If you’re a fashion aficionado, be it self-proclaimed or knighted, you might want some coffee table books to liven up your home runways.
Fundamentally, coffee table books are hardbacks; strategic placements that adorn your coffee table area, living room, or any shared space to tie in that I-can’t-put-my-finger-on-it void. The final touches, if you will.
From Chanel’s 2019 Winter Wonderland concept, Gucci’s candid self-portrait campaign, to the architectural enclaves and niches of Furla‘s flagship, the fashion-forward soul injects character with every given canvas piece. Moreover, for their private spaces where the tiniest details require that perfect kind of right.
Consequently, it has become a benchmark to pay homage to the brands that have paved the way for today’s riveting fashion realm. So, if you want to start somewhere, let these ageless coffee table books speak volumes for your spaces instead.
1. Vogue On: Coco Chanel, $66
Chanel No.5, the Little Black Dress, the Chanel suit — these were all landmark creations in Coco Chanel’s fashion arsenal. As such, no brand is better positioned, than Chanel, to have a library all on themselves, and this time our coffee tables are here to scream for it!
Let not only you, but your guests, be captivated by the archives of photographs, original illustrations and fashion write-ups that provide a quintessential compilation of prestigious fashion references. In addition, a graceful unveil into Coco Chanel’s glamorous and racy life in the 1920s that was plain irresistible. This is a coffee table book favourite; an iconic centerpiece for one of the most influential female designers ever. We need!
2. Fashionpedia – The Visual Dictionary Of Fashion Design, $49.93
It is what it is: a fashion encyclopedia. This hardback is a fearless approach to varied infographics, charts and diagrams into the fashion world. Feel inspired by the myriad of fashion items displayed, as well as get acquainted with fashion stories you never knew. This book — or to some, a fashion bible — is the best tool to get brainstorming about all things trendy and ‘in’.
Whilst not the most colourful centerpiece, this is the one where you cannot help but to feel so intrigued by. Bound by a beautiful midnight black cloth, a white label atop, allow this sleek ensemble to speak for itself. With a selected scheme of black, white and orange pages, this book can be placed anywhere without needing to do much. In fact, it’s effortless self-promotion. You can just let it rest unassumingly on your shelf and your guests will still be intrigued by it. Mark my words.
3. Tory Burch In Colour, $44.76
If your life mantra aligns with Tory burch — about seeing the world in beautiful montages of colours — you would love this. Tory Burch In Colour’s effervescent splash of colours is probably why we have been buying books based on their covers. This one, won’t disappoint.
Once you have explored its contents, you would notice that this hardback has been split into colour-based chapters; great for the organisational eye! Learn from handpicked images of her own fashion lines and get closer to a Burch technicolour across interior, clothing, accessories and personal poems that just hugs. An amalgamation of lovely styles, historical flavours and a taste of the Britain charm. Ultimately, this book has it all — from much needed inspiration to coffee-table-piece-worthy.
4. Louis Vuitton Catwalk Complete Fashion Collections, $71.46
Whether it is the rich tangerine tinge, or the upper-cased Louis Vuitton typeface, you can’t help but to single this book out. Of course, for the right reasons. Embark on an unrivalled overview of the world’s top fashion house collections from the comfort of your own space. Concurrently, discover the lineage of brilliant creative directors that artistically ruled. It is a fashion mecca all in one; spectacular clothes, beauty looks, set designs and top fashion models clad in iconic pieces.
Louis Vuitton’s Catwalk is picture-heavy. Nevertheless, brief explanations behind each collection break the picturesque sea, so you can take a breather from a stimulation overload. But, that’s barely a con. For the Louis Vuitton lovers, this is your collector’s piece. And for the ones who love all things high-fashion, stop looking, because this might be the be all and end all you’re looking for.
5. Kate Spade New York: Places To Go People To See, $30.78
We know its Covid, and we are unable to travel for leisure. If you are experiencing extreme wanderlust withdrawal symptoms, Kate Spade’s Places To Go and People To See can be your sensorial plane ticket.
‘Travel’ to the chic and culture-rich destinations of Marrakech, Tokyo, St Moritz and Paris through spirited photography, old-world glamour, personable quotes and the Kate Spade New York girl’s zest.
It’s a tasteful emerald hue that can spruce up your nook, alike to the sophisticated vibrance of the Kate Spade aesthetic. Just like a photograph, let it transport you (or perhaps armchair travel!) to places near and far in a romantic and dreamy way — ways that we all remember and yearn to go back to. At length, it’s your sunshine in a book.
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In essence, gone were the days where books were limited to bookshelves, or depressingly chucked in a cabinet. As we evolve to become more multi-purpose, coffee table books have become a home decor category on its own. For the fashionista who dreams about the runway soundtrack away in Milan, to the passionate fashion graduate, let these coffee table books be your oasis into a world where fashion becomes your edition of unlimited.
Love,
Dhiya
