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Ercol was founded in 1920 at High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire by Italian-born Lucian Ercolani (1888-1976), who came to Britain at the age of 10. Ercol is still going strong todand and the company is still family-owned and run. A gifted designer and an impassioned entrepreneur, Lucian Ercolani was the creative driving force behind Ercol for more than 50 years. The book focuses on the Windsor Range, his supreme creation, a coordinated collection of domestic furniture inspired by the traditional English Windsor Chair. Initally developed towards the end of the Second World War as part of the government’s Utility Scheme, Ercol’s Windsor Contemporary Furniture Family was launced at the Festival of Britain in 1951. A run-away success, it was expanded throughout the 1950s and 60s, encompassing a diverse array of kithcen, dining, living room and bedroom furniture in an appealing and harmonious style. Made from solid wood using a distinctive combination of beech and elm, the Windsor Range married the modern with the vernacular, combining advanced technology with superb craftsmanship. Appealing to a wide audience, including post-war design buffs, collectors, students and anyone interested in interiors, it is lavishly illustrated and attractively designed.

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‘Chris Beetles’ book is a joy, an inspiration and as thorough a document into understanding the life and times of Louis Wain as one could hope to read’ – Benedict Cumberbatch

‘Louis Wain invented a cat style, a cat society, a whole cat world’. Broadcast in 1925 by H.G. Wells, these words characteristically foretold the future of the Wain cat which has, once more, become the century’s most recognisable image in cat art. During their heyday, in the time before the First World War, Louis Wain’s cats, dressed as humans, portrayed that stylish Edwardian world having fun: at restaurants and tea parties, going to the Race and the Seaside, celebrating at Christmas and Birthdays, and disporting themselves with exuberant games of tennis, bowls, cricket and football. This is a titillating world of cats at play, uninhibited and slightly dangerous, with most group activities likely to turn into mishap, mayhem and catastrophe. This is Wain’s world, funny, edgy and animated: a whole cat world.

The first comprehensive exhibition of Wain’s work was held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 1972 and, since then, Louis Wain has steadily become more fashionable, and collected worldwide. This biography contains 300 plates of richness and variety, all of which are reproduced faithfully from the original artwork.

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The joys of the world, one terrible map at a time – this is the ultimate gift book for the budding geographer or anyone who wants to have a laugh.

Ever wondered about the average jean colour across the United States? Or what ‘pedestrians’ look like in Denmark? What unites Brokenwind, Upton Snodsbury and Crackpot? And have you ever tried to take a train in Antarctica? Well Terrible Maps is the book for you!

Put together by the creator behind the tremendously popular social media feed, this is the ultimate humour book for the budding geographer in your life. From countries that eat their national animals to nations that have declared war on birds (and lost), Terrible Maps celebrates pointless cartography in all its glory. Don’t leave home without it!

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‘The go-to for all things Vuitton’ Tatler

Founded as a luxury leather goods house in 1854, Louis Vuitton was for many decades one of the world’s leading trunk and accessories makers. It was after launching its first fashion collections in 1998, however, that the house reached unprecedented global fame, and pioneered high-profile collaborations with artists such as Richard Prince, Takashi Murakami and Stephen Sprouse.

Louis Vuitton Catwalk is a complete and unrivalled overview of the world’s top fashion house. The book opens with a concise history of the house, followed by brief biographical profiles of Marc Jacobs, the first creative director 1998–2014, and Nicolas Ghesquière, who helms the brand today, before exploring the collections themselves, organized chronologically. Each collection is introduced by a short text unveiling its influences and highlights, and illustrated with carefully curated catwalk images. Showcasing hundreds of spectacular clothes, details, accessories, beauty looks and set designs – and, of course, the top fashion models who wore them on the runway, from Naomi Campbell and Gisele to Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne. A rich reference section, including an extensive index, concludes the book.

