What value do books have for fashion today?

In 2022, it was celebrities who suggested we wear it books as a statement, making it a media sensation rather than an aesthetic sensation. In 2024, books will be a matter of positioning, entertainment and… a microcosm to explore especially strategic. Strategy, with the benefit of the exception to the rule, can even deploy the weapons of marketing and branding to rediscover an almost ancestral editorial and information purpose: read more The life of the form. Filosofia del reincantoa treatise written by a philosopher Emanuele Coccia And Alessandro Michele, now at the helm of Valentino. The cover of this book published by HarperCollins has a graphic style reminiscent of a sacred text “that fashion is the most powerful art, because it is the only one capable of changing our lives, our bodies and our faces in an instant,” as the discourse emerges from long conversations that began during phone calls during the pandemic, using an “old” format thinking about the metaphysical nature of fashion. On the other hand, the editorial project of Style Not Com lives in the moment and uses the book format as a graphic tool to collect the electric blue ones published on his Ig feed. Amid exploration, escapism and product placement, what value do books have for fashion today?

The latest literary quotes on the catwalk

“Things break, and sometimes they get fixed” reports an excerpt printed on a pair of jeans recently suggested by House Valentino during the presentation of the SS24 men’s collection – The stories. It is not only the name of the show performed at the Università Statale di Milano, a tribute to the novel Small life by Anya Yanagiharabut also the namesake that underlies a series of initiatives developed in the field of promoting contemporary literature of the Roman Maison. What do books and literature mean for brands and creative directors? Are we still in the realm of inspiration or tribute among creatives? For Anna Suiit was like dipping your head in tweed and crocheted collars and bringing Miss Marple over Agatha Christie revived and dedicates a collection, FW24, at New York bookstore The Strand – WHODUNNIT???. Staying within the realm of recent literary quotations, one of the most interesting works was the operation of reinterpretation of Edgar Allan Poe’s universe Through Thom Browne: FW24 intertwined black mohair, silk, wool crepe, cashmere and shredded suits with readings from actress Carrie Coon, creating a dramatically dark sartorial orchestration.

Popular librarians, podcasts and literary clubs

Roland Barthes wrote about Coco Chanel in 1967 and compared her timeless style to the futuristic approach of Courrèges. It should therefore come as no surprise that one of the ultimate luxury brands has come up with a podcast entirely dedicated to literature: Literary Rendez Vous by Chaneltells the creative journey of contemporary writers such as Alice Renard, Sheena Patel or Maria Larrea through the lens and microphone of Ambassador Charlotte Casiraghi in 39 episodes on Rue Cambon. Taking writing into the realm of aesthetics may indicate luxury brands’ desire to connect intellectually with a higher consumer base—sensitivity as texture to soften raw marketability. A literary scenario that has always fascinated the genetically anarchist universe Antonio Marraswhether in the form of quotes – the FW13 collection envisioned a Bloomsbury Group infected by floral prints and dramatic hues – or initiatives within the spaces of Nonostantemarras in Milan.

Among the designers who recently inaugurated their virtual reading hour is Marc Jacobs: his Instagram feed offers a selection ranging from The women Through Hilton Als Unpleasant Querelle de Brest by Jean Genet, and The rules of attraction by Bret Easton Ellis. “Fashion designers get inspiration from books”, explains Sarah Andelman, founder and curator of Just an ideato the Financial Times. “But this trend of reading novels is a way to freeze time. Everything is happening so fast, we are producing more (fashion) collections and more (fashion) shows, and the idea of ​​showing support for reading is a way to appreciate the moment. I love how Marc (Jacobs) shows what he reads. It’s super stimulating. It’s something we can all do, you don’t have to be a millionaire, we can all read the same book. We can all be part of a book club.” The fascination with books, deeply rooted in bookshelf tours on TikTok, was found in Miu Miu the Trojan horse to break the snobbery of intellectuals towards fashion: during the last edition of Design Week, the most popular brand, according to Lyst, organized its first Literary club, Writing life, which transformed the Circolo Filologico di Milano into a high-fashion literary salon. The models, who first appeared in Paris for the FW23 collection, dressed in monochromatic round-neck vests, brown derbies and bayonetta glasses, became the paladins of the ‘hot librarian’ style – where begins and ends the contagion operation between fashion and literature?

Libraries of fashion brands

The former photo studio of Karl Lagerfeldalso a library founded by the designer in 1999 – now owned by Chanel – has 33,000 accessible volumes and since 2023 has launched a multidisciplinary program aimed at artistic promotion. “The library itself is like a living projection of the mind of Karl Lagerfeld,” explains Laurence Delamare, head of 7L. The new services include the relaunch of e-commerce, tailor-made library management and exclusive membership. Also in Paris, amid the excitement of organizing the 2024 Olympic GamesAnthony Vaccarello announced the opening of Saint Laurent Babylone at 9 rue de Grenelle, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. Conceived as an extension of the creative director’s curatorship, Babylone presents itself as a cultural meeting place in the heart of Paris – between signings, subversive publications and sold-out music recordings. Adriaan Joffe, chairman of Comme des Garconsconfirmed that, ahead of the opening of the new Dover Street Market concept store in Paris, the 3,500 square meters of showrooms and offices of the Rei Kawakubo brand will also be a section dedicated to booksLibrairie 1909. This kind of connection with the world of literature, also undertaken by Children Wealth Déprimés with the Anti-public library, is probably one of the most authentic ways to build a story beyond clothes: will such a hectic system cope with the layered shelves of paper and a lot of time? If the glorification of books, libraries and booksellers were to move beyond the trend stage, would that be something that has already been seen?