London Fashion Week is ON — and we’re serving fashion with footnotes. To celebrate, we’re spotlighting an electric line-up from our publishers that goes way beyond the runway. From the ultimate fashion dictionary decoding every industry phrase, to a stunning deep dive into Palestinian costume heritage, to page-turning fashion history, confidence-boosting style guides, and a jaw-dropping exposé on the toxic (and largely unregulated) chemicals hiding in our wardrobes. This is fashion that informs, inspires and sparks conversation. Let’s make your London Fashion Week selection the best-dressed in the business.
An Opinionated Guide to Fashion London
By Chekii Harling
Hoxton Mini Press | 9781917719117 | PB | £10.95 | 12/02/2026
An insider’s guide to the chicest shops, museums and classes in the world’s most fearless fashion capital.
From the genius of Alexander McQueen to the punk perfection of Vivienne Westwood, London’s rebellious spirit and inclusive, eclectic fashion scene has always pushed boundaries. Today, the city’s streets are packed with places to explore this melting pot of style and self-expression. Whether you’re dreaming of exploring iconic institutions such as Liberty and the V&A, or seeking sustainable indie boutiques, vibrant markets and hidden vintage treasure troves — this is your opinionated guide to the most stylish spots the city has to offer.
Traditional Palestinian Costume
By Hanan Karaman Munayyer, Foreword by Hanan Mikhail Ashrawi
Interlink Books | 9781623715618 | HB | £53.99 | 9/18/2025
New expanded edition of a treasured classic: A joyous celebration of pattern and colour, and of an enduring Palestinian tradition.
The historical and cultural richness of Palestine is reflected visually in its costume and embroidery. Distinguished by boldness of colour, richness of pattern, and diversity of style, and combined with great needlework skill, these textiles have long played an important role in Palestinian culture and identity and manifested themselves in every aspect of Palestinian life. Based on over twenty-five years of extensive field research, this lavishly illustrated book presents the most exhaustive and up-to-date study of the origins of Palestinian embroidery and costume — from antiquity through medieval Arab textile arts to the present. With sumptuous photography and well-informed text, it documents region by region the evolution of costume and the textile arts in Palestine in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and displays this unique art in all its splendour.
Drama & Flava
By Jamel Shabazz, Text by Carlton Usher, Elena Romero & Diana McClure
Powerhouse Books | 9781648230967 | HB | £53.99 | 9/18/2025
For the first time, a direct line is drawn between Jamel Shabazz’ ground-breaking early work and his recent editorial work.
For the first time, a direct line is drawn between Jamel Shabazz’ ground-breaking early work and his recent editorial work. Acclaimed photographer Jamel Shabazz of best-selling hip-hop photo book Back in the Days is the go-to set and fashion styling photographer for films, episodic series and fashion spreads for magazines and sites from the U.S., Europe, and Asia. For the first time ever, a direct line is drawn between Shabazz’s ground-breaking early work (the styling and fashion of the late 1970s through the early 1990s) through his recent editorial work for Vogue, The New York Times, DAZED, The New Yorker, W Magazine, Cultured Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine, The Art Newspaper, and many more. Travelling back in time and forward across continents, ’80s photo shoots backdropped by graffiti, boomboxes, Kangols, Adidas, and chains give way to present day cutting edge fashion in Paris, New York, and Tokyo. Joyful everyday people smiling and posing juxtaposed with sophisticated, artsy portraits of celebs including Dapper Dan, Spike Lee, Slick Rick, Naomi Campbell, Coco Mitchell, Camila Alves, Alicia Keys, and Selita Ebanks. A cross-generational masterpiece featuring essays by historian Carlton Usher, professor Elena Romero, and photographer and writer Diana McClure, Drama & Flava is a love letter to everyday Black fashion and style. It’s pure Jamel Shabazz, man and spirit.
Denim
By Graham Marsh & Tony Nourmand
Reel Art Press | 9781909526976 | HB | £39.95 | 10/29/2024
Denim like you’ve never seen it before.
It is said that over 80 percent of the planet have owned an item of denim clothing. We spend hours crafting the insouciant turn of a hem and the casual roll of a collar; we spend our hard-earned money on carefully weathered, faded denim. And here is our original inspiration: defined over 70 years ago by hard-working people in their hard-working labours in a timeless look that has never gone out of style. In black and white and colour, these are photographs of ordinary Americans relentlessly toiling — hands, face, boots and denim dirty — to push America out of the Great Depression into the prosperity of its post-War years. And all wearing the toughest utility fabric available to them — denim. Levi’s, Wrangler, Lee, OshKosh, Carhartt — all the iconic American brands and more are here on workwear overalls, jeans, jackets and shirts. An extraordinary feat of curation, 250 images have been discovered in the hidden depths of the archive to form this book. It is written and art-directed by denim historian and vintage-clothing expert Graham Marsh, who is responsible for the seminal publication, Denim: From Cowboys to Catwalk. Marsh places the photographs in their historical context and discusses the clothing with an infectious turn of phrase that is authoritative, humorous, and with an obsessive attention to detail.
History of International Fashion
By Didier Grumback
Interlink Books | 9781623717728 | HB | £42.99 | 6/15/2023
The first ever English translation of the critically-acclaimed book opens the door to the fascinating universe of fashion.