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Enamel signs emerged as the jewel in the crown of British advertising in the late Victorian era, commanding public attention for over half a century before technological, economic and social change combined to render them redundant. From the 1950s onwards they disappeared from the original locations on shop walls, to be replaced by hoardings. Of the millions of enamel signs produced between 1880 and 1950 onlya few thousand survived, often commandeered for secondary uses as ‘free’materials to build huts and fencing on allotment gardens. By the early 1960s a few trend-setting collectors started to rescue them as ornamental items. With the birth of the restored steam railway, some signs found their way back to original locations, lending ‘authentic’ atomsphere to station platforms, and many of the industrial museums have followed suit to great effect.

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A revelatory look at the influential and enigmatic designer behind Comme des Garçons
The great pantheon of fashion designers produces only a handful of creators who are masters of their métier. Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons is one of them. Widely recognized among her contemporaries as the most important and influential designer of the past forty years, she has, since her Paris debut in 1981, defined and transformed the aesthetics of our time. This lavishly illustrated publication examines Kawakubo’s fascination with interstitiality, or the space between boundaries. Existing within and between dualities―whether self/other, object/subject, art/fashion―Kawakubo’s work challenges the rigid divisions that have come to define received notions of identity and fashionability, inviting us to rethink fashion as a site of constant creation, re-creation, and, ultimately, hybridity. Featuring brilliant new photography, and thought-provoking texts by Andrew Bolton, this book expresses the conceptual and challenging aesthetic of this visionary designer. An insightful interview and illustrated chronology of Kawakubo’s career provide additional context.

Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press

Exhibition Schedule:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
(05/04/17–09/04/17)

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Discover the art of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed® Odyssey in this exclusive collection. The Art of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey features concept sketches, texture studies, character art from the game, plus insightful commentary from the creators.

The newest game in the franchise, Assassin’s Creed® Odyssey, takes players on an epic voyage through history. The Art of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey collates hundreds of concept arts, including sketches, final paintings, and 3D renders, alongside in-depth commentary from the artists and developers, representing the ultimate insight into the design processes behind the game.

© 2017 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries.

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Expanded with never before seen works of art, this new edition delves deeper than ever into the sci-fi saga that changed video games forever.

Contains extensive new material from the DLCs for all three games–including the award-winning Lair of the Shadow Broker from Mass Effect 2 and the fan-favorite Citadel from Mass Effect 3.

Experience the evolution of the aliens, planets, ships, and technology that define this iconic science fiction universe, as the developers who brought BioWare’s masterpiece to life take you from the earliest design sketches through to the meticulous final renders.

Brimming with concept art and commentary, this expanded edition is the ultimate companion to one of the greatest series in the history of gaming!

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David Gentleman has lived in London for almost seventy years, most of it on the same street. This book is a record of a lifetime spent observing, drawing and getting to know the city, bringing together work from across his whole career, from his earliest sketches to watercolours painted just a few months ago.

Here is London as it was, and as it is today: the Thames, Hampstead Heath; the streets, canals, markets and people of his home of Camden Town; and at the heart of it all, his studio and the tools of his work. Accompanied by reflections on the process of drawing and personal thoughts on the ever-changing city, this is a celebration of London, and the joy of noticing, looking and capturing the world.

‘David has spent a lifetime depicting with wit and affection a London he has made his own’ Alan Bennett

‘He delivers a poetry of exultant concentration … The surface fusion of the sensuous and the sharply modern is echoed by Gentleman’s imagery’ Guardian

‘The artist and illustrator has been responsible for some of the most-seen public artworks in this country’ The Times

‘Perhaps the last of the great polymath designer-painters’ Camden New Journal

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A special enlarged edition of the international bestseller Coco Chanel: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon celebrating 50 years since Coco’s death, 100 years of Chanel No.5 and five years since the original release of this beautiful illustrated biography from globally renowned illustrator Megan Hess. Discover the story of Coco’s amazing early life, the iconic fashion empire that she built, and the legacy that the left behind, brought to life with Megan’s stylish and whimsical illustrations. This special edition features a larger format, beautiful new cover and a ribbon.

