Unforgettable Books

Selected for Oprah's Favorite Things 2025 In this two-volume collection of portraits, legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz presents a powerful celebration of women in all of their diversities 'Expand[s] how we see women and the lives they lead through Annie's lens. It was an honor to be photographed by Annie for the new edition, capturing the many ways women are showing up today.' - Michelle Obama 'A sweeping meditation on femininity, power, vulnerability, and the visual vocabulary we use to define all three.' - VogueAnnie Leibovitz is one of the most influential photographers of our time. In this landmark collection, she shares more than 250 portraits of women spanning over 30 years. The broad array of subjects reflects what women look like now: dancers, actors, astronauts, artists, politicians, farmers, writers, CEOs, philanthropists, soldiers, musicians, athletes, socialites, scientists.Beautifully presented in an elegant grey slipcase, these highly personal books offer an extraordinary 30-plus-year retrospective of Leibovitz's portraits of women. Stunning photographs - in both color and black and white - represent a who's who of women effecting positive change in the world, from Louise Bourgeois, Joan Didion, Elizabeth Taylor, and Eudora Welty to Joan Baez, Billie Eilish, Serena and Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour.Among the most expansive portraiture projects of women by a living image-maker, Leibovitz's Women illuminates the evolving landscape of womanhood in the 21st century. Featuring texts by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; Susan Sontag, one of the most prominent writers and public intellectuals of the twentieth century; and feminist icon Gloria Steinem, this slipcased set is an essential visual record of women at a moment when revisiting the canon of groundbreaking women has never been more urgent.

Read more less

In pursuit of both knowledge and delight, the craft of botanical illustration has always required not only meticulous draftsmanship but also a rigorous scientific understanding. This new edition of a TASCHEN classic celebrates the botanical tradition and talents with a selection of outstanding works from the National Library of Vienna, including many new images. From Byzantine manuscripts right through to 19th-century masterpieces, through peonies, callas, and chrysanthemums, these exquisite reproductions dazzle in their accuracy and their aesthetics. Whether in gently furled leaves, precisely textured fruits, or the sheer beauty and variety of colors, we celebrate an art form as tender as it is precise, and ever more resonant amid our growing awareness of our ecological surroundings and the preciousness of natural flora.

Read more less

This beautifully illustrated volume celebrates the Japanese art of arranging flowers with reproductions of classical seventeenth-century artworks from the New York Public Library's Spencer Collection. Meticulous reproductions of sublime paintings showcase rikka, the oldest and most traditional form of flower arranging, which is linked to the Ikenobō school, Japan's first and largest school of ikebana. The images presented here perfectly illustrate the main principles of ikebana--harmonious juxtaposition of flowers, balance between foliage (leaves, fronds, reeds, etc.) and branches, and naturalistic compositions for display. Several schools and styles of ikebana have evolved over the centuries. The rikka style is characterized by the use of erect branches and flowers to display a marked verticality in order to express the beauty of a natural landscape in a single vase. The floral arrangements in this collection date back to the Ikenobō Grand Master of Kyoto's Rokkakudō Temple and his disciples from the Ashikaga Shogunate (1336-1573). These flower arrangements were officially documented by Igai Sansaemon in 1673 in artworks printed xylographically and then hand-colored using the gansai watercolor technique. The reproductions are accompanied by authoritative text by one of the world's leading authorities on Japanese art. Today, ikebana remains one of Japan's most popular art forms, and it is increasingly embraced by flower arrangers around the world. It is a wonderfully meditative and contemplative form of creative and personal expression, allowing practitioners to flee their daily cares into a world of balance, order, serenity, and beauty.

Read more less

Cottage gardens never go out of style, and the rise of homesteading and "cottagecore" is leading to a resurgence of this charming and practical style. Beloved for their informality, cottage gardens champion organic and unstructured spaces overflowing with textures and colors while welcoming self-sown plants and bulbs popping up and spreading on their own. Appearing casual, everything is done with great intent. From humble origins in medieval England and Colonial America, this style arose as a practical approach--ornamentals and edibles intermingling and supporting each other--before being elevated by great garden designers Gertrude Jekyll, William Robinson, Vita Sackville-West, Margery Fish, and Rosemary Verey. Today, concerns about food traceability, reducing waste and chemical use, and supporting pollinators and wildlife have rekindled interest in cottage gardening. Taking a 360-degree view, this book covers plant combinations, paths and walls, water features and extending the season, as well as promoting traditional, organic practices such as composting, rain harvesting, and succession planting.

