Christmas is coming and you are looking for fashion books to read? We got you covered! Today, we would like to give you some ideas of our longtime favorites as well as newly released fashion books. They are all also the perfect gift ideas for your fellow fashion friends!
25 Fashion Books to Read During The Christmas Holidays
The Fashion Book: Revised and Updated Edition 2022
If you are looking for a rich fashion encyclopedia, then you may like this bestseller. The book covers almost 200 years of the entire fashion industry, showcasing more than 500 of fashion’s greatest icons who made a significant change, listed in alphabetical order.
Fashion’s Big Night Out: A MET Gala Lookbook
This book charts the history of the Met Gala from its inception in 1948 to the present day, exploring the themed exhibitions at the MET, breathtaking looks, and unforgettable moments that have shaped the Met Gala into the most fashionable night of the year it is today.
How To Build A Fashion Icon
The Hollywood stylist and self-proclaimed “image architect” Law Roach just released his new book “How to Build a Fashion Icon: Notes on Confidence From the World’s Only Image Architect.” It reads like a memoir and also includes fashion anecdotes from his styling days and self-help tips.
A Visible Man
If you like to learn about the industry’s professionals first-hand and you want to know more about Edward Enninful’s inspiring career in his own words, you can read his autobiography. For the first time, he shares all about his journey, from his childhood in Ghana to arriving to London in the 1990s as an asylum seeker, to setting the cultural agenda as the first Black editor-in-chief of BritishVogue.
Your Fashion [Dream] Plan
Think of this as your career manual to become the fashion industry professional you have always dreamed of. Turn your dreams into reality, with author Giada Graziano who has been featured in Forbes under 30, the CEO and founder of Glam Observer, a fashion career coach, and an educator! Who else would you trust for fashion career advice? Get your copy for you and your fashion friend (it’s the perfect gift idea) now.
The Fashion Show: The stories, invites and art of 300 landmark shows
Looking for a source that has all the memorable fashion shows in one place? This book covers over 7 decades and 300 shows with stories of the world’s famous fashion houses, collected by curator and fashion writer Iain R Webb.
Kate Spade New York: It’s So You: The Joy of Personal Style
Want to become a stylist or simply discover your own style and how to build your unique wardrobe? I recommend you this Kate Spade’s book.
New York Fashion Week: The Designers, The Models, The Fashions Of The Bryant Park Era
Did you know that Bryant Park in NYC used to be the home of New York Fashion Week? This book focuses on this memorable chapter in NYFW history, and we highly recommend it.
Coco Chanel, New Edition: The Legend and the Life
While it’s common to talk about Coco Chanel as a powerful icon and how her designs transformed many women’s lives and the fashion industry, this updated biography explores what’s underneath the surface, offering a glimpse into the designer’s turbulent past as an orphan, her loves and losses, and her quest to fame. This book includes interviews with Coco Chanel’s last surviving friends and relatives and previously unseen images from Chanel’s archives. So if you want to learn more about her life, this is the perfect read.
Fashion Bags & Accessories: Creative Design and Production
If you are interested in learning about fashion beyond clothing, this book is your comprehensive guide to bags and accessories. It explains everything about creative design, product development, technological innovation, materials development, component design (hardware), and branding. It costs only $3.99 on Kindle.
Fashion Brand Stories
This book gives the possibility to dive into the history of some of the big fashion brands through 10 case studies. Supported by interviews with the industry’s professionals, the book explores the evolution of each brand and its success and challenges along the way.
Wear it Well: Reclaim your closet and rediscover the joy of getting dressed
Allison Bornstein, the stylist and inventor of The Wrong Shoe Theory. Allison explains how to rediscover your style and organize your closet using the pioneering Three-Word Method and AB Closet-Editing System. Whether you are considering becoming a stylist or are simply interested in discovering your style with a new approach, you will enjoy this book.
Get it here
Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano
Written by one of our favorite authors Dana Thomas, this book explores their early collections, career highs, and downfalls (before Galliano rose again with his incredible Spring 2024 Couture collection for Maison Margiela). A must fashion-read!
