Photography, design, fashion — the best new books coming out this summer explore different facets of art and style. Explore them for yourself, below.
FRAGILE BEAUTY: PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE SIR ELTON JOHN AND DAVID FURNISH COLLECTION
Marking 30 years of collecting photography for Elton John and David Furnish and accompanying a stellar exhibition (of just 300 of the couple’s 7,000 pictures) at the V&A Museum in London, Fragile Beauty explores fashion, reportage, celebrity, the male body, and American photography from the 20th and 21st centuries. Works included are an installation of 149 Nan Goldin prints from her Thanksgiving series, as well as images from Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, William Eggleston, Diane Arbus, Sally Mann, Ai Weiwei, Carrie Mae Weems, and others showcasing the marvel and magnitude of John’s and Furnish’s exquisite collection. The exhibition at the V&A South Kensington runs through January 5, 2025.
Fragile Beauty (V&A/Abrams) is available online now.
TEN MODERN HOUSES
In the first book to explore the private residential projects by architect Peter Marino—most known for monumental retail design for clients like Chanel, Dior, Fendi, and Louis Vuitton—homes in Aspen, Miami, the South of France, and more illustrate the scope of what is possible with unlimited creative freedom and Marino’s unique talent for the ultimate in luxury, privacy, and material.
Ten Modern Houses by Peter Marino, with an introduction by Pilar Viladas and additional texts by Sam Lubell (Phaidon), is available now.
COLLECTING FASHION: NOSTALGIA, PASSION, OBSESSION
Fashion stylist Alexandra Carl investigates the passion a curated selection of fashion insiders puts behind their collections of archival designer obsessions, from the colorful sneakers of Sarah Andelman to the rarefied Comme des Garçons pieces belonging to Michelle Elie—this impressive archive in itself showcases important designs by Alexander McQueen, Issey Miyake, and Helmut Lang, photographed in the homes of ultimate fashion insiders like Carla Sozzani, Azzedine Alaïa, and Alexander Fury—it’s a book that highlights clothes that have defined so many landmark fashion moments and creates an indispensable reference for any aspiring collector.
Collecting Fashion: Nostalgia, Passion, Obsession, by Alexandra Carl, with contributions by Angelo Flaccavento and Dr. Dimitrios Tsivrikos (Rizzoli), is available now.