The best spring books are now here for your enjoyment. From entertaining, fashion, design…and beyond, join our bookish bibliophile Lance Avery Morgan as he recommends a few favorites.
ENTERTAINING IN STYLE
By Jane Churchill and Emily Astor
This tome reflects on American-born cousins Nancy Astor and Nancy Lancaster, who were renowned as two of Britain’s greatest party-givers, excelling at gracious entertaining and witty repartee. The book offers seventy-five dishes, gorgeous table settings, and previously unseen family photographs of the duo’s provenance in the U.S. and Great Britain.
Authored by his granddaughter, Classic Hollywood Style takes a refreshed look at Paul R. Williams, the most prominent architect in Hollywood of his generation who was also a person of color. It includes his take on Spanish Mediterranean, English Tudor, French Normandy, Art Deco, and of course, the California Ranch style.
The legendary design House of Dior has a 75th anniversary of the New Look happening. Here, it is captured in this must-have tome that reflects the magnificence of the era
With inviting and lush photography, alongside mouthwatering images of simple and flavorful dishes, this book collects recipes from 30 years of cooking and hosting at Arniano. This is Italian estate exemplifies the fundamental principles of Italian hospitality.
Open the doors to inspiring homes and learn lessons of navigating various design challenges to bring a room to life. The big and small moments in these homes reveal the creative process for the personal and idiosyncratic interiors these designers and tastemakers create for themselves.
From deep in Béarn, the countryside of southwest France, this offers a complete guide to surrounding yourself with French country style no matter where you are…and distills the unique colors, textures, and flavors of this distinctive corner of the world.
Mick Jagger’s brother, Chris Jagger, has written a beguiling story of a close-knit family and deep brotherly ties. Littered with British pop cultural moments, Jagger covers the highs and lows of acting and film work and the pursuit of his own unique, global musical adventures.
This book reflects highly polished and sophisticated interiors that indulge in a lighthearted, almost irreverent sense of whimsy. Be captivated by the interplay of seemingly disparate elements emboldened to follow your wildest design dreams.
By Heather Ecker, Judith Henon-Raynaud, Evelene Posseme and Sarah Schleuning
Published to accompany the new Dallas Museum of Art exhibit, Cartier and Islamic Art is a sumptuous exploration of the ways in which the Islamic arts have inspired the famous jewelry house, Cartier.
Interior designer Cotton presents rooms that mix historical and modern influences, resulting in luxuriously sleek interiors for casual yet sophisticated living. Many of the glamorous spaces were designed for art-world clients and are anchored in tradition but reflect the relaxed sensibilities of our time.
$85. You can apply his methods to any part of your own home. At RizzoliUSA.com.
The best new books to give and receive? Look no further than these impeccably enticing choices that are perfect for any time of the year, according to our bibliophile, Lance Avery Morgan
BULGARI MAGNIFICA: THE POWER WOMEN HOLD
By Tina Leung
Now marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the fabled jewelry house…with energy, impact, and daring creativity. Bulgari’s collection includes outstanding pieces of jewelry made at the height of creativity and artisanship and conveyed through expertise and craftsmanship.
SHOEMAKER OF DREAMS: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SALVATORE FERRAGAMO
By Salvatore Ferragamo
This book traces Ferragamo’s origins as a village shoemaker to founding what would become a major global fashion brand. Charming and insightful, it also includes a thrilling series of encounters with Hollywood stars and notable global names.
With intimate personal portraits for storytelling, photographic portraiture has always served a number of functions. With a fresh and entertaining approach, here’s a history of the art form, examining many modes of portraiture—fine art photography, fashion, anthropology, narrative, street, and selfies.
Showcasing sixty of the world’s most significant and renowned pieces of sapphire jewelry and artifacts, as well as many previously unseen designs, thisfeatures a stunning array of style icons wearing their favorite sapphire jewelry, including pieces from iconic jewelry houses.