Anna: The Biography
Who doesn’t want to know more about the life of the most powerful woman in the fashion industry? This biography by Amy Odell (you can also listen to our interview with her in this podcast episode) about the American Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour is based on extensive interviews conducted with her closest collaborators and friends. It is one of the best book about Anna Wintour. So if you want to know the secrets of her inspiring life and career, this is your source.
Battle Of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History
The Battle of Versailles was the first fashion show during Paris Fashion Week in 1973. Five American designers presented collections along with 5 French designers, and this event shaped the fashion industry a lot, so it’s something worth learning about for your fashion history knowledge.
Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Lustre
The luxury fashion industry is fascinating from the outside and leaves many questions about what’s happening behind the doors of the biggest luxury brands. In this book, Dana Thomas reveals some dark secrets of the luxury industry. Intrigued? This can be your perfect Holiday read.
Dressing the Part: Television’s Most Stylish Shows
The film industry plays a major role in shaping fashion and trends, and has many references that someone interested in fashion or working in this industry must understand. So if you love cinema and analyzing the outfits of your favorite characters, we think you’ll like this newly released stylish book! In “Dressing the Part”, fashion director, consultant, and media personality Hal Rubenstein explores how our favorite shows on television from the 1950s to today have influenced the way we dress.
Dior: 30 Avenue Montaigne
This book about Dior invites us inside the house’s iconic headquarters at 30, avenue Montaigne in Paris to celebrate its reopening. You will find archival documents and images of the emblematic collections that are presented in the Galerie Dior. A valuable selection for any admirer of Dior and anyone interested in discovering the brand from the inside.
Miss Dior: A Story of Courage and Couture
How much do you know about one of the greatest Christian Dior’s inspirations – his sister Catherine Dior? In this book, acclaimed French author Justine Picardie unveils all the before little-known facts about the life of Catherine Dior who inspired the name of the iconic perfume, Miss Dior, and more.
Glossy: The Inside Story of Vogue
Vogue is the n#1 magazine every fashion enthusiast turns to to immerse themselves in the fashion industry. But have you ever wondered what’s the history behind this glossy publication you read every month? If the answer is yes, we invite you to read Glossy: The Inside Story of Vogue by Nina-Sophia Miralles which tells the story of the magazine from its launch in 1892 to the present day and how it evolved under the different editors. Whether you dream of working at Vogue or simply want to learn about your favorite magazine, you will enjoy this book.
D.V.
Diana Vreeland is one of the most recognized and famous editors of Vogue. If you love the magazine, why not delve into its editorial history in the mid-20th century in Vreeland’s own words?
Grace: A Memoir
Another famous Vogue editor you should learn more about is Grace Coddington. In her memoir, she introduces the readers to all the designers, hairstylists, makeup artists, photographers, models, and celebrities with whom she has collaborated during her long career at Vogue.
Fashionopolis: The price of fast fashion and the future of clothes
In this book, Dana Thomas, one of the leading fashion and sustainability journalists, traveled around the world to discover fashion designers and companies that are the most advanced in terms of sustainability. I enjoyed this book and I think you will get some interesting insights from it.
Fabric for Fashion: The Complete Guide Second Edition
Want to know everything about textiles? Whether you dream of becoming a fashion designer or you simply have an interest in sustainability and learning about what clothes are made from, this book will be your guide. It’s currently priced at $3.99 on Kindle.
Fashion Designers A–Z. 40th Ed.
If you are looking for a nice coffee table book and learn about all fashion designers in one place, I recommend you to acquire this compact version.
BONUS: Glam Observer Free PDF Guides
Looking for something quick to read to learn about the fashion industry? We prepared for you a series of PDF guides that you can download for free:
- A Comprehensive guide about departments inside a fashion company that can help you discover the different career possibilities in the industry.
- 30 fashion industry terms every fashion professional needs to know.
What will you dive into this Christmas? Let us know on our Instagram @Glamobserver
