The inaugural fashion season has arrived once again, and it’s blazing with all the scintillating frisson of the latest trends and releases. With that in mind, it’d be wise to brush up on some fashion history and iconography to prepare. That’s why we’ve put together a little study session of style with Rizzoli’s latest releases, bustling with all the glamor essential to your fall reading list.

ANN LOWE: AMERICAN COUTURIER

Once in a while, a star burns through fashion’s stratosphere with lavish contribution but little recognition. Such is the case with Ann Lowe, America’s first Black fashion designer. A literary voyage of needle and thread, Ann Lowe: American Couturier reintroduces the paragon of mid-century romanticism into fashion’s orbit. Within its pages, you’ll find a vivid fleet of images that capture the awe of Lowe’s legacy, essays that explore the impact of her craft, and a close-up of the extraordinary efforts taken to preserve her gowns. Whether it’s crafting Jackie Kennedy’s iconic wedding dress or reimagining the attire of American high society, Lowe’s gift for sartorial storytelling forever changed fashion’s landscape. If it’s a story of unbridled passion in matters of the dress you seek, consider Rizzoli’s long-overdue tribute to this fashion phenomenon your next fall read.

Ann Lowe: American Couturier is available September 5, 2023, via Rizzoli.

I CARE A LOTTA, I WEAR COLLINA STRADA

Can responsible fashion be fun? Collina Strada, the colorful, conscious, and always-creative New York-based brand from designer Hillary Taymour, proves the answer is a resounding yes. Fifteen years after its launch, Collina Strada has won over innumerable devotees with its vibrant, kitschy designs and demonstrated commitment to promoting social and environmental change—from using deadstock fabric to upcycling unsold items. I Care a Lotta, I Wear Collina Strada captures the spirit of the brand perfectly with a delightful compilation of inspiring imagery and unexpected artistic collaborations— such as David Mattingly of Animorphs fame. A dazzling celebration of one of New York’s most beloved sustainable brands, this book will inspire readers to be just as bright
and bold.

I Care a Lotta, I Wear Collina Strada is available beginning October 3, 2023, via Rizzoli.

PAMELLA ROLAND: DRESSING FOR THE SPOTLIGHT

If you’re searching for the stars, look no further. Pamella Roland: Dressing for the Spotlight has all the glitz and glam burning at the core of the City of Angels. Having dressed Hollywood’s brightest and boldest from Paris Hilton to Vanessa Williams, the American designer is no stranger to inducing vestiary hypnosis among spectators. Oscillating between L.A., New York, and more mysterious, distant destinations, Pamella Roland: Dressing for the Spotlight reflects the empowerment that’s woven into the elegance of her designs. In this deep dive into Roland’s creative process, you’ll find sketches and inspirational references. Unforgettable, too, are the striking photographs that conjure breathtaking red-carpet moments. Merely turn this volume’s massive pages and the alchemy of the designer’s creations generates an aura of opulence that moves from page to psyche.

Pamella Roland: Dressing for the Spotlight is available beginning September 5, 2023, via Rizzoli.

RALPH LAUREN A WAY OF LIVING: HOME, DESIGN, INSPIRATION

Ralph Lauren is many things: fashion visionary, author, and godfather of American East Coast elite style. Known for his prophetic vision of prep, his timeless apparel has forever etched his name in the top tier of the beau monde. That’s the story we all know. It’s not the one explored in Lauren’s confessional self-penned book. Here you’ll find the legendary multihyphenate reflecting on his impact on the world of interior design. Spanning 544 lustrous pages, featuring a visual timeline of Lauren’s legacy as a lifestyle pioneer and an intimate look at his striking homes, Ralph Lauren A Way of Living: Home, Design, Inspiration is rich reading for the haute homebody.

Ralph Lauren A Way of Living: Home, Design, Inspiration is available beginning September 26, 2023, via Rizzoli.

ZADIG & VOLTAIRE: ESTABLISHED 1997 IN PARIS

“Life is not a straight road—ups and downs—but it’s my way,” reads Thierry Gillier’s note jotted onto a Château Voltaire memo pad. Little did Gillier know when he dashed this off in the late ’90s that this note would serve as an opening to a book covering the decades-long journey of his passion project and one of fashion’s favorite cult brands. In Zadig & Voltaire: Established 1997 in Paris, the knitwear rebel and global director of Vogue Runway Nicole Phelps discusses the French brand’s most iconic moments. Captured by the lenses of photographic icons such as Olivier Zahm and the deft duo behind V’s very own current September covers, Inez & Vinoodh, this marvelous monograph oozes sensuality with divinely undone imagery. There’s even a little insider knowledge from the designer himself, with notes on his influences and inspirations. It all started with some cashmere,
a defiant spirit, and a dash of rock ‘n’ roll—and the rest is history.