This tome showcases an incredible journey from an outsider’s perspective into the private world of the American cowboy. Real people and real stories, here is a remarkable and inspiring collection of pages where Krantz’s subjects come together to share their lives and celebrate the nation’s classic cowboy culture.
Sibley’s third book is a vividly drawn, often very funny tale set in the fictional small Texas town of Rita Blanca that only a fifth-generation Texan could write. The book focuses on three ranching families whose lives are intertwined, all of which are at a point of transition. And, of course, trouble ensues.
THE UNITED STATES OF FASHION: A NEW ATLAS OF AMERICAN STYLE
By The Editors of Vogue
This celebrates the creators, artisans, and visionaries across the country while paying tribute to the democratization of American fashion. Organized by region and providing additional context for the designers and craftspeople featured, it’s a look at sustainable fashion for now and beyond.
MOVIE THEATERS: THE METAMORPHOSIS OF AMERICAN CINEMAS
By Yves Marchand, Romain Meffre and Ross Melnick
They are in every American city and town—grandiose movie palaces constructed during the golden age of the entertainment industry that now stand abandoned, empty, decaying, or repurposed. This significant new project poignantly eulogizes and celebrates the tattered remains of hundreds of movie theaters across America.
Explore some of the most innovative, ambitious, and beautiful houses on the Indian subcontinent in the context of the country’s varied landscapes, climates, and historical influences. This book has remarkable insights into residences built by an array of leading and up-and-coming architects with plans that highlight the features of each project.
Featuring advice from 50 experts and profiling an array of people running enterprises on every scale, the inspirational tales in this volume provide readers with insights into entrepreneurship.
The best new fall books are beyond spectacular. Glorious, colorful, and enticing, enter the worlds they inspire, as recommended by our own bibliophile, Lance Avery Morgan.
HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON: PARIS REVISITED
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
He was known as the eye of the 20th century and is one of the world’s most acclaimed photographers. Paris was Cartier-Bresson’s home, on and off, for most of his life, and the photographs he took of the city and its people are some of his most recognizable and beloved images.
Take an unparalleled A–Z deep dive into the designers, photographers, icons, and other creatives who have produced and inspired the most memorable looks in menswear–and are still advancing today’s renaissance in men’s clothing and style. Perfect for any gent in your life.
MONIQUE LHUILLIER: DREAMING OF FASHION AND GLAMOUR
By Monique Lhuillier
Some of the beloved superstar designer’s most memorable bridal and sumptuous red-carpet creations are highlighted, along with her ready-to-wear line, home and fragrance products, and other lifestyle initiatives. This book is just part of her brand’s larger 25th anniversary celebration.
Take a deeper look at this Texas firm’s most recent residential projects built in partnership with the land, rooted in its particular place, and responding in a meaningful way to the natural or built environment. This approach has served them well for the last 30 years and continues even more so today.
For almost 60 years, the Rolling Stones have helped shape popular culture around the world. Unzipped traces their impact and influence on rock music, art, design, fashion, photography, and filmmaking. Packed with many never-before-seen photos, artwork, and memorabilia, you’ll be immersed in their glam rock atmosphere.
The architecture of Marion Sims Wyethdefines one of the most preeminent design talents of his day. This richly illustrated book takes readers intothe legendary abodes of Marjorie Merriweather Post and Doris Duke—Mar-a-Lago and Shangri La, respectively—as well as the less well-known but equally spectacular Hogarcito and La Claridad, to name but a few.
LIFE IN A FRENCH COUNTRY HOUSE: ENTERTAINING FOR ALL SEASONS
By Cordelia de Castellane
With tips and inspirations for living and entertaining à la française, you will delight in learning how to re-create chic French style for holiday celebrations, special events, and everyday occasions with seasonal tableware, recipes, interior design, and floral arrangements.
Here is an inspiring, unparalleled global tour of more than 400 captivating residential interiors from the past eight decades. From classic to contemporary, minimal to maximal, the homes included illuminate the design tropes unique to their location’s context, while others confound preconceived ideas of vernacular design to spectacular effect.
