Design - History & Criticism

With a dedication to luxury and practicality, Louis Vuitton designed his unique lightweight, airtight luggage in 1854 and ensured that jetsetters all over the globe could travel in comfort and style. It was a creation that founded a fashion house and became a standard-bearer...

A symbol of French luxury and the art of travel, Louis Vuitton luggage is more than a companion for the journey - it is a global icon. Louis Vuitton revolutionized travel in 1854 with the creation of his elegant, lightweight, airtight trunks - setting...

Sought-after, sophisticated and versatile, the Hermès carré is wearable art that never goes out of fashion. Unveiling the history and artistry of the brand's silk accessory from the first designs in the early twentieth century to today, this fashion story includes a detailed behind-the-scenes...

"Delightful: a work full of insight, mischief, wisdom and, most pleasing of all, illustrations--65 of which are in gorgeous color."--The Wall Street Journal - "The history of head-wrapped cloth, from sixth-century Bedouins protecting themselves against the desert sun to Sarah Jessica Parker donning a...

An important manual for young designers from Italian modernist Massimo VignelliThe famous Italian designer Massimo Vignelli allows us a glimpse of his understanding of good design in this book, its rules and criteria. He uses numerous examples to convey applications in practice - from...

This ultimate reference on fine watchmaking offers a comprehensive overview of the history and anatomy of luxury timepieces. Taking readers behind the scenes to discover the captivating realm of mechanical watches, this indispensable reference provides rare insight into the world of fine watchmaking. Designed...

The New York Times bestseller and one of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of 2024 "The gift book of the year, a volume that should have broad appeal and deliver many hours of pleasure to the recipient. The Work of Art is a gorgeous book."...

Co-published in Association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London This book is a timely and engaging introduction to the way that artists working in all media think about craft. Workmanship is key to today's visual arts, when high 'production values' are becoming increasingly...

A celebration of Tom Ford's design work for both Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent from 1994 to 2004, created with the designer's full cooperation. This colossal, slip-cased deluxe volume showcases 10 years of the most brilliant, most glamorous, most luxurious, and most provocative designs...

In-depth discussions on bootlegging and its myriad definitions in the creative worldOver the last few decades, the term "bootlegging"--a practice once relegated to smugglers and copyright infringers--has become understood as a creative act. Debates about homage, appropriation and theft, already common in the art...

A lavishly illustrated celebration of the most collectable vintage pieces from the world's most iconic fashion brands. Luxury vintage clothing and accessories have avid collectors all over the world and interest in the vintage fashion market has never been greater. Imagine being able to...

The essential volume on the great fashion designer, entrepreneur and Louis Vuitton artistic director, back in printPublished with Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. This authoritative Virgil Abloh compendium, created by the designer himself, accompanies his acclaimed landmark 2019-23 touring exhibition and offers in-depth analysis...

A witty, tongue-in-cheek discussion of design's potentials and pitfallsIn focusing on creating preferable conditions, the discipline of design is optimistic by default. And yet, vernacular manifestations of skepticism, dissatisfaction and even resentment toward design abound. Instead of systematically discarding them, can these "sad passions"...

Part design experiment, part critical theory, part how-to manual, What Is Post-Branding? offers a creative counter to branding's neoliberal orthodoxyBrands aren't just intruding on culture, they are our culture: they are the sponsored mechanisms for constructing and manipulating meaning and human identity. But should...

Essays by international bestselling author Edward Tenner that explore both the negative and positive surprises of human ingenuity How did the addition of lifeboats after the Titanic shipwreck contribute to another tragedy in Chicago harbor three years later? How efficient are wild animals as...