BELLAS ARTES

In November 1936, publisher Henry R. Luce launched Life as a photo-led weekly news magazine with a clear purpose: “To see life; to see the world; to eyewitness great events.” Before readers’ attention was consumed by television, Life served as their window to the world, and by the late 1940s, it was being viewed by 1 in 3 Americans. Jean Harlow was the first movie star to appear on a Life cover in 1937, and from then until 1972 over 200 covers featured Hollywood-related subjects, illustrating the strength of the bond between Life and the film industry.

At the age of six, Hokusai was said to have painted his first picture, and a year after his death aged 89, his designs for illustrated books were posthumously published. Tracing a long, prolific career, this edition spans each of the artist’s creative phases: from the actor portraits with which Hokusai started out to the 1,300 designs carried out in his final years under the name Manji.Reproducing 746 woodblock prints, paintings, sketches, and book illustrations, many of them in granular detail, this volume is comfortably the most complete publication on perhaps Japan’s most famous artist. Hokusai’s wide appeal as the recognizable figure of Japan’s Edo period endures to this day: in March 2023, a version of his iconic woodblock print Under the Wave off Kanagawa (or The Great Wave), from his series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, was auctioned for 2.76 million US dollars.

Studio Sofield Works is the landmark first book from the New York City firm. At 656 pages, this slipcased volume is a visual journey through scores of projects that underline the Studio’s distinctive approach, including thirteen featured chapters illustrated with 730 full-color photographs. The book opens with a chronology of highlights, tracing the culture and mood of past decades with beguiling candor and spotlighting the inspiration that William Sofield and Emma O’Neill have taken from the times. The Studio’s very first office, above a slaughterhouse in the Meatpacking District, gives rise to ideas for Ralph Lauren’s Japanese-inspired estate in Montauk. In Laurel Canyon, the Studio’s West Coast home conjures decorative experiments only a Hollywood dream factory could match. And Sofield’s endless commuting for fashion clients—among them Gucci, Tom Ford, Bottega Veneta, and Yves Saint Laurent—informs a client’s nose-to-tail private plane redesign.

This luxuriously designed and lavishly illustrated publication is the most definitive look at the rich history of the revolutionary and iconic fashion brand built by Emilio Pucci. Featuring never-before-seen material from the brand’s archives at the Palazzo Pucci in Florence, this is the most detailed and comprehensive monograph ever published. First championed by Jacqueline Kennedy, Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe, and later pop icons Madonna and Kylie Minogue, the brand is known for pioneering collaborations. Many of the greatest names in fashion and art have worked with Pucci, championed by leading fashion editors Suzy Menkes, Maria Pezzi, and Diana Vreeland and photographers Peter Lindbergh, Franco Rubartelli, Mario Testino, and Inez & Vinoodh. Since 2002, daring creative directors—Christian Lacroix, Peter Dundas, Massimo Giorgetti, and most recently Camille Miceli—have been inspired by Pucci’s incredible heritage as the starting point for new creative directions.

Demarchelier was known for his ability to capture a subject’s beauty and charm in a natural way, often without ornate settings. His exquisite and timeless fashion portraits graced the pages of Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and Glamour, with ad campaigns for Dior, Louis Vuitton, YSL, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and have featured such high-profile subjects as Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Karen Elson, and Nicole Kidman. Demarchelier is perhaps best known for his intimate portraits of Princess Diana that helped establish her popularity and accessible public image. Designed by the legendary art director Fabien Baron, the book simultaneously celebrates Demarchelier’s remarkable legacy as one of the most influential fashion photographers of the past forty-five years (he passed away in 2022) and offers a fresh perspective with never-before-seen photos. While his published images often feature polished, high-fashion aesthetics, capturing the glamour and elegance of the fashion world, the unpublished ones reveal a more intimate, raw, and unfiltered side of his artistry. These unseen photos offer a glimpse into Demarchelier’s creative process, showcasing moments of spontaneity and experimentation. Additionally, these unpublished images often reflect a broader range of subjects, moods, and settings, highlighting his versatility and depth as a photographer beyond his signature fashion shoots.