Written by the museum’s former president, The Musée Picasso Paris houses the most impressive collection of Picasso’s works. Now you can visit this extensive collection from the comfort of your favorite reading spot, thanks to this canon of his works.
HOME: A CELEBRATION–NOTABLE VOICES REFLECT ON THE MEANING OF HOME
By Charlotte Moss
Moss presents a fascinating range of creatives, across all practices who share what “home” means to them. The primary objective in doing this project was to benefit No Kid Hungry, a wonderful organization whose mission became all the more vital during the last year.
The curated interiors of Philip Mitchell reveal layered and timeless style on full display in his featured homes—many never-before-published—where he masterfully incorporates a wide-ranging mix of antiques, vintage collectibles, and contemporary pieces. He dials in everything from inherited furniture collections to modern art—in rooms that overflow with memories and warmth.
INTERIOR AFFAIRS: SOFIA ASPE AND THE ART OF DESIGN
By Sofia Aspe
The prominent Mexican interior designer presents homes that harmoniously balance eclectic character with modern and contemporary elegance. The book features residences in Mexico City, Spain, Florida, Texas, and other locales that will inspire your own interior designs.
The book includes lifestyle and design guru Kayne’s home, as well as those of a range of women Kayne admires and who share her reverence for nature, a neutral palette, organic and renewable materials, and the goal of creating a calm, cosseting nest for family and friends.
This tome tells the fascinating story of the 25-year long collaboration of two remarkable legends–Coco Chanel and Peter Marino. Through a stunning collection of sixteen buildings, the book shows how Marino’s architecture and interior design elevated Chanel’s luxury retail spaces to the realm of fine art.
CHÂTEAU DE ‘HAROUÉ: THE HOME OF THE PRINCES DE BEAUVAU-CRAON
By Victoria Botana de Beauvau-Craon and Minnie de Beauvau-Craon
Château De ‘Haroué, an estate located in a remote village in the Lorraine region of northeastern France, is an unrivaled treasure of Gallic culture and heritage. Built between 1720 and 1729 for Marc de Beauvau, Prince de Beauvau-Craon, constable of Lorraine and viceroy of Tuscany, his descendants have inhabited the castle ever since and are devoted to stewarding this remarkable estate. Perfect for your favorite Francophile.
The luxe book features more than 350 photographs by the renowned photographer, most of which were previously uncollected–including over 30 images never before published and more than 90 images that have not been seen since their original magazine publication. This is a personal library must-have.
A TUSCAN ADVENTURE, CASTELLO DI POTENTINO: THE RESTORATION OF A CASTLE
By Charlotte Horton
Offering readers an intimate portrait of the renovation and life at Potentino, this enthralling account of revitalizing the Castello into a thriving vineyard, charming bed and breakfast, and vibrant arts center provides engaging text and anecdotal stories to its audience.
COMING HOME, MODERN RUSTIC: CREATIVE LIVING IN DUTCH INTERIORS
By Barbara de Vries
This book showcases original and resourceful living in the Netherlands at its best. The properties—including historic canal houses, restored farms, and eco-friendly homes—have been brought into the twenty-first century with typical Dutch style and sensibility, showing a wide range of imaginative spaces filled with color and informal charm.
Leave it to Texas native Evans, who immersed herself in the kitchens, restaurants, and markets of the Italian Riviera, building relationships with chefs, shopkeepers, producers, and nonne who drive the local cuisine. This book showcases all that she discovered: a cuisine that is beautiful but humble, plant-forward, seasonal, and waste-conscious. This is a healthy cuisine book like no other.
Rarely has the incredible range of cuisines from Mexico’s tropical coasts to the icy islands at the foot of South America been documented as comprehensively as in this collection. Savor the 600 remarkable recipes that bring to life the vibrancy of Latin America and its myriad influences–indigenous, European, Asian and beyond.
