Summer reading? Maybe.
Really I just love books. Collecting them. Reading them. Shelving them.
I'm a book+magazine-whore, but only for ones that interest me and have amazing cover designs.
Really I just love books. Collecting them. Reading them. Shelving them.
I'm a book+magazine-whore, but only for ones that interest me and have amazing cover designs.
Here's a few from Chronicle Books that I recommend/love:
{For advertising advocates}
1.) Guerrilla Advertising by Gavin Lucas & Mike Dorrian [[$40]]The advertising industry is in a state of flux. In an age where we can choose what media we consume, the traditional channels of television, press and poster are no longer always the most effective methods for a brand/company to reach its target audience. As a result, global brands are opting to implement ever more inventive and original schemes to get their projects talked about. Microsoft covered Manhattan in butterfly stickers, Volkswagen made a car out of ice and parked it outside the Saatchi Gallery in London, and Adidas suspended two soccer players high above the streets of Tokyo for a death-defying face off.
This book shows the best international examples of the varied and inventive tactics that are being used today by big-name brands, non-profit organizations and individuals to promote themselves, their ideas and their products.
Over 70 international campaigns are featured, grouped according to their approach: stunts, street propaganda, sneaky tactics, site-specific campaigns and multi-fronted attacks.
About the authors:
Gavin Lucas is a senior writer at the leading monthly communication arts journal Creative Review.
Mike Dorrian has been a designer for the last 13 years. He has co-edited and designed numerous books, including the highly successful Business Cards.
{For menswear maniacs}
2.) 100 Years of Menswear by Cally Blackman [[$40]]A rich, comprehensive collection of images covering the revolution in menswear over the last 100 years with text by fashion historian Cally Blackman. Packed with images of Hollywood style icons, the artist personalities of the 1930s, and more, the evolution of menswear from practical to peacock is explored in an array of rarely seen photographs and illustrations.
The impact of Pierre Cardin, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, and other designers is contrasted with the street fashion of the 1960s, punk, and the club scene to bring together the story of the flourishing menswear market in one invaluable book.
The unique collection will prove indispensable for all fashion students, historians of dress, and lovers of menswear.
About the author:
Cally Blackman is a writer and lecturer with degrees in Fashion Design and History of Art, and an MA in History of Dress from the Courtauld Institute of Art. She teaches on the BA Fashion History and Theory course at Central Saint Martins College. Her previous publications include 100 Years of Fashion Illustration (2007), Costume: From 1500 to the Present Day (2003), and The 20s and 30s: Flappers and Vamps (2000).
{For interior design ideas}
3.) Creative Space: Urban Homes of Artists and Innovators by Francesca Gavin [[$35]]Creative Space looks at the studios, apartments, and homes of the designers, directors, stylists, artists, graffiti writers, curators, novelists, and innovators that are pushing the boundaries of contemporary culture. These are interiors created by people who shop in Colette in Paris, live on the Lower East Side in New York and travel to Tokyo. The domestic spaces are often D.I.Y and strongly reflect pop culture.
Looking at these interiors city by city, among the 30 homes featured in the book are those of artist and designer Julie Verhoeven and Maharishi founder Hardy Blechmann in London, graffiti artist Fafi in Paris, artists Ryan McGinness and Wes Lang in New York, innovative creatives Jaybo and Lucio Auri in Berlin, Barcelona filmmaker Roger Gual, and Tokyo's cult photographer Yasumasa Yonehara and artist Aya Takano. The spaces they inhabit and work in give a real image of today's avant garde.
About the author:
Francesca Gavin is a writer and editor based in London. She is currently the visual arts editor at Dazed & Confused magazine. She has written features and reviews for publications including Another, Blueprint, i-D, Art Review, Contemporary, Intersection, Marmalade, RA magazine, The Sunday Times, and Wonderland. She has written two books: Street Renegades: New Underground Art (2007), and Hell Bound: New Gothic Art (2008), both published by Laurence King.
There's more goodies on their website and if you love me or want to gift me, check out my wish list. x.
