Sofia Sanchez de Betak and designer Margherita Missoni. Each limited-edition copy also includes a pair of Leica Ultravid Colorline binoculars to better view the lavish accommodations and pristine panoramas that are sure to leave readers with acute wanderlust.
Smythson Mara Large World Atlas
With navigation tools and real-time check-ins now at our fingertips, the printed atlas might seem destined for obsolescence. Enter the Smythson Mara Large World Atlas ($1,115 (U.S.), Smythson), a beautiful leather-bound compendium of full-colour maps that is as timeless as the need to explore the world it depicts. Printed on gilt-edged paper and encased in crocodile-print calfskin that can be hand-stamped at a premium for a personalized touch, it evokes the pleasure of planning an adventure the old-fashioned way while making a smart addition to any modern-day living room.
Issey Miyake Collector's Edition
Issey Miyake's self-titled tome chronicles the Japanese visionary's commitment to cutting-edge design throughout his more than 40-year career. For the recent release of Issey Miyake Collector's Edition ($1,150, Taschen), Miyake Design Studio president Midori Kitamura created a customized book bag featuring folded shapes and pressed foil techniques inspired the brand's origami-themed 132 5 collection. In addition to the tote, all 1,000 limited-edition copies come stamped with Miyake's own "inkan," a Japanese seal that draws on the designer's gift for fusing basic materials and ancient traditions with new and innovative techniques.
Naomi Cambpell, Art Edition
Behold more than three decades of Naomi Campbell's history-making career, housed in an acrylic 3-D bustier case by famed sculptor Allen Jones, all for less than what it costs to get the legendary supermodel out of bed. Limited to 100 numbered copies, each containing Campbell's signature and a 1996 Vogue Italy print inscribed by renowned fashion photographer Paolo Roversi, Naomi Cambpell, Art Edition ($6,500, Taschen) offers a rare and intimate look at the fashion icon's life in two volumes. The first features Campbell's portfolio highlights, with photographs by the likes of Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Bruce Weber and Ellen von Unwerth; in the second, Campbell reflects on her life in her own words, illustrated by magazine covers, video stills and never-before-seen personal photos.
The Impossible Collection of Wine
Enrico Bernardo became one of the world's foremost wine experts while working as head sommelier at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, after which he opened two wine-led, Michelin-starred restaurants in the City of Light, Il Vino and Goust. In his newly released book, The Impossible Collection of Wine ($1,130 Assouline), Bernardo profiles 100 of the 20th-century's finest vintages, from the 1928 Château Margaux to the 1978 Chateau Montelena to the Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon of '92. Hand bound, filled with more than 100 photographs and presented in a rope-handled wooden crate, this visually stunning ode to vino is meant to please even the most serious of connoisseurs.
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