Akiko Fukai
Books Every Fashion Designer Should Read
A fashion designer should first of all understand the power of authentic clothing. The real clothes that real people wear demonstrate the richness and diversity of human thought. The Kyoto Costume Institute’s historical collection of examples of Western fashion, along with the institution’s exhibitions and related books and catalogues, reflect this belief in clothing and the act of dressing as manifestations of our very being.
New generations of fashion designers will no doubt examine the meaning of clothing in new ways. They would do well to look for inspiration to Japanese design, which began to prominently influence global fashion in the early 1980s. Several photographic books of the early designs of Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo, and Yohji Yamamoto, who challenged Western ideas of beauty and established definitions of fashion, show that this work still retains its strong impact and freshness.
To understand the Japanese design mind, it is necessary to understand what informs Japanese culture, from traditional aesthetics to anime and manga, which authors such as Jun’ichiro Tanizaki and Hiroki Azuma explore.
Of the many tools at a fashion designer’s disposal, books may be among the most important. They provide access to the great works of art and architecture and other design-related fields and to what may be the most critical tool for fashion design’s future: philosophical thinking.
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An unfinished lifelong project of the philosopher Walter Benjamin; an enormous collection of writings on the city life of Paris during the 19th century, with many references to fashion.
Reveals Rei Kawakubo's dynamic power of creation.
Theory of design that, although by a graphic designer, speaks to the the essentials of all design.
Challenging to read, this book contains many references to clothing and textiles, which might provide a source of inspiration for designers.
Theory of Japanese culture written in 1933 by an acclaimed Japanese novelist who considered shadows the core of Japanese aesthetics.
A study of clothes by a psychoanalyst of the Lacanian school. The author argues the question of the essentials of clothing.
Examines the contemporary Japanese subculture of anime, manga, etc. It is indispensable to learn about what has happened in this field to understand contemporary Japanese street fashion, which is being watched worldwide.
This book, written in 1971 by an architect, still has many interesting angles from which to consider why we dress.
Explores feminism in painting, addressing the themes of modernity, sexuality, and repression.
Announcements
Now is Better by Stefan Sagmeister
Now is Better
By Stefan Sagmeister
Publisher: Phaidon Press
Published: October 2023
Combining art, design, history, and quantitative analysis, transforms data sets into stunning artworks that underscore his positive view of human progress, inspiring us to think about the future with much-needed hope.
Design Emergency: Building a Better Future by Alice Rawsthorn and Paola Antonelli
Design Emergency: Building a Better Future
By Alice Rawsthorn and Paola Antonelli
Publisher: Phaidon Press
Published: May 2022
Rawsthorn and Antonelli tell the stories of the remarkable designers, architects, engineers, artists, scientists, and activists who are at the forefront of positive change worldwide. Focusing on four themes—Technology, Society, Communication, and Ecology—the authors present a unique portrait of how our great creative minds are developing new design solutions to the major challenges of our time, while helping us to benefit from advances in science and technology.
Why Design Matters: Conversations with the World’s Most Creative People by Debbie Millman
Why Design Matters: Conversations with the World's Most Creative People
By Debbie Millman
Publisher: Harper Design
Published: February 22, 2022
Debbie Millman—author, educator, brand consultant, and host of the widely successful and award-winning podcast “Design Matters”—showcases dozens of her most exciting interviews, bringing together insights and reflections from today’s leading creative minds from across diverse fields.
Milton Glaser: POP by Steven Heller, Mirko Ilić, and Beth Kleber
Milton Glaser: POP
By Steven Heller, Mirko Ilić, and Beth Kleber
Publisher: The Monacelli Press
Published: March 2023
This collection of work from graphci design legend Milton Glaser’s Pop period features hundreds of examples of the designer’s work that have not been seen since their original publication, demonstrating the graphic revolution that transformed design and popular culture.
Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall by Alexandra Lange
Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall
By Alexandra Lange
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: June 2022
Chronicles postwar architects’ and merchants’ invention of the shopping mall, revealing how the design of these marketplaces played an integral role in their cultural ascent. Publishers Weekly writes, “Contending that malls answer ‘the basic human need’ of bringing people together, influential design critic Lange advocates for retrofitting abandoned shopping centers into college campuses, senior housing, and ‘ethnocentric marketplaces’ catering to immigrant communities. Lucid and well researched, this is an insightful study of an overlooked and undervalued architectural form.”
Die Fläche: Design and Lettering of the Vienna Secession, 1902–1911 (Facsimile Edition) by Diane V. Silverthorne, Dan Reynolds, and Megan Brandow-Faller
Die Fläche: Design and Lettering of the Vienna Secession, 1902–1911 (Facsimile Edition)
By Diane V. Silverthorne, Dan Reynolds, and Megan Brandow-Faller
Publisher: Letterform Archives Books
Published: October 2023
This facsimile edition of Die Fläche, recreates every page of the formative design periodical in full color and at original size, accompanied by essays that contextualize the work, highlighting contributions by pathbreaking women, innovative lettering artists, and key practitioners of the new “surface art,” including Rudolf von Larisch, Alfred Roller, and Wiener Werkstätte founders Koloman Moser and Josef Hoffmann.
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