Recently, in this exclusive interview, we caught up with superstar choreographer and founder of ISHIDA, Brett Ishida, on her point of view toward contemporary dance. The upcoming performances in her latest work, Faraway, so close, happen in Austin August 13–14 at Dell Fine Arts Center at St. Andrew’s and in Houston August 19–21 at MATCH Midtown Arts & Theater Center. At IshidaDance.org
By Lance Avery Morgan Photography courtesy of ISHIDA
LANCE AVERY MORGAN: What is the significance of contemporary dance as the world begins to recover from the pandemic–what are the healing aspects it can offer to your audience?
BRETT ISHIDA: Over two thousand years ago in ancient Greece, citizens attended Greek tragedy; it was one’s civic duty. These plays informed society of its moral code. The performances were cathartic and the personal narratives portrayed connected to audiences emotionally, creating space to hold the spectrum of human experience, from joy and lightness to the dark, difficult aspects of the human condition. Through performance, individuals and society at large were able to reflect on, grapple with, and ultimately grow in the face of innate human experiences from desire, jealousy, and loneliness to belonging, hope, fragility, and mortality.
In the wake of COVID-19, attending live performances gives each of us a renewed chance to process the trauma of the pandemic in community, just as they did in ancient Greece. ISHIDA’s contemporary narratives mirror the ethos of the communal civic duty of Greek tragedy. My work invites existential questions and emotional connection, allowing audiences to extract personal meaning because there is a narrative thread expressed through the movement that is relatable and universal.
Brett Ishida
LAM: Being universal begs the question, why do you think contemporary ballet continues to be a favorite performing art for audiences across the world?
BI: I think there is an alluring visual and physical aesthetic to ballet that’s mesmerizing, and I draw on this classical foundation for my work. I combine the beauty of the human form from traditional ballet with theatrical, grounded, fluid movement that expresses the everyday being. I don’t want audiences to say after watching one of my pieces, “I don’t get it,” so I create unique poetic narratives to help audiences attach emotionally to my work and empathize with the characters/dancers on stage. As an audience member, you don’t need to “get” it because you feel it: you are swept up and reflected back in the visual story.
LAM: Speaking of reflections, how different is contemporary dance–and its audiences – across the world vs. to here in the U.S?
BI: Much of contemporary dance, particularly in the U.S., seeks to represent a certain culture or address social issues. Although ISHIDA Dance is not without social messages and context, my poetic narratives are first and foremost universal and yet personal, asking each of us to connect to existential questions of Being. Ultimately, my work is different in several ways, which taken as a whole, suggests ISHIDA is unique to U.S. dance companies today. I am working hard to find dancers that express themselves through contemporary movement, yet retain the beauty of the human form that many of us love about classical ballet.
I am relentless in my pursuit of a visual aesthetic which encompasses dramaturgy, lighting, stage design, and sound and music. My work seeks to fill the creative space between fairy tales in traditional ballet and themed dances of the often highly abstract world of contemporary dance. Although ISHIDA pursues some of the patterns and interesting movements seen in contemporary dance, my work is always driven by a unique narrative. I’m working from an original storyboard/script within a modern context to connect to audience’s emotions and psyche.
LAM: Regarding emotions and psyche, how has your Japanese heritage informed your subject matters and work?
BI: I grew up a in rural community, primarily white and Hispanic, with very few Asians. I was hyper as a child and my mom says I was always dancing spontaneously, so she put me in tap, tumbling, and ballet classes. I immediately was smitten with ballet and knew I wanted to be a professional ballerina when I grew up. I didn’t look like other children and even at a young age, I was already passionate about something (dance) that most children weren’t that focused on. I didn’t have many friends as a youngster in this context, so growing up, I felt isolated and alone. To escape these feelings, I’d create my own stories through dance in my bedroom and at my grandparents’ modest citrus farm between trees on the dirt roads.