Read more less

The first book from AD100 and Elle Decor A-List designer Huh is filled with her elegant, colorful work, while inspiring readers to create different moods at home. Acclaimed designer Huh's warm and welcoming interiors resonate with harmony, elegance, and dynamism, each room animated by sophisticated surface treatments, a singular play of pattern and color, and a touch of wanderlust. Her first book, composed of three distinct sections, is perfect for readers searching for sophisticated inspiration. Part one, A Mood, looks at decoration through the lens of mood: convivial, peaceful, joyful, cozy, verve, romantic, meaningful. For example, convivial spaces are ones that feel buzzy, excited, and alive, like an artist's salon; they use lighting to draw people together and seating arrangements to connect. Peaceful interiors are refuges made for reading with a cup of tea on a rainy day, surrounded by warm, natural textures and quiet colors. The second part of the book, A Thought, features three full houses recently completed by Huh, including a chic forever home, an old house full of whimsy, and an airy Park Avenue penthouse. The final section of the book, A Feeling, is about Young's own recently completed historic country house in upstate New York, from the pattern-filled rooms to the gardens and grounds, with images of life through the seasons. Together, these three sections make for a uniquely personal and beautiful book.

Read more less

Known for her distinctive design style that effortlessly combines vibrant colours and eclectic patterns, Kemp has become a global icon in the world of interior design. With her unapologetic use of color, exquisite layering of pattern, and an eye for the unexpected, Kemp has revolutionized contemporary interior design. In her first Rizzoli book, she invites readers into her imaginative world, revealing how she transforms interiors into richly woven stories of texture, craft, and individuality. Kemp's spaces are more than just rooms--they are experiences, each one a vibrant tapestry of art, antiques, and bespoke details that surprise and delight. Her signature aesthetic is a masterful blend of craft and sophistication, where embroidered headboards meet hand-painted wallpapers, where ikat-covered cushions blend with twentieth-century art, and where every corner holds a moment of magic. Brimming with stunning photography and boundless inspiration, this essential volume is more than a design book--it is an invitation to break free from the ordinary and create interiors that reflect personality, passion, and a true sense of place. Whether drawn to playful pattern, soulful craftsmanship, or the art of storytelling through interiors, this book will inspire readers to make every space as individual as those who inhabit them.

Read more less

In this companion to Interior Design Master Class, 100 designers share room by room advice, tackling the questions that challenge everyone designing and decorating a home. Everyone wants a stylish home, but with so much information available, how does one begin to put it all together? Enter Interior Design Master Class: 100 Rooms. The designers who've created the remarkable spaces in this volume individually explain in their own words the framework for the success of each room. The spaces featured in the book are broken down by type of room, including Gathering (media and family rooms), Transitional (porches and entryways), Respite (bedrooms and sitting rooms), Entertaining (dining rooms and bars), and Utility (kitchens, baths, and mudrooms). In each category, the multiple examples by designers well known from their appearances in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, and Southern Living explore a variety of topics. Katie Ridder uses her vibrant living room to write about establishing a successful palette. Suzanne Kasler writes about the importance of light in bedrooms. Frances Merrill of Reath Design shares her thoughts about kitchens. Mark Sikes contributes an essay on tables. Steven Gambrel writes about the color blue. Josh Greene expounds on the bath. Also featuring Bunny Williams, Robert Couturier, Heidi Caillier, Miles Redd and David Kaihoi, Nicole Hollis, and Corey Damen Jenkins, the book is an elegant guide to twenty-first-century living, room by room.

Read more less

A dazzling and authoritative look at three decades of Prada's groundbreaking fashion designs through stunning runway photography "[A] 'greatest hits' riffing on Miuccia Prada's own obsessions with maid's uniforms, schoolgirl garb and twists on luxury."--Alexander Fury, AnOther Magazine "The perfect coffee-table book for style-savvy bibliophiles."--Los Angeles Times   Founded in 1913 as a leather-goods house in Milan, Prada entered the field of fashion when Miuccia Prada took the helm of the company in 1979. After initially focusing on accessories, she presented the house's first fashion collection in 1988, quickly transforming Prada into one of the world's most influential luxury brands. Her deeply personal, sophisticated, and subtly subversive approach often works against the clichés of beauty and sexy as she strives, in her own words, to be "more clever, or more difficult, or more complicated . . . or more new."   Published in collaboration with Prada to celebrate 30 years of trend-setting creations, this stunning volume offers a comprehensive and definitive history of the house. Organized chronologically, each of Prada's collections is introduced by a description of its influences and highlights and is illustrated with stunning catwalk images of models such as Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, and Gisele Bündchen showcasing clothing, accessories, and beauty looks. With a biographical profile of Miuccia Prada and an extensive reference section, this handsome and well-researched retrospective reflects the passion, craftsmanship, and creative spirit that define Prada.

