20 Best Fashion Coffee Table Books

by Amy Bebbington
fashion coffee table books

We all own an edit of beautiful books that are too incredible to hide away on a book shelf or even worse in a cardboard box under the bed; too beautiful to gather dust, be forgotten or abandoned after the first read. You know the ones. Those filled with genius fashion photography, wonderful illustrations, interesting tales or spontaneous street style shots. Or let’s face it often the coffee table books we see have barely been looked at and are there for purely aesthetic reasons These should sit pride of place in your coffee table stack becoming a constant source of inspiration making themselves right at home. 

The best fashion books stylishly piled on your coffee table creates an artistic touch to your home. The minds of Chanel, Dior and Valentino welcomed into your comfort zone never going unnoticed. An easy go to source aimed to encourage, influence and inspire transporting you to a glamorous world of fashion as you sip on your cappuccino. Bliss.

We’ve gathered 20 of the best fashion coffee table books of all time to add to your ever-growing stack.

Dressing Your Home

Styling any room of the house is a personal yet exciting task as you beginning to put your stamp on the place. Candles, photo frames, throws and plants are the much needed accessories to add character to a blank canvas. The finishing touches are incredibly important into making your house a home. Beautiful coffee table books are no exception with your favourite front covers adding a hint of creativity and interest to your coffee table.

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20 Best Fashion Coffee Table Books

1. The Beautiful Fall: Fashion, Genius and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris by Alicia Drake

Transporting us to an unforgettable 1970s Paris where indulgence, extravagance and social acceptance were everything. A tale of opposition between Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent, which divided the fashion scene.

the- beautiful-fall-fashion-genius-and-glorious-excess-in-1970s-paris-by-alicia-drake

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2. D.V. By Diana Vreeland

Uncover Diana Vreeland’s impact on the fashion world, which lasted fifty years. Travel around the world with her as she reveals her love for style, couture and elegance.

d-v-by-diana-vreeland

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3. The Editor’s Eye by Conde Nast

As one of the best books on fashion, the reader is transported to explore the instrumental images, models, designers, photographers and fashion editors that have shaped the industry.

the-editors-eye-by-conde-nast

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4. W: The First 40 Years by Stefano Tonchi and Christopher Bagley

A celebration of W Magazine’s key points in the industry. Four years ago the publication turned four sparking the creation of the fashion book.

W-the-first-40-years-by-stefano-tonchi-and-christopher-bagley

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5. Tom Ford by Bridget Foley

The Tom Ford coffee table book discovers his complete work for both Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Witness his transformation of the Gucci brand and where he plans to take it in the future.

tom-ford-by-bridget-foley

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6. Kate Moss by Kate Moss

A detailed insight to how Kate Moss went from the new girl to one of the most influential models of all time. A personal insight of how her career evolved becoming one of the must have fashion books to have on your coffee table.

kate-the-kate-moss-book

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7. Chanel Little Black Jacket by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld

A Chanel coffee table book that explores the iconic black jacket. Karl Lagerfeld successfully reinvents the garment for a modern audience of both genders.

chanel-little-black-jacket-by-karl-lagerfeld-and-carine-roitfeld

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8. Schiaparelli & Prada: Impossible Conversations by Andrew Bolton

A thought provoking journey exploring the link between the two designers. The conversation is told via striking photography and interesting text to engage the reader. One of the more unique designer coffee table books.

schiaparellu-prada-impossible-conversations-by-andrew-bolton

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9. Mario Testino. In Your Face by Mario Testino

Enjoy an edit of photograph’s from Testino’s diverse career. The striking book has a sense of humour via the colourful, bold images. It will certainly become one of the best coffee table books in your living room.

mario-testino-in-your-face-by-mario-testino

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10. The Sartorialist: Closer by Scott Schuman

Page after page of street style! A collation of Scott Schuman’s favourite moments of people on the street. He captures fashion figures as well as unknowns who have fantastic taste. A treasure box of inspiration.

the-satorialist-closer-by-scott-schuman

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11. Manolo’s New Shoes by Manolo Blahnik and Suzy Menkes