Dancing in the landscape from which I came provided solace, but that landscape, and the family who has inhabited it for generations, also shaped and informed me and the stories I tell. As a choreographer and artistic director, I hope to create space for that creative interplay for each of ISHIDA’s dancers. As a female artist of color, I cultivate a safe, collaborative environment in which participants’ culture and history is treated as an asset to be shared.
LAM: On the subject of assets, how did studying the Greek classics support your career and what you’ve created?
BI: Studying literature at UCLA, Attic Greek (the Greek dialect of the ancient region of Attica), Greek philosophy which utilizes various poetic structures, and ancient Greek tragedy which is written in iambic trimeter, has had a direct and significant influence on ISHIDA Dance. I structure my narratives using conceits of Ancient Greek language and culture, which then influences the choreographic process. I harness fundamental narrative devices seen in ancient Greek tragedy which were also noted by Shakespeare and many other great playwrights. The communal experience of Greek tragedy in its social and historical context united the moral code of its citizens and encouraged thinking about Otherness. The intent of my work has the same motivation—to play with the tension between the collective and the individual experience. How do they define and inform one another and what can we learn from each?
LAM: Brett, can you describe your creative process in developing the choreography for your latest project?
BI: Before I get into a studio, I engage in a rigorous writing process. I start by creating poetic fragments. From there, I develop a structure for the work similar to that of a play. With this framework, I start to create movement that stems from the context of the plot, the character development and his/her/their motives for being. It is a collaborative process in that the dancers bring their individuality and personal experience to the work. One of my dancers said that my creative process was like going to therapy. My work encourages self-awareness and a heightened awareness of the presence and experience of others, too. My hope is that the process of creating and watching dance prompts introspection in each of the artists with whom I work and each of the audience members who will ultimately see that work. By creating basic structures that leave room for the process of further creation, expression, and interpretation, I hope to foster curiosity in both artist and spectator and afford the opportunity for deep meditation on Being and the possibilities for becoming more other-centric.
LAM: What is it like to collaborate with guest choreographers like Bret Easterling and Kristian Lever?
BI: I not only choreograph, but I also curate all programming for ISHIDA Dance. I do extensive research before inviting a choreographer to create with the company. The guest choreographers I choose are extremely talented choreographic voices and devoted artists who have had extensive dance careers with renown international companies from all over the world. Bret is a former member of Batsheva, creating and performing works by Ohad Naharin, and now sets his work with universities and professional companies. Kristian is a former dancer with Hamburg Ballet and an award-winning choreographer. He has created works with dancers from the Dutch contemporary dance company Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) and Royal Danish Ballet. They both are creating important contemporary work in the field of dance engaging and connecting to audiences in a tangible, meaningful way. And yet, their work is not typically presented in Texas. These pieces will be world premieres. It is a pleasure to know and work with each of them.
LAM: Why are you excited about bringing Faraway, So Close in Houston and Austin soon?
BI: I am excited to bring this program to Houston and Austin because it is a program that explores hardships and suffering and yet celebrates our fragility and the beauty of Being in time.
Faraway, so close is a title indebted to a Wim Wenders’ film that is really an existential poem about love and mortality. The story follows an angel that is drawn to this lonely mortal woman on Earth because the things she feels, he feels, too, and he falls in love with her from afar. Though they don’t connect on the same plane of being—she can’t see him and he can see her, but he can’t touch her skin—we sense that, perhaps, she feels his presence or the presence of something Other. There’s suffering, longing, and tenderness; the angel seems to truly understand her loneliness.
This film is also a nod to the film geniuses of Wenders’ time. For me, I’m also indebted to the poets and choreographers I’ve worked with. This program, in a way, is a nod to them and to a memory of a dear friend who was consumed by depression and loneliness and took his life. He remains so close in memory, and like the angel, I continue to love him from afar.
While vacationing, why not curl up with a good book and a view of somewhere that soothes your soul? When you do…at the beach, at home, or anywhere there is a quiet space, enjoy these recommendations from our bibliophile, Lance Avery Morgan.