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• A fantastic reference work for the novice or the seasoned watch enthusiast
• Fully illustrated with 470 colour photographs
• Brand-Agnostic. Features a vast array of timepieces from over 90 manufacturers

Despite the functional obsolescence of the mechanical wristwatch (our phones and computers tell more accurate time) the early 21st Century has seen a boom in the development, production, and appreciation of all things horological. Whether it is presented to the collector as an alternative investment, as a feat of micro-mechanical technology, or as a showcase of artisanal mastery, the mechanical wristwatch has never possessed more forms, functions or facets than it does today. The Wristwatch Handbook is written from the epicentre of a renaissance, a place in time between the Quartz revolution and the rise of the smart device – where the mechanical wristwatch is the antidote to the microprocessor and the permanent buzz of your inbox. From the multi-axis tourbillion, to the split-second chronograph, to the sidereal sky chart, The Wristwatch Handbook covers it all and does so with more than 470 rich illustrations from over 90 of the World’s leading brands.

The book is separated into two sections. The first section provides the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical movement. Its chapters explore power, transmission, distribution and regulation illustrating the basic concepts before considering the innovation and complexity that takes place further toward the cutting edge. From the fifty-day power reserve, to the constant force mechanism, and the 1,000Hz mechanical escapement, section 1 will allow the reader to understand and appreciate what is happening beneath the dial of their watch. Section two allows the reader to take this understanding and apply it to the vast range of complications (functions) that exist in modern horology. Each chapter showcases a distinct category of complication. For example, the regatta timer, pulsometer, and monopusher chronograph join a host of others in a chapter entitled ‘Recording Lapses of Time’; The power reserve indicator, dynamograph, and crown position indicator are featured in a chapter for ‘Power and Performance Indication’; The moon phase indicator, annual calendar, and planetarium can be found in the ‘Astronomical Complications’ chapter. Once the functional categories are exhausted, the final three chapters explore whimsical complications that have little regard for practical function, novelty time indication, and the ‘super-complicated’ watch – a rare breed of timepiece that houses an intimidating host of complications featured throughout the book. Upon completion of The Wristwatch Handbook the reader will be able to identify even the most exotic complication from across the room, and be able to share their appreciation and understanding of what makes it so useful and compelling.

The Wristwatch Handbook is “brand agnostic”, using only those watches that most aptly illustrate the given subject-matter. As a consequence the book places equal emphasis on the classic and the cutting edge, on watches produced in large volume or exclusive runs, by industry-leading technology or at the hand of a master. In doing so the book provides an unparalleled range of watches from over 90 brands, allowing the reader to determine for themselves which brands, complications, and styles they will build their collection from.

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• An exhaustive appraisal of the Rolex watch, including studies of vintage models, current designs and special editions
• Learn how to spot fakes using the same clues as the experts
• Invaluable to any watch-lover, especially aspiring Rolex collectors

Horological trends flit by faster than ever in today’s fast-paced society. But Rolex does not rely on gimmicks; theirs is a more perennial allure, with a reputation built on traditions and hard-earned skill. A company that innovates while paying homage to their roots, every Rolex is the culmination of centuries of watchmaking expertise.

Within this book you will find explanations of the making process, descriptions of the materials involved and expert commentary on what makes each Rolex wristwatch unique. The Book of Rolex demonstrates how each model fits its social milieu, present and past. It also addresses the multitude of fakes on the market, including the so-called ‘Frankensteins’ – watches made from a mixture of real parts and forgeries, which are notoriously hard to spot – imparting all the skills needed to pick counterfeits out of a line-up.

A holistic view of Rolex watches, this book promises to be as timeless as the brand itself. Should you be considering a Rolex, this book will convince you of its worth as an investment.