This book is not just a history of fashion from the early days of the creation of dressmaking fashion to the development of ready-to-wear manufacturing and the global enterprise it is today. Its ambition is to be the story of the creation, the evolution, and the implosion of the fashion related professions. With readable, highly-informative, and entertaining text — coupled with stunning photography — this book offers valuable insights into a profession which, unlike any other social body, is determined as much by its origins as by its economic context. Didier Grumbach walks you down the runways of fashion history and unfolds the secrets of the industry with stories and accounts from those who have played an active part in its development from the 1920s to the present. From haute couture to the boom in ready-to-wear, the clothing industry, creators and designers, we witness the evolution in techniques, the shifting trends in the market, how an art matures and a culture changes. We also discover how the French ventured out of Paris to meet New York, London, Tokyo and Beijing. This book is a must for fashion lovers, professionals, and students who will find a thousand references never before presented. It will also enlighten the curious reader who wishes to go behind the scenes of this most seductive of theatres.
To Dye For
By Alden Wicker
Putnam | 9780593422618 | HB | £28.99 | 6/29/2023
A Silent Spring for your wardrobe, To Dye For is a jolting expose that reveals the true cost of the toxic, largely unregulated chemicals found on most clothing today. Many of us are aware of the ethical minefield that is fast fashion: the dodgy labour practices, the lax environmental standards, and the mountains of waste piling up on the shores of developing countries. But have you stopped to consider the dangerous effects your clothes are having on your own health? Award-winning journalist Alden Wicker breaks open a story hiding in plain sight: the unregulated toxic chemicals that are likely in your wardrobe right now, how they’re harming you, and what you can do about it. In To Dye For, Wicker reveals how clothing manufacturers have successfully swept consumers’ concerns under the rug for more than 150 years, and why synthetic fashion and dyes made from fossil fuels are so deeply intertwined with the rise of autoimmune disease, infertility, asthma, eczema, and more. In fact, there’s little to no regulation of the clothes and textiles we wear each day — from uniforms to fast fashion, outdoor gear, and even the face masks that have become ubiquitous in recent years. Wicker explains how we got here, what the stakes are, and what all of us can do in the fight for a safe and healthy wardrobe for all.
Style for Everybody
By Kim Appelt
Appetite By Random House | 9780525612216 | HB | £20.99 | 8/29/2023
The go-to fashion roadmap sharing the secrets to building a capsule wardrobe for all body shapes and personal styles.
We’ve all felt that defeat: thumbing through blouse after blouse in your closet, feeling like you have absolutely nothing to wear. Or at least, nothing you feel good in. That’s where Style for Everybody comes in. Kim Appelt is a stylist to the stars, and while her chic looks dazzle at award shows and beyond, she knows life’s not all about being red carpet ready. Building on the fun, approachable style wisdom from her popular YouTube videos, Style for Everybody is the go-to book for creating a classic and timeless wardrobe to perfectly fit you — your body, your style, and your life. With Kim’s guidance, you’ll learn how to: condense your current closet with sustainable donation suggestions; determine your body shape and personal style; shop with efficiency and purpose. And the moment you’ve been waiting for! Build a new curated wardrobe, focusing on key garments, shoes, purses, and accessories for each body type and style. With an understanding of versatile body shapes (hourglass and rectangles are only the beginning) and fashion styles (a little preppy, full-on edgy?), Kim knows that the better you feel about yourself, the more of a positive force you can be in the world. Filled with beautiful illustrations, Style for Everybody is like having a personal stylist (and cheerleader!) in your home — and Kim’s help and encouragement will keep coming back whenever you need a style pick-me-up.
The Ivy Look A to Z
By Graham Marsh
Reel Art Press | 9781915427007 | PB | £24.95 | 21/07/2026
A celebration of the clothing and accessories of the Ivy Look.
The Ivy Look A to Z is a celebration of the clothing and accessories of the Ivy Look from world authority on the style, Graham Marsh. First emerging in the Ivy League schools of America’s East Coast during the 1950s and ’60s, the Ivy Look has had a lasting sartorial impact on fashion and culture. Democratic, stylish, and comfortable, it has been embraced by presidents, film stars, businessmen, and hipsters alike. With its understated yet carefully curated components, the Ivy Look embodies an approachable correctness and laid-back confidence. Digging deep into the archives, this visual lexicon showcases all the Ivy essentials and how to wear them — including D for Desert Boots, L for Loafers, O for Oxford Shirts, M for Madras and T for Trench Coats. Each entry is accompanied by original illustrations and text by Marsh alongside period album covers, magazine advertisements, movie posters and photographs of Ivy icons such as Miles Davis, Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. Comprehensive and inspiring, The Ivy Look A to Z is an indispensable Ivy guide and a must for any coffee or bedside table.
A Fashion Dictionary
By Janey Ironside
Plexus | 9780859655514 | PB | £18.99 | 11/26/2026
Struggling to tell a basket-stitch from a bland-stitch? This definitive dictionary of essential industry terms, styles and expressions holds the answer to every imaginable fashion dilemma.
Author Janey Ironside was a game-changing professor at London’s Royal College of Art in the ’50s and ’60s, and her book is a veritable mine of information, perfectly tailored to the needs of fashion students and casual dressmakers alike. First published in 1968, A Fashion Dictionary is more relevant today than ever, providing a crucial point of reference in an ever-changing creative industry.