LIVING ART
By Massimiliano Capella and Alvar González-Palacios
This tome tells the story of the collection of Paolo Zani, a renowned entrepreneur, and great art enthusiast. Over three decades, Zani collected over 800 works at his home in Italy (Cellatica in Brescia), which was designed and remodeled over time in order to accommodate them.
By Tyler Brûlé, Nolan Giles, Joe Pickard, and Andrew Tuck
A celebration of all things Italian, this volume is overflowing with insights and fully illustrated with specially commissioned photography to paint a uniquely gorgeous portrait of such a dynamic nation.
Take an inside look at 2020’s identity, diversity, and inclusivity at a time when COVID dictated its rules but did not persuade art. Three different visions created a unique moment: the Valentino Collezione Milano fashion show.
Cartier-Bresson, hailed as the eye of the 20th century, was one of the world’s most acclaimed photographers. Paris was his home, on and off, for most of his life, and the photographs he took of the city and its people are some of his most recognizable and beloved images…with 160 photos taken from a career lasting more than fifty years.
This book’s focus on film’s otherworldly, hypnotic and magical qualities is perfect for both movie fans to discover new films and directors and students of cinema who will see familiar classics with fresh insight.
Dresser, a man who was, and continues to be, one of the most influential British designers of all time is still widely regarded as Britain’s first independent industrial designer. More than a century later, Dresser’s works, showcased in this splendidly illustrated volume, still look remarkably modern.
Kusama is known for working in a broad range of media–including painting, performance, sculpture, and installations. In recent decades, she has risen to worldwide fame through the explosive popularity of her mesmerizing infinity mirror rooms and vibrant sculptural installations.
MAKING POTS: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO WHEEL-THROWN CERAMICS
By Stefan Andersson
Taking a look at the rich history of pot-making along the way, this book serves as a step-by-step guide to the basic techniques of the craft, offering a wealth of tips on glazing and firing. This illustrated handbook guides both beginners and more experienced potters through the fascinating process of one of humanity’s oldest crafts.
Summer reading is something we all look forward to this time of year…at home, on the beach, or anywhere there is a quiet space. May we suggest these to pique your interests, according to our bibliophile, Lance Avery Morgan?
HOTEL DU CAP-EDEN-ROC: A TIMELESS LEGEND ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA
By Alexandra Campbell
The secluded resort, located between Nice and Cannes, has always been a favorite haven on the French Riviera for A-list celebrities and private Jet Set family holidays. The hotel’s storied history is full of romance, humor, mystery, and legend.
Indispensable accessories and sought-after collectors’ items, scarves were an important innovation in twentieth-century fashion. From Art-Deco through 1950s Hollywood, the Swinging Sixties, and beyond, scarves have been represented in every major decorative arts movement and personal style.
By Suzy Menkes, Mario Testino, Christian Lacroix, Valentino Garavani, and Vicente Gallart
This delightfully chronicles the styles and stories of the boundary-breaking Spanish socialite, model, and muse of couturiers such as Valentino and Oscar de la Renta and former duchess of Feria…demonstrating the making of a fashion icon.
Go inside the homes and lives of creative women who are making a difference in the world. Their lives are a canvas for their artistry, and it can be fully seen in their homes and studios, on their tables, and in their wardrobes.
Now in a compact edition, this lavish publication celebrates the gentleman’s search for the perfect sartorial detail or ideal accessory. It features and inspires with six historical chapters, from the Regency period to the present.
From Frank Sinatra dressed to the nines in the golden age of Pan Am to celebrities snapped in luxury leisurewear in the lounges of today, airports have always afforded the most glamorous glimpses into that most enviable aspect of celebrity life—jet-setting in style, as seen here.
From the Bauhaus to Memphis and beyond,this tome explores the origins and rationale behind the design and use of color in the most iconic furniture and objects of the 20th century.
Discovering the joy of homemade tarts has never been more effortless. Even the most rudimentary of bakers can learn the skills to create beautiful tarts in an endless variety of colors and flavors, all with just one core recipe.