Showcasing a brand new collection of the iconic Manolo footwear designs featuring his inspiration of art history, architecture, film and theatre.

manolos-new-shoes-by-manolo-blahnik-and-suzy-menkes

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12. Savage Beauty by Harold Kodak

A chance to enter the tortured mind of Alexander McQueen. A book filled with his outstanding unique take on fashion featuring stunning photography from his 1995 debut to his final show. A definite for the coffee table.

savage-beauty-by-harold-kodak

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13. In Vogue: The Illustrated History of the World’s Most Famous Fashion Magazine by Alberto Olivia and Norberto Angeletti

Witness how the fashion bible has evolved over the years from its humble beginnings to a powerful fashion empire. The stunning cover shot is irresistible and let’s face it a Vogue coffee table book is a must have.

in-vogue-the-illustrated-history-of-the-world-s-most-famous-fashion-magazine-alberto-oliva-and-norberto-angeletti

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14. Harper’s Bazaar Greatest Hits by Glenda Bailey

From the editor-in-chief herself, Glenda Bailey offers a nostalgic trip down memory lane featuring outlandish celebrity shoots over a decade. Naomi Campbell racing a cheetah in Africa springs to mind.

harper-s-bazaar-greatest-hits-glenda-bailey

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15. The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia

A guide to unleashing your individual style identity. Highlighting fashion faux-pas’ and encouraging fashion exploration will leave you picking up one of the best fashion books of all time – again and again.

the-little-black-book-of-style-nina-garcia

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16. Valentino – A Grand Italian Epic by Suzy Menkes, Matt Tyrnauer and Armando Chitolina

A tribute to Valentino’s successful career via sketches, photography, newspaper archives and interviews. In fact, 20 of his closest friends are documented in the book for an insight into his life. The psychedelic front cover is the perfect coffee book pleaser.

valentino-a-grand-italian-epic-suzy-menkes-matt-tyrnauer-and-armando-chitolina

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17. Mulberry: The Book by Venetia Dearden

Join Mulberry’s 40th celebration in the industry with a book dedicated to their success. Delve into the magical world with behind the scene photography from the last three years. You won’t be disappointed. It is one of the best fashion books of all time.

mulberry-the-book-venetia-dearden

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18. Facehunter by Yvan Rodic

As an extension of his street style blog, the successful fashion blogger unleashes his creativity in book format. The read features highlights from his street style blog offering visionary fashion inspiration. One of the coolest coffee table books around.

facehunter-yvan-rodic

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19. Christian Lacroix and the Tale of Sleeping Beauty by Camilla Morton

The memoir of iconic designer Christian Lacroix is told as a magical fairytale complete with unique illustrations. An enchanting tale adding a new twist to the conventional stories and to the way a fashion journey is told.

lacroix-and-the-tale-of-sleeping-beauty-camilla-morton

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20 Fashion Designers’ Sketchbooks by Hywel Davies

The work of fashion designers worldwide is collated to discover the creative process of each artisan. Demonstrated via photographs, sketches, mood boards, line-ups, toilets and fabric swatches it is the perfect insight into the industry.

fashion-designers-sketchbooks-hywel-davies

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Beautiful Coffee Table Books

Of course, the cool coffee table books do not stop at fashion with travel, interior design, humour and cookery books all having their place in the stack too. We’ve collated a selection of good coffee table books that will be impossible to put down. Trust us! Whether you are searching for funny coffee table books or the best interior design coffee table books we’ve got you covered.

The Quick Guide to Styling The Best Fashion Coffee Table Books

  1. Coffee table books make great finishing touches along with candles, throws and photo frames.
  2. Stack your favourite to add creativity and interest to a room.
  3. Do not hide the colourful, bold covers gathering dust on the shelf.
  4. Choose the fashion books that appeal to you.
  5. Decide if you are attracted to photography, text or illustrations.
  6. Add travel, food or interior design books to the pile for a varied selection.

Read more great articles on women’s fashion.

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