Commercial

Read more

Sneaker culture is no longer the preserve of the hardcore sneaker freak: it is a full-blown mainstream phenomenon. Walk into any shoe shop today and you’ll be faced with a dizzying array of new designs, ‘old skool’ favourites, limited edition models and ‘rare’ shoes, all in a myriad of colourways. The sneaker has moved out from the sports arena and exploded into popular culture, a fashion staple that transcends race and class yet defines who you are in today’s urban tribes.

This encyclopaedic, profusely illustrated guide displays over 180 sneakers chosen for the impact they have made on sneaker culture worldwide. Eleven leading brands – from adidas to Vans – are discussed in detail with full histories, while a further selection – from well-loved or long-lost classics to new designs – will excite both the novice collector and the committed sneaker freak.

Packed with over 550 specially commissioned photographs, and featuring an indispensable directory of collectors’ shops, resources and websites, as well as practical tips on how to build and care for your collection, this is the definitive guide to the very best and most collectable sneaker designs.

Sneakers is written, photographed and designed by Unorthodox Styles, the team behind the leading sneaker website.

Read more

• Britain’s industrial age is often perceived through a black-and-white filter as the ‘funereal’ age of coal pollution and bleak working class slums. This catalogue will dispel that perception, demonstrating how the industrial revolution transformed colour, and focus on the central role it played in art, culture and technology
• As opposed to approaches favouring a long history of colour, the catalogue focuses on the second half of the 19th century and argues that this was a crucial chromatic turn, which has been significantly ignored by prominent historians of colour and previous publications
• Several essays in the catalogue offer new research into key chromatic events of the period including the 1862 International Exhibition
• Accompanies an exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum from 21 September 2023 to 18 February 2024

Contrary to the monochrome vision of Queen Victoria’s mourning dresses and the coal-polluted streets of Charles Dickens’ London, Victorian Britain was, in fact, a period of new and vivid colours. The Industrial Revolution had transformed the Victorians’ perception of colour and, over the course of the second half of the 19th century, it became the key signifier of modern life.

Colour Revolution: Victorian Art, Fashion & Design charts the Victorians’ new attitudes to colour through a multidisciplinary exploration of culture, technology, art and literature. The catalogue explores key ‘chromatic’ moments that inspired Victorian artists and writers to think anew about the materiality of colour. Rebelling against the bleakness of the industrial present, these figures learned from the sacred colours of the past, the sumptuous colours of the Middle East and Japan and looked forward towards the decadent colours that defined the end of the century.

Section 1: Glowing Colour: Introduction; Ruskin and Colour Pedagogy; Turner, Ruskin and the Lure of Venetian Colour; The Colour of the Middle Ages; Unweaving the Rainbow: Nature’s Colours in Art and Fashion; Pretty Plant Photographers or Pioneering Women?; Object in Focus: Hummingbird Necklace by Harry Emanuel;

Section 2: Colour for All: The Aniline Revolution; The International Exhibition of 1862; Object in Focus: Technical Analysis of the Great Bookcase; Sculpture and Race; The Colours of the Ancient Past; Orientalism; Object in Focus: Joseph and his Brethren by Owen Jones; India and Colour;

Section 3: Colour for Colour’s Sake: The Colours of Decadence: Yellow, Green and Blue; Object in Focus: St. Mark’s Venice by James McNeill Whistler; Queering Colour; Object in Focus: Tanagra; Object in Focus: Japanese Boardgame; Loie Fuller.

Read more

“An authoritative and moving insight into the legacy of the British designer.”—Carola Long, Financial Times

“McQueen’s brilliance is celebrated in this sumptuous tome.”—Harper’s Bazaar

“Excellent.”—Huffington Post

Arguably the most influential, imaginative, and provocative designer of his generation, Alexander McQueen both challenged and expanded fashion conventions to express ideas about race, class, sexuality, religion, and the environment. Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty examines the full breadth of the designer’s career, from the start of his fledgling label to the triumphs of his own world-renowned London house. It features his most iconic and radical designs, revealing how McQueen adapted and combined the fundamentals of Savile Row tailoring, the specialized techniques of haute couture, and technological innovation to achieve his distinctive aesthetic. It also focuses on the highly sophisticated narrative structures underpinning his collections and extravagant runway presentations, with their echoes of avant-garde installation and performance art.

Published to coincide with an exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art organized by The Costume Institute, this stunning book includes a preface by Andrew Bolton; an introduction by Susannah Frankel; an interview by Tim Blanks with Sarah Burton, creative director of the house of Alexander McQueen; illuminating quotes from the designer himself; provocative and captivating new photography by renowned photographer Sølve Sundsbø; and a lenticular cover by Gary James McQueen.

Read more

Journey through the world of cute and creepy manga art in this striking colouring book.

Lurking inside are 45 dark yet strangely adorable manga and anime-influenced scenes. Prepare to encounter eerie monsters, broken puppets, enchanted toys, undersea creatures and haunted forests.

Some of the scenes are inspired by eastern mythology and Japanese folklore, such as snow spirit Yuki-onna and mischief-bringing toyols. Others originate from western tales, such as selkie ‘seal folk’ and majestic kelpies. Also included are beautiful yet disturbing images from the artists’ own imaginations, such as terrified dumplings running from a bowl of noodles, a girl being carried away by monstrous balloons, and a zombie enjoying the company of her stuffed bunnies.

These gorgeous, intricate manga pieces have been created by a trio of artists, two of whom are based in a studio in Singapore and the other based in England.

Read more

Color images and special illustrations from the world’s most popular manga, One Piece! This compendium features over 300 pages of beautiful color art as well as interviews between the creator and other famous manga artists.