Zadig & Voltaire: Established 1997 in Paris is available beginning October 3, 2023, via Rizzoli.

MARTINE SITBON: ALTERNATIVE VISION

Few designers today can claim the impact of Martine Sitbon. The French creative made history with her appointment as head designer at Chloé in the late ’80s—the first woman to hold the title. Over nine seasons, she forged a refreshing, romantic new identity for the house, crafting flirty bodysuits, dreamy separates, and show-stopping minis—all while running her namesake label. Sitbon also served as an influential mentor for successive talents Phoebe Philo and Isabel Marant. Martine Sitbon: Alternative Vision offers an intimate glimpse into the elusive designer’s world through sketches and photographs of her essential works. Prepare to be enchanted all over again.

Martine Sitbon: Alternative Vision is available beginning September 12, 2023, via Rizzoli.

PHARRELL: CARBON, PRESSURE & TIME: A BOOK OF JEWELS

Bling, ice, drip—whatever you call it, jewelry has always been the epitome
of cool luxury. As for how it became the definitive accessory of hip-hop, you can thank Pharrell Williams. The legendary multi-hyphenate made his foray into the world of jewels in 2004, when he co-created the “Millionaire” Sunglasses with Nigo and Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton. In the nearly two decades since, he’s been the mastermind behind countless other opulent, outrageous pieces, including blinged-out rings, watches, and golden phone cases for Richard Mille, Tiffany & Co., and more. Images of these creations and other gems from his personal collection are on display in Pharrell: Carbon, Pressure & Time: A Book of Jewels, accompanied
by Williams’s priceless, insightful commentary in conversation with Nigo and Tyler, the Creator.

Pharrell: Carbon, Pressure & Time: A Book of Jewels is available beginning September 26, 2023, via Rizzoli.

MORE RICK OWENS

An oeuvre as revolutionary as Rick Owens’s could never be contained in just one book. That’s why we need More Rick Owens, the follow-up to the designer’s eponymous 2019 monograph. Through the precise lens of Danielle Levitt, Owens’s daring recent looks come into sharp focus. Alien headpieces and off-kilter silhouettes are tamed through impeccable tailoring and visionary detail. The typical goth-glam aesthetic of the anti-fashion designer is reinvigorated with splashes of color, while unexpected materials—think fish hides and goat hair—propel his work squarely into the realm of the avant-garde. Nearly three decades into his career, Owens continues to leave us begging for more.

More Rick Owens is available beginning September 19, 2023, via Rizzoli.

BYREDO

It’s hard to believe that Ben Gorham founded Byredo fewer than two decades ago, in 2006. What began as a collection of highly sought-after fragrances created by the former basketball player has since expanded into a covetable range of home goods, makeup, and more. The brand achieved cult-favorite status seemingly overnight, ushering in a new era of modern luxury. Byredo, a dictionary-style volume, revisits the global brand’s most-loved products and collaborations with talents like Virgil Abloh and Travis Scott, weaving a rich tapestry of memories along the way. Featuring imagery by top fashion photographers, the inventive tome channels the sense of intimate luxury that’s become the brand’s personal signature.

Byredo is available beginning October 10, 2023, via Rizzoli.

CAROLINA HERRERA: COLORMANIA – COLOR AND FASHION

Carolina Herrera is known for its bold, sophisticated fashion, incorporating bright colors and dynamic patterns to create mesmerizing looks. Capturing the vibrance of the house’s fun, feminine designs requires a special talent. Enter Elizaveta Porodina. The Russian photographer, known for her distinctive surrealist style, teamed up with creative director Wes Gordon to photograph the brand’s Resort and Spring 2022 collections on models and dancers. Compiled in Carolina Herrera: Colormania – Color and Fashion, Porodina’s dreamy snaps show the romantic designs and accessories in motion to ethereal, otherworldly effect. Each page of the chromatic chronicle outdoes the last—all while radiating the house’s joie de vivre.

Carolina Herrera: Colormania – Color and Fashion is available beginning September 5, 2023, via Rizzoli.

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: WOMAN BEFORE FASHION

Fashion folklore credits the jersey wrap dress with freeing the modern woman from the ever-restrictive grasp of her assigned garb. Pulling the strings of that revolutionary style statement was none other than Diane von Furstenberg. DVF—both the woman and the brand—has always made a point to put women before fashion. It’s with that unique philosophy in mind that fellow Belgian Nicolas Lor, Head of Exhibitions and Publications at the Brussels Fashion & Lace Museum, has whipped up this effervescent tribute to the feminist tour de force that forever changed the landscape of women’s fashion. A celebration of craft or a retrospective on reform? Call it what you may. Diane Von Furstenberg: Woman Before Fashion is a lesson in fashion history.

Diane Von Furstenberg: Woman Before Fashion is available beginning September 26, 2023, via Rizzoli.

This story appears in the pages of V144: now available for purchase!