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WINNER OF THE BETTY TRASK PRIZE

‘BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL OF 2021’ Guardian and Irish Times

‘Starts as a charming romantic comedy and turns into something tender and affecting about our need for connection. I loved this one. ‘ David Nicholls

‘Beautiful, bittersweet portrait of modern life . . . his tragicomedy will also make the heart swell.’ Guardian

‘Brilliant.’ Candice Carty-Williams

‘This is a miraculous book.’ Joe Dunthorne

Nick, a young illustrator, can’t connect with people. Whether it’s the barista down the street, his own family or Wren, an oncologist whose life becomes painfully tangled with his, Nick can’t shake the feeling that there is some hidden realm of human interaction beyond his reach. He staggers through meaningless conversations and haunts lookalike, vacuous coffee shops in the hope that he will find it there. But it isn’t until Nick learns to stop performing and speak about the things that really matter that the complex and colourful worlds of the people he meets are finally revealed to him.

Illustrated in both colour and black-and-white in McPhail’s instantly recognisable style, In is poignant, fresh and hilarious. McPhail transforms the graphic novel with a heart-wrenching compassion uncannily appropriate for our isolated times.

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The illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages are among the greatest works of European art and literature. We are dazzled by them and recognize their crucial role in the transmission of knowledge. But we generally think much less about the countless men and women who made, collected and preserved them through the centuries, and to whom they owe their existence.

This entrancing book describes some of the extraordinary people who have spent their lives among illuminated manuscripts over the last thousand years. A monk in Normandy, a prince of France, a Florentine bookseller, an English antiquary, a rabbi from central Europe, a French priest, a Keeper at the British Museum, a Greek forger, a German polymath, a British connoisseur and the woman who created the most spectacular library in America – all of them were participants in what Christopher de Hamel calls the Manuscripts Club.

This exhilarating fraternity, and the fellow enthusiasts who come with it, throw new light on how manuscripts have survived and been used by very different kinds of people in many different circumstances. Christopher de Hamel’s unexpected connections and discoveries reveal a passion which crosses the boundaries of time. We understand the manuscripts themselves better by knowing who their keepers and companions have been.

In 1850 (or thereabouts) John Ruskin bought his first manuscript ‘at a bookseller’s in a back alley’. This was his reaction: ‘The new worlds which every leaf of this book opened to me, and the joy I had in counting their letters and unravelling their arabesques as if they had all been of beaten gold – as many of them were – cannot be told.’ The members of de Hamel’s club share many such wonders, which he brings to us with scholarship, style, and a lifetime’s experience.

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Photoshop is the tool of the modern artist and provides everything you need to succeed as a designer in the popular and growing video games and movie industries. Featuring thorough guidance from the point of installing Photoshop to the creation of your very first concept, this reboot of the definitive beginner’s guide to digital painting is sure to both educate and inspire. Photoshop is an expansive and daunting piece of software, but in-depth tutorials and insightful exercises will help even a complete novice build up the skills they need to bring their own imagination to life as digital concepts. This second edition of Beginner’s Guide to Digital Painting in Photoshop is a complete resource for any artist wanting to start their adventure into the world of digital art.

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Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Bookby Johanna Basford is one of the world’s bestselling adult colouring books with 96 colouring pages waiting to be brought to life with colour.

This interactive colouring book takes you on a ramble through a garden created in beautifully detailed pen–and–ink illustrations by Johanna Basford.

There are pictures to colour, mazes to solve, patterns to complete and lots of space for you to add your own inky drawings. Use felt tip pens to add a splash of colour or a black pen with a fine nib to create your own doodles and details.

Johanna Basford has sold over 21 million books worldwide. Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book was her first book. It has been translated into over 44 languages.

