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The 7 books you’ll find in every fashion collection

Get crackalackin’.

Congratulations! We hear you’re looking to start a collection of fashion books. Kudos to you.

If you’ve made any attempt to do this so far, you’ve probably realised the following fact: there exists a ridiculous number of published ‘fashion’ texts. 

This can be particularly tricky to navigate. You’re likely to spend the better part of hour between shelves at Readings, getting side eyes from the assistant for treating their ‘store’ as a ‘library’. 

Alternatively, read on. After our years in the fashion industry, we’ve learnt that a select few titles seem to find their way onto the coffee tables of every fashion person. 

Any one of the following will see your collection off to a flying start.

Tom Ford by Tom Ford

When the foreword is written by Anna Wintour, you know you’re holding a book of great importance. Tom Ford’s heavyweight coffee table book is a collection of stories, interviews and personal notes spaced between photographs from some of his greatest campaigns. Rebranding Gucci and birthing the concept of the personal brand are just two of the tales behind Ford’s legacy.

Grace: A Memoir by Grace Coddington

This is an autobiography by one of the most respected people in fashion alive. Though Grace Coddington has been part of the fashion industry since 1959, it wasn’t until The September Issue premiered in 2009 that she shot to fame. Witty, spontaneous and notoriously unafraid of Anna Wintour, the Vogue creative director was the first to create the beautiful travelogues we love magazines for today. Divided into sections like ‘On Modelling’, ‘On American Vogue’, ‘On Anna’ and illustrated by Coddington herself, this book offers an insight into decades of her work in fashion.

Big Book of Chic by Miles Reid

A stylish person needs an equally stylish home to live in. Big Book of Chic has plenty of shiny inspo pages from interior designer Miles Reid to inspire you to redecorate and revamp your living space. Colourful and eclectic, if this book doesn’t convince you to step away from the minimalist trend, nothing will.

It by Alexa Chung

Everyone loves Alexa Chung. She’s quirky, witty and the kind of girl you want to be friends with. It is Chung’s first autobiography and sheds light on who the muse for Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs actually is. From her influences, drawings and photographs, It is a personal look into the charming world of ‘the darling of fashion’.

The World According to Karl by Patrick Mauries and Jean-Chrisophe Napias

This book contains a collection of ‘Karlisms’: quotes from the mysterious Karl Lagerfeld about life and himself. The quick-witted, enigmatic man is the creative mind behind Chanel, Fendi and his own eponymous label. Presented on graphic black-and-white pages, quotes such as “I only know how to play one role: me”, “Think pink. But don’t wear it” and “I like everything to be washable, myself included” will have you feeling fashion, darling in no time. Impress people at your next party by becoming a Karl Lagerfeld quote machine.

The Satorialist by Scott Schuman

Scott Schuman just wanted to take photos of the fashionable people he saw on the street. Unknowingly, he was turning photo blogging into an art form. Before fashion bloggers, influencers and street style, there was The Satorialist. Schuman’s first book is a collection of his favourite images taken of all sorts of people around the world; not just the crème de la crème of fashion.

Vogue: The Covers by Dodie Kazanjian

Take a trip back to 1892 and return to the present via 120 years of Vogue covers. Starting from the dainty, conservative illustrations of the 19th century, it uses Vogues famed cover artwork to track the evolution of style to the present day. Each decade is accompanied by historical notes and the stories behind the cover. Influential artists like Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, Steven Meisel, Annie Leibovitz and Mario Testino fill the pages of this book, offering a glimpse into the history of fashion and Vogue.

Illustration by Twylamae.

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