We recently introduced some of our favorite coffee table books. And because we had trouble limiting our choice and felt like we had left out some real gems, here is the second installment of gorgeously illustrated and photographed books that will open up new worlds or those of days gone by. Enjoy!
(On the slider: Jasmin Khezri wears Prada spring/summer 2016.)
Swans: Legends of the Jet Society
by Nicholas Foulkes (Assouline)
This lavish coffee table book offers an insight into the cosmopolitan world and glamorous lifestyle of the happy few. Swans is a glimpse of a decadent, bygone era, when international travel was the privilege of the jet set. Leaf through the pages and get drawn into this world of yachting in the Caribbean, decadent parties on the French Riviera and skiing in Gstaad. Admire the women in their stunning gowns – they are truly the epitome of swans, a “picture of perfection and grace and beauty,” as the author, Nicholas Foulkes, calls it.
FENDI
by Karl Lagerfeld (Steidl)
This is the ultimate Fendi/Lagerfeld tome, celebrating 50 years of a remarkable creative partnership. Karl Lagerfeld has been at the creative helm of Fendi since 1965. This five volume luxury wooden box set has been designed in collaboration with Lagerfeld himself and includes includes a sketch pad of 130 of Lagerfeld’s fashion drawings, a pad of his logo designs along with booklets of exclusive interviews with the designer, a canvas tote, poster, and a USB video stick.
Palm Beach Chic
by Jennifer Ash Rudick (Abrams Books)
We love Palm Beach for its unique mix of contemporary design and sun-faded glamour, Spanish and Caribbean style, lush gardens and sleeks interiors. Palm Beach Chic is a beautiful volume that invites us inside to explore Moorish palazzi and vintage condos, rustic ranches and charming cottages, tropical gardens and infinity edge pools. Author and longtime Palm Beach resident Jennifer Ash Rudick explores 25 of the exclusive town’s most-stunning gardens and interiors.
Marella Agnelli: The Last Swan
by Marella Agnelli and Marella Caracciolo Chia (Rizzoli)
Delve into the glamorous life of socialite, style icon and art collector Marella Agnelli, who was nicknamed “The Swan” by Richard Avedon when he photographed her iconic portrait in 1953. That same year she married the dashing Italian industrialist Gianni Agnelli. Born a Neapolitan princess, Marella Agnelli entered a very different life, one of streamlined yachts, fast cars, stylish houses and glamorous parties. Marella Agnelli: The Last Swan is a gorgeously illustrated, lavish book, but also a very personal one, written by Agnelli herself, along with her niece. It feels like leafing through her personal family photo album.
Valentino: Mirabilia Romae
by Francesco Bonami (Assouline)
“We cannot imagine a world without Rome as much as we cannot imagine a Rome without Valentino,” the brand’s creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli write in “Valentino: Mirabilia Romae” (or “Marvels of Rome”). This new 400-page coffee table book that looks into what drives the duo in their creative process, is brimming with lavish photos depicting the brand’s couture and ready-to-wear collections against the backdrop of the buildings, artworks and women that inspire Valentino’s creative duo for the new, modern elegance of their creations.