‘Colouring in isn’t just for kids. These intricate, magical drawings from Secret Garden by Johanna Basford are just waiting to be brought to life.’ The Guardian

‘Joanna Basford’s Secret Garden is an ‘inky treasure hunt and colouring book’ filled with intricate drawings waiting to be brought to life. It’s the colouring–in book you wish you had the hand–eye coordination to do, aged two.’ The Independent

‘Prepare yourself to get lost in a magical world with this interactive activity book that takes you through a secret garden of incredible drawings by Johanna Basford.’ Buzzfeed

‘Coloring books for adults have been around for decades, but Basford’s success…has helped to create a massive new industry category.’ The New Yorker

Also available by Johanna Basford from Laurence King Publishing:
Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest and Colouring Book (9781780674872)
Secret Garden: Journal (9781856699853)
Secret Garden:12 Notecards (9781856699471)
Enchanted Forest: Artist’s Edition (9781780677842)
Enchanted Forest: Journal (9781780679181)
Enchanted Forest: 12 Notecards (9781780677835)

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Chanel’s combination of tradition, originality and style has always made it the most seductive of brands. Here the House of Chanel opens its private archives, revealing a galaxy of brilliant designs created by Coco Chanel from the 1920s onwards, and now reinterpreted to become the motifs for brand new garments, accessories and beauty products.

Inspired by the House’s signature fragrance, the legendary ‘Chanel No 5’, the book explores five central themes – the suit, the camellia, jewelry, fragrances and make-up, and the little black dress – and follows the threads from past to present to show how these key items have been rediscovered and reinvented by fashion designers working in the footsteps of their illustrious predecessors. This visual journey is enhanced by previously unpublished archive photographs and original drawings by Karl Lagerfeld, as well as glorious images from some of the greatest names in fashion photography.

Dazzling clothes, intricate accessories, beautiful models and timeless design leave no doubt as to the lasting fame of the brand and embody everything that has come to symbolize the magic of Chanel.

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Over 300 authentic, rare 19th-century engravings selected by noted collagist for artists, designers, and decoupeurs feature machines, people, animals, and more. Printed on one side of the page only, 25 scene plates for backgrounds and 6 collages by Harter, Satty, Singer, and Evans are also included. Introduction.

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The universe of Halo is remarkably vast in scale and astonishingly elaborate in detail, telling rich stories filled with bold characters, breathtaking worlds, and thrilling conflicts. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Halo, Dark Horse and 343 Industries have teamed up to deliver the most definitive guide to the universe thus far.

The Halo Encyclopedia­ Deluxe Edition holds some of the Halo universe’s greatest secrets, which is why it is contained within a Forerunner cylix–a device that holds their civilization’s greatest secrets! The Deluxe Edition also comes with a cover exclusive to this edition, as well as a lithograph not found anywhere else.

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As one of the most successful fashion houses in existence, Chanel owes much to the templates first laid down by its founder – Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel (1883-1971).

Some of her most celebrated designs, such as the two-piece suit, the little black dress and the quilted handbag, remain in vogue to this day. Chanel designed first and foremost for herself: by creating clothes fit for an independent and active lifestyle, she anticipated the needs and wants of the modern woman.

This beautiful book showcases a stunning array of Chanel’s most notable designs from her 60 years in fashion, largely drawn from the collections of the Chanel Patrimoine, Paris and the V&A. It examines the cut, construction, embellishment and provenance of the ensembles, as well as the design themes and motifs Chanel returned to throughout her career. Newly commissioned photographs of the selected pieces, together with archival images, capture the design evolution of this fashion icon.

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National treasure hunt

Fromage Frais! Del Boy Trotter is on the run, with dodgy detective Roy Slater hot on his heels. With the manhunt going from Peckham to Hull and from Margate to Miami, will the long arm of the law finally catch up with him?

The police chase plays out over ten minutely detailed, search-and-find artworks, with Peckham Echo front pages, articles and adverts also dropped in throughout, to move the story along.

In this immersive plunge into the world of Only Fools and Horses, finding Del Boy is just the beginning. The pages are packed with artful clues, in-jokes and subtle references to all 64 episodes, testing the sleuthing skills of life-long fans of the classic show.

Can Del Boy dodge the detective? Mange tout!

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