Read more less

A fascinating look at the history of Vogue, the world's most influential magazine--a complete compendium illustrated with hundreds of covers and archival interiors Featuring the work of some of the 20th century's most respected artists, cover illustrators, and photographers--from Edward Steichen, Toni Frissell, and Erwin Blumenfeld to Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, David Bailey, Helmut Newton, Annie Leibovitz, Mario Testino, Steven Klein, Bruce Webber, and Herb Ritts In 1909, an entrepreneurial New Yorker named Condé Nast took charge of a struggling society journal and transformed it into the most glamorous fashion magazine of the 20th century. In Vogue traces the history, development and influence of this media colossus--from its beginning as a social gazette in the late 19th century, to the exploration of modern fashion photography and new visuals in the mid-20th century, to its status as the top style magazine today. The book explains the makings of the magazine--from runways, to editorial meetings, to the pages of Vogue. The thoroughly researched story incorporates first-person accounts, interviews with editors and photographers, and excerpts from stories written in the magazine by many world-renowned writers, including Truman Capote, Aldous Huxley, Richard Burton, Federico Fellini, and Marcello Mastroianni. Unparalleled in its scope and exceptionally illustrated, In Vogue is sure to be among the most important publications on the subjects of culture, art, fashion, photography, and media.

Read more less

This handsome volume presents the newest projects from interior designer Tom Scheerer, whom The New York Times proclaimed "one of the true American greats"An interior designer walks into a room and at a glance knows exactly what needs to be done to transform it from ho-hum to sublime. That is Tom Scheerer's secret power, and it is seen on every page of Still Decorating.Featured in this--his third--book are 20 of his latest projects, located Up North (Maine, the Hamptons, Greenwich, Connecticut, and New York City), Out West (Dallas; Big Sky, Montana; Aspen, Colorado; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming), and Down South (primarily Palm Beach). No matter the locale, the same aesthetic prevails: comfort and ease derived from perfect proportions and fresh, unpretentious beauty. It all seems utterly effortless, belying the fierce intelligence and impeccable eye behind every decorating decision.Illustrated with Francesco Lagnese's stunning photographs, Tom Scheerer: Still Decorating is a testament to the enduring mastery of America's premier interior designer.Sustainability is integral to Vendome's publishing process. All materials used in our books are 100% FSC-certified and we are proud to be a brand partner of Trees for the Future (https: //trees.org), supporting global communities through sustainable land use. By planting trees, we help create thriving regional economies, robust food systems, and a healthier planet.

Read more less

A-list interior designer Peter Dunham's first book reveals his singular approach to colorful, pattern-filled interiors with world-class photography of never-before-seen projects. Peter Dunham is a Los Angeles-based interior designer known for his bold use of color and pattern, sophisticated yet casual style, and a timeless feeling. The Los Angeles Times described his style as "Merchant Ivory Moderne" and "restraint with a kick." The World of Peter Dunham features a dozen of Dunham's most recent projects, ranging from chic New York City penthouses to sun-kissed California gems, as well as Dunham's own residences, including his Paris pied-à-terre. Each chapter's rich imagery illuminates a tenet of his design ethos--Color, Rhythm, Togetherness, Nature--along with the people and places that have shaped his unique point of view. Here is a dynamic mix of projects, many featuring Dunham's internationally acclaimed textiles, all presented in stunning photographs. In 2024, he opened his second brick and mortar showroom, Peter Dunham Home & Garden, in New York City. Dunham and his design team split their time between restoring older houses and collaborating with renowned architects on brand-new residences. Current projects include a modernist Marmol Radziner house overlooking the Pacific in Montecito, residences in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Newport Beach, New York City, Dallas, Sag Harbor, Montana, and an iconic 1963 Horace Gifford house on Fire Island. Peter is based between Los Angeles and New York City. Sustainability is integral to Vendome's publishing process. All materials used in our books are 100% FSC-certified and we are proud to be a brand partner of Trees for the Future (https: //trees.org), supporting global communities through sustainable land use. By planting trees, we help create thriving regional economies, robust food systems, and a healthier planet.

Read more less

French flower painter Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840) devoted himself exclusively to capturing the diversity of flowering plants in watercolor paintings which were then published as copper engravings, with careful botanical descriptions. The darling of wealthy Parisian patrons including Napoleon's wife Josephine, he was dubbed "the Raphael of flowers," and is regarded to this day as a master of botanical illustration. This elegant catalogue brings together all engravings from Redouté's illustrations of Roses and Choix des plus belles fleurs (Selection of the Most Beautiful Flowers) and the most astounding images from The Lilies. Offering a vibrant overview of Redouté's admixture of accuracy and beauty, it is also a privileged glimpse into the magnificent gardens and greenhouses of a bygone Paris.

Read more less