Design Recent Picks

March 2009

The underlined titles will take you directly to our catalogue.
Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.

New Fashion Prints, by Martin Dawber.
"With over 35 designers from all over the world - Europe, Asia, North America and Pacific - and over 200 different prints, this is a terrific resource for print designers and illustrators working today. Arranged and delivered in the same format as the highly successful "New Fashion Illustration", it covers all types of print designs, from floral, geometric and figurative through to minimalist and psychedelic. t is the best collection of cutting-edge fashion prints today. It has over 200 different prints from some 35 designers. It includes designers and designs from Asia, Europe, North America and the Pacific." (Amazon)

1960s Fashion Print: A Sourcebook, by Marnie Fogg.
"This is a sourcebook of 1960s fashion print. The book contains exclusive illustrations and original artwork from designers as well as finished prints. The prints are arranged in the chapters: Art into Pop - fashion prints that saw the influence of Pop Art; Revivals and Reflections - Biba's revival of 19th-century designs; Flower Power - floral designs, from Marimekko to Ken Scott; Lost in multicoloured hues, kaleidoscopic colours and psychedelia prints; Magical Mystery Tour - the influence of other cultures on print design; Hundreds of prints from this key decade of fashion design; a unique sourcebook for contemporary designers and students; includes Biba, Warhol, Marimekko, Zandra Rhodes and Celia Birtwell prints; and, contains exclusive illustrations and original artwork of print designers." (Amazon)

Narciso Rodriguez, by Narciso Rodriguez.
"'Part scrapbook, part appraisal and part interview, the text is illustrated with photographs and hundreds of his sketches. It's vibrant and sexy, with an eye for detail - just like the man himself.' --Elle Magazine
'A glorious volume devoted to the minimalist US designer.' --Harper's Bazaar, December 2008
Synopsis
A visual analysis of the creative process of the two-time winner of the Council of Fashion Designers of America Best Designer of the Year Award evaluates his minimalist style, the inspiration he finds in everyday surroundings, and constant experimentation with textiles and textures. 10,000 first printing.." (Amazon)

The Language of Things: Understanding the World of Desirable Objects, by Deyan Sudjic.
"A brilliant exposé of the interaction between art, design, and commerce. What is it that persuades us to camp outside Apple stores to be the first to buy an iPhone? Why is it that a generation ago a typewriter might have lasted someone a lifetime, but now we write on computers that we upgrade every couple of years to shinier, faster, sleeker models? Why do the clicks of some car doors sound “expensive”? Deyan Sudjic charts our relationship—both innocent and knowing—with all things designed. From the opulent excesses of the catwalk to the playfulness of an Alessi jam jar, he shows how we can be manipulated and seduced by our possessions. With scintillating wit he addresses these questions and more, exploring the reasons why every designer yearns to put a personal stamp on a chair or an adjustable lamp, and where design ends and art begins." (Amazon review)

Musikraphics, by Victionary (Editor).
"Focusing on contemporary designs from today's most exciting underground and indie music, pop, country, jazz, R&B, Hip Hop, alternative rock and electronica, "Musikraphics" features work ranging from pure graphics to photography, sticker, collage and silk screened art and innovative packaging for vinyl records and mp3." (Amazon)

1,000 Package Designs: A Comprehensive Guide to Packing It In (1000), by Grip (Editor).
"Packaging is everywhere you look—it’s in your refrigerator, your medicine cabinet, your closets, on the streets, in the stores, etc. Putting together a compendium of 1,000 of the best packages will offer designers a true array of inspiration and illustrate why people make the buying choices they make. The package of a product often times makes or breaks a sale—consumers are drawn to certain colors, graphics, and shapes, and this book will have plenty to offer of all three." (Amazon)

1,000 Greetings: Creative Correspondence Designed for All Occasions, by Peter King & Co. (Editor).
"With designers constantly working for clients and having a limited amount of freedom in much of their work, the chance to strike out on their own and do something truly original and personal is a real luxury. All designers and design firms, whether in-house or freelance, create their own greeting cards which serve not only as a greeting card, but as an opportunity to show off their work in a totally unique and uninhibited light." (Amazon)

The Design Entrepreneur: Turning Graphic Design Into Goods That Sell (Design Field Guide), by Steven Heller (Author), Lita Talarico (Author).
"This book will survey the innovative entrepreneurial options a broad group of contemporary graphic designers have engaged in over the past decade, while also addressing the creative, fabrication and promotion issues necessary to bring unique products to the marketplace." (Amazon)

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