The time is ripe to stock up on one’s own (or someone else’s) bookshelf. From a digital fashion reader edited by BeautyMatter contributor Michael Spicher to Dr. Michelle Wong's (aka Lab Muffin Beauty Science) book debunking the biggest cosmetic science myths, here are a handful of publications to explore this season.
Hokusai
Andreas Marks
One of the most esteemed artists of Japan’s Edo Period (1603-1868), Hokusai’s pieces like “Under the Wave off Kanagawa,” female portraits, shunga erotica, and plant life woodblock prints have gained recognition around the world. Featuring over 746 works of art from the artist’s catalogue, the tome is a large-scale exploration of his work. Marks also writes on the historical context and influence of Hokusai’s work, reaching far beyond the borders of his native island.
Digital Fashion
Edited by Michael R. Spicher, Sara Emilia Bernat, Doris Domoszlai-Lantner
An extensive anthology of the digitalization of fashion—from the development of the Jacquard loom to NFTs—this collection of 12 topical essays and four specialist interviews is divided into three parts. The first section covers the historical origins of the medium and role as an aesthetic object, while the second delves into the practice of creating digital fashion through cyborgs, sneaker culture, and more. The final section explores the impact of digital fashion on the world at-large, through lenses such as African decoloniality and sustainability. The four specialist interviews pull from the realms of the legal system, design, and history, focusing on Julie Zerbo, founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Fashion Law; Idiat Shiole, web3 startup founder and 3D designer; Jonathan M. Square, writer, historian, and curator of Afro-Diasporic fashion; and Matthew Drinkwater, Head of Innovation Agency, London College of Fashion.
The Science of Beauty
Dr. Michelle Wong
Under the online moniker Lab Muffin Beauty Science, Dr. Michelle Wong has built a loyal and large following by demystifying the world of cosmetic chemistry in a relatable and accessible way. With The Science of Beauty, she answers 100 everyday questions across skincare, haircare, nail care, and color cosmetics, with colorful graphics breaking down information like formula compositions and product pricing.
Image credit: The Science of Beauty by Michelle Wong (DK)
100,000 Years of Beauty
Elisabeth Azoulay, Pascal Picq, Georges Vigarello, Marc Nouschi, Françoise Gaillard, Michel Serres
While technically a recommission of the 2009 publication, The L’Oréal Corporate Foundation’s new reissue (in honor of the company’s 115th anniversary) is worth noting. The publication depicts the quest for beauty across human civilizations throughout history, be it through body modification, clothing, or makeup. The book includes writings from 300 writers of 35 different nationalities, with an interdisciplinary approach incorporating architecture, ethnology, philosophy, art, and psychology to name a few. It is split up into five volumes, each for a specific period: Prehistory, Antiquity/the Classical Era, Modernity, the Future.
Living in a Dream: Dreamscapes, Imagined Architectures, and Interiors
gestalten
Featuring the work of creatives like Carlos Bañon Blazquez, Hassan Ragab, Shail Patel, Ricardo Orts, and Nicholas Préaud, Living in a Dream unleashes the creative potential of when human imagination meets AI tools. Think an inflatable pink Great Wall of China, ultra modern homes built into oceanside cliffs, and futuristic updates on a childhood treehouse.
Disco: Music, Movies, and Mania under the Mirror Ball
Frank DeCaro
Disco never dies and continues to dazzle on in this historical tribute to the 1970s musical genre with roots in Black and Latin queer culture. Decaro traces its origins from club culture into the mainstream, infiltrating not just music acts to the present day, but also fashion, film, and interior design. The publication features interviews with some of the era’s most famous icons like Donna Summer and Grace Jones for an insider’s take on those boogie nights.
Dustin Pittman: New York After Dark
Roger Padilha, Mauricio Padilha, David Johansen
Told through Pittman’s archive of over 100,000 photographs of New York City’s nightlife in the ’70s and ’80s, this publication takes the reader not only into the VIP room of Studio 54 or the punk surroundings of CBGB, but also on the journey of how this nocturnal utopia intersected with the worlds of fashion, art, music, and politics. Expect snapshots of Jerry Hall, drag queen Divine, and Lou Reed, accompanied by an introductory essay by David Johansen on the historical importance of Pittman’s work.
Fornasetti: Memories of the Future
Silvana Annichiarico, Ginevra Quadrio Curzio, Barnaba Fornasetti
This publication depicts the history of the esteemed ceramics brand (which has since branched out into home fragrance), which began in postwar Milan in 1947 at the hands of Piero Fornasetti and is continued by his son Barnaba in the present day. Aside from the evolution of the brand to its present-day status and influence, the book also features illustrations and objects from the past seven decades.
