Thursday, December 4, 2008

Holiday Gift Guide: Books for the Aesthete and the Decadent

I would be as pleased as punch to have any of these stunning books on my coffee table. Gorgeously bound and illustrated books are perfect gifts for the design junkie, fashion fanatic, and art enthusiast on your shopping list.



Sometimes, the concept itself is just as beautiful as the final product. 100 Years of Fashion Illustration.




This colorful textile book would add some serious pop to a bookshelf or table. Indian Textiles.



A little kitsch and a lot of fun. Japanese Beauties [Icon series].




For a hardcore fashion historian. Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century, 2 vols.



A great gift for a vintage vixen or a professional window shopper. Shop America: Midcentury Storefront Design.



Perfect for someone with a flair for the dramatic or a love of theater. The Complete Costume History.



Lempicka was the essence of Art Deco fabulous. Lempicka.



Contemporary portrait painting, with a gorgeous cover. Painting People: Figure Painting Today.

Fashion from the Swingin' 60's -- complete eye candy! 60's Fashion: Vintage Fashion and Beauty Ads.


Great for an antique collector, a renovator, or a lover of turn-of-the-century design. Decorative Art 1900-1910.