From a Rizzoli tome on the dark romance of Simone Rocha’s designs to a book of photos taken on the set of Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest film, here are the best new autumn and winter releases
We know it’s wrong to judge books by their covers or to use them as interior design accents but when what’s inside is enriching, then your coffee table growing taller is a happy bonus. A heavy, hardback tome filled with beautiful images is hard to beat when it comes to things that make us feel grown up, educated and chic. From a visual love letter to sisterhood to an ode to the playfulness of paper, here are some of our favourite art and photo books.
Simone Rocha
Fans of Simone Rocha’s ultra-feminine and romantic pieces are sure to love this eponymous celebration of the Irish designer’s brand. But this is not just a catalogue of Rocha’s creative output in the decade since her label launched; it is also a love letter to personal inspiration, design and collaboration. Each chapter opens with a lyrical passage, written by Rocha herself, that sets the stage for a specific theme she has explored in her designs. Then, along with beautiful photography, there are essays and interviews that illuminate how and why her unique vision comes to life.
Read our feature on the book here.
An Eye For Couture by Caroline Evans
Art dealer Francesca Galloway’s peerless collection of over 100 pieces of 20th-century haute couture is gathered here in page upon page of beautiful photographs by Katrina Lawson Johnston. The images are accompanied by the stories of the people who made them and the women who wore them, including Princess Niloufer of Hyderabad, known as one of the most beautiful women in the world throughout the 1930s and 1940s – a position she used to promote women’s rights. A highlight of the book is the exploration of 1960s designers including Paco Rabanne and Yves Saint Laurent, showcasing how formidably they changed and influenced the course of fashion.
Paper Monsters by Imruh Asha
“I want to show that you can create everything out of anything, anywhere and everywhere,” stylist and designer Imruh Asha told AnOther when Paper Monsters first launched in autumn. As the title suggests, the book is a collection of figures clad in rolled, folded, scrunched and crunched pieces of paper in brilliant bright hues, from tutus poking from the bottom of a tall powder pink paper tube to glittering sheets stuck to a nude figure like outsized post-it notes. The result is page upon page of pure playful joy.
Read our feature on the book here.
Dustin Pittman: New York After Dark by Roger Padilha and Mauricio Padilha
Between the late 1960s and the early 80s, New York City was a wildly glamourous, untamed and limitless playground. These were halcyon days: the contraceptive pill had arrived but the Aids crisis had not. Celebrities partied at Studio 54 and The Mudd Club. And there to capture is all was photographer Dustin Pittman. His images of NYC’s nightlife feature the likes of Truman Capote, Iggy Pop and Jerry Hall and are gathered in this riotous volume, complete with anecdotes and recollections from Pittman himself. Many of these photographs have never been published before, making this feel part treasure trove, part time machine.
i shall sing these songs beautifully by Yorgos Lanthimos
This year saw the release of Kinds of Kindness, a feature film by Yorgos Lanthimos that explores the relationship between the real world and the realms created by cinema. i shall sing these songs beautifully is comprised of both colour and black-and-white photographs Lanthimos made during the making of Kinds of Kindness. The book’s title is taken from the poetry of Sappho, who also inspired and informed Lanthimos in his own writing, which is found throughout the pages. This is a strange and lovely exploration of how Lanthimos creates his unique narratives and atmospheres.
0081 by Moni Haworth and Lotta Volkova
The shade of pink on the cover of 0018 is, to use a technical term *chef’s kiss* – but what’s inside the covers is truly eye-popping. This is essentially a surreal visual quest through Japan and many of its niche cultural touchstones by artist Raiki Yamamoto. The journey sees Yamamoto traverse an alternate version of her homeland, where reality and fantasy merge. She learns the art of Samurai spider fighting, encounters life-sized dolls and oversized pets. There are neon lights, plastic food and Japanese folklore. It’s an extraordinary, unnerving pictorial tale that you’ll find it hard to look away from.
Martine Syms: Pictures, 2014–2024
LA-based artist Martine Syms charts ten years of making in this collection of imagery, from stills to self-portraits, that details her interest in how identity is conveyed, particularly where race and gender are concerned. Syms’ preoccupation with stories and how narrative is handled and perceived is the backbone of this book, which is published by Climax Books. Each of her photographs invite questions while holding secrets and humour in equal measure.
Loro Piana: Master of Fibres by Nicholas Foulkes
The commitment to luxury, quality and sensuality that defines Loro Piana is meticulously brought to life here. Both ornament (thanks to the clamshell casing covered in some of the brand’s luxurious linen fabric) and book, this is the story of Loro Piana’s design excellence, told by historian Nicholas Foulkes with the help of some 150 illustrations, photographs, archival documents and interviews. Readers will discover how six generations from a family of Italian entrepreneurs and creatives have taken the brand from a wool merchants to the iconic stalwart of ‘stealth wealth’ dressing that it is today.
Sisters by Brianna Capozzi
“Having a sister is a superpower,” photographer Brianna Capozzi told AnOther. “It’s one of the most important things in my life.” Her latest book, Sisters, is a selection of intimate portraits that celebrate this bond (she and her sister are the cover stars). Capozzi has captured biological sisters of all ages, mainly as nudes: the state of undress speaks to a unique closeness and bond. There is a mixture of relaxed and posed photographs – many show sisters in a bedroom, surrounded by objects and items most personal to them. The stories of these women, from identical twins to eight sisters who had not been in the same room for decades, will make anyone who has a sister feel lucky, and those who don’t feel a little bit jealous. A gorgeous, tender tome.
Read our feature on the book here.
Dior by Mats Gustafson
The story of Dior – from historic haute couture to current ready-to-wear – is told here via the beautiful watercolour illustrations of Mats Gustafson, whose editorial career has seen his work in the pages of Vogue and as advertising art for the likes of Hermès. The images that capture the iconic silhouette of Dior dominate the book with text by fashion journalist Tim Blanks who offers insight into what has made the brand stand the test of time. A gorgeous, elegant treat for the eyes.
