Faye Robson - Editor

Shoes: Pleasure & Pain

Beautiful, sculptural objects, shoes are powerful indicators of gender, status, identity, taste, and even sexual preference. Our choice in shoes can be aspirational, even fantastical—and can project an image not just of who we are, but of who we want to be. Feet are made for walking, but shoes may not be. Featuring extensive new photography, this is a beautiful and authoritative guide to the h... read more

The Biba Years: 1963-1975

Barbara Hulanicki, Martin Pel

A revealing look at the fashion revolution of the 1960s and ’70s through the groundbreaking, hip, and now-legendary London emporium Biba, this book looks at “the most beautiful store in the world.” Biba, founded in 1963 by designer Barbara Hulanicki, quickly gained cult status and outgrew several locations before the five-story “Big Biba” opened in 1973. More than a store, it was a haven of co... read more

Style and Satire: Fashion in Print 1777-1927

Catherine Flood, Sarah Grant

From the sky-high coiffures of Marie Antoinette to Victorian hoop skirts, from the sheer gowns of Pride and Prejudice era to the flat-chested 1920s flapper, Style and Satire tells the story of European fashion and its most extreme trends through lavish fashion plates and the glorious satirical prints they inspired. Beautifully printed, hand-colored fashion plates first appeared in magazines an... read more

A Life in Fashion: The Wardrobe of Cecil Beaton

Benjamin Wild

The first book to focus on the evolving wardrobe of Cecil Beaton, whose brilliant style is being celebrated afresh as classic tailoring comes back in vogue When fashion photographer and costume designer Cecil Beaton died in 1980, it was not surprising that one of his tailors was telephoned with the news before Buckingham Palace, despite his close association with the Royal Family. From the mom... read more

Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture

Ann Coxon

The first major retrospective of the work of Alexander Calder (1898-1976) in the UK for twenty years opens at Tate Modern in November 2015. Calder was one of the most popular American artists of the 20th century. He is known for his invention of the mobile and, as a pioneer of kinetic sculpture, played an essential role in reshaping the history of modernism. Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpt... read more

Grayson Perry: The Vanity of Small Differences

Suzanne Moore

Telling a story of class and taste, aspiration and identity, the tapestry series The Vanity of Small Differences by Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry (born 1960) was conceived up and down the length and breadth of the U.K., as Perry traveled for Channel 4 television "on safari amongst the taste tribes of Britain." The result is a monumental exploration of the "emotional investment we m... read more

David Bailey: Look

Jackie Higgins

One of the first celebrity photographers, David Bailey socialized with many of the cultural icons of the 60s - he lived with Mick Jagger, married the legendary French film actress Catherine Deneuve and had relationships with the models Jean Shrimpton and Penelope Tree. Along with Brian Duffy and Terence Donovan, he was one of the 'Terrible Trio' - self-taught East End boys who rebelled against... read more

Gary Hume: Flashback

Dave Hickey

British artist Gary Hume (born 1962) first found international fame in the early 1990s, with his series of bold, abstract "door paintings." As one of the leading "Young British Artists" (YBAs), his work was featured in Damien Hirst's Freeze and Charles Saatchi's Sensation exhibitions and he has exhibited internationally since, becoming best known for vibrant, large-scale paintings, executed in... read more

Charles James: Designer in Detail

Timothy Long

Charles James (1906–1978)—one of the most celebrated and sought-after couturiers of his day, and subject of a major exhibition in summer 2014 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art—won ecstatic praise for his highly innovative designs. Without formal training, he created some of the most ambitious and dramatic couture of the 20th century and became the designer of choice for powerful clients, inclu... read more

Dayanita Singh: Go Away Closer

Geoff Dyer

Originally trained as a photojournalist and bookmaker, Dayanita Singh (born 1961) has exhibited widely both in India and abroad. Her work often takes a curious view of the everyday, and is characterized by an unsparing view of her subject matter. Best known for her portraits of India's urban middle and upper classes, her images of people working, celebrating or resting depict everyday life wit... read more

Henry Moore and the Arts Council Collection

Benedict Read

This beautiful small-format book presents a range of key works by the major English sculptor, Henry Moore (1898-1986), and examines his early relationship with the Arts Council Collection (ACC) as advisor to its acquisitions committee in the early 1950s. Henry Moore was a major force in shaping the sculpture collection of the ACC, advocating the acquisition of a significant group of postwar Br... read more