Keep up with the colorful adventures of the One Piece gang! This next installment continues following the Straw Hats through their Paramount War adventures into the arc of the New World in vivid, vibrant detail, with special interviews and author commentary you don’t want to miss!

Read more

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.

Read more

The official companion to the first season of the hugely popular Jujutsu Kaisen anime.

Enter the world of jujutsu sorcerers and cursed spirits with Jujutsu Kaisen: The Official Anime Guide: Season 1. Based on the hugely popular manga series by Gege Akutami, this guide to the Jujutsu Kaisen anime will provide readers with everything they wanted to know about the making of the action-packed series.

Discover all the behind-the-scenes details as the anime production team discusses the painstaking work that went into translating the pages of the best-selling manga to animation. Featuring concept art, original storyboards, character design sketches, exclusive interviews, and commentary from the voice actors, this book also includes two double-sided posters and is the ultimate look into the creation of the first season of Jujutsu Kaisen!

Read more

After the debut of the global smash-hit manga Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Koyoharu Gotouge instantly became one of the most popular artists in the world! The trials and travails of Tanjiro and Nezuko, two siblings cursed by fate, touched the hearts of fans even as the beautifully drawn action scenes thrilled them.

The Art of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba collects the intricate and mind-bogglingly beautiful color art from the series, in addition to a host of chapter pages, illustrations, bonus manga, and commentary from creator Koyoharu Gotouge!

Read more

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES ON APPLE TV+

Based on the phenomenally popular Instagram comic, a hilariously perceptive and hugely addictive look at an alien world not unlike our own

From the mind of New York Times-bestselling author Nathan W. Pyle comes an adorable and profound universe in pink, blue, green, and purple. Since launching on Instagram in Feb 2019, Strange Planet has become a viral sensation – and this book, based on the side-splitting Instagram comic – covers a full life cycle of the alien planet’s inhabitants, including milestones such as:

The Emergence Day
Being Gains a Sibling
The Being Family Attains a Beast
The Formal Education of a Being
Celebration of Special Days
Being Begins a Vocation
The Beings at Home
Health Status of a Being
The Hobbies of a Being
The Extended Family of the Being
The Being Reflects on Life While Watching the Planet Rotate

With dozens of never-before-seen illustrations in addition to old favorites, Strange Planet offers a sweet and hilarious look at a distant world not all that unlike our own.

Read more

From the No. 1 international bestselling author, film producer and Wattpad platform icon Anna Todd – the continuation of her bestselling love story AFTER in Volume Two of After: The Graphic Novel.

Fall in love all over again in volume two of the graphic novel adaptation of the global phenomenon AFTER! Uncover Tessa and Hardin’s love story as you’ve never seen it before . . .

GOOD INTENTIONS . . . BAD HABITS . . . SOMETHING UNMISTAKABLE . . . AND EVERYTHING AFTER.

As Freshman year continues, Tessa and Hardin’s chemistry is impossible to ignore. After taking a leap and ending things with her boyfriend from back home, Tessa desperately wants to make something work with Hardin, whose troubled eyes and tattooed arms make her swoon. The magnetism between them is undeniable, and now they have nothing standing in their way.

Despite their new freedom, the road is bumpy. The closer they become, the quicker Hardin’s walls come up and block Tessa out. But no matter how angry they get at each other, how many times he pushes her too far and she is disappointed by him, they are still drawn to one another. Their romance has consumed them both, and their passion is hot enough to burn everything down.

Anna Todd’s original story comes to life with breathtaking illustrations by Pablo Andres. Featuring twelve pages of behind-the-scenes and character profile bonus content, Volume Two of After: The Graphic Novel is the ultimate collector’s item for fans everywhere!

Read more

Read more

Read more

Hungry for a new drawing challenge? Well, get ready to enter planet cute! In her new collection, artist-author Angela Nguyen turns even the most mundane foods into living, breathing, adorable characters that you will want to draw yourself. As well as cute food-creature fusions such as blueberry kittens and sausage dog hotdogs, in Angela’s captivating world, sleeping cats lounge atop sushi, curl inside donuts, or peek out from pizza crusts.

Including beautifully clear and straightforward step-by-step instructions and minimal text, How to Draw Really Cute Food is great for both visual learners and those interested in learning the essential techniques of kawaii.

With chapters on appetizers, entrees, desserts, snacks and drinks, these inventive designs are sure to delight and amuse.

Read more

Torrid Times is the brilliant and unflinching new collection of sketches of contemporary political life by The Times’s master of satire, Peter Brookes.

Within these pages, the multiple winner of the British Press Awards Cartoonist of the Year showcases the standout pieces from his political cartoons in The Times, up to the minute and breathtaking in their bite and wit.

Cataloguing two of the most turbulent years on record, Torrid Times provides an unsparing critique of political leaders and events at home and abroad. From Partygate and Prince Harry to Liz Truss’s disastrous time in office and Putin’s devastating war in Ukraine, this collection of exquisitely crafted cartoons provides vivid proof, were it needed, that we are indeed living through torrid times.

Read more

100 Marvel comics that built a universe.

Which comic books have helped define Marvel Comics and make them the pop-culture phenomenon they are today? Find out in Marvel Greatest Comics, a compelling showcase of some of the most trailblazing and inspiring comic books ever created. From the groundbreaking original Human Torch and his aquatic adversary Namor, the Sub-Mariner in 1939 to the game-changing 1960s Super Hero icons such as Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four, to smart modern makeovers in the 21st century like Guardians of the Galaxy and Squirrel Girl, Marvel have set the pace.

This book’s specially curated and expertly appraised selection is a stunningly illustrated and insightful assessment of Marvel Comics and its legacy through the comics that made the company great. These are the comics that changed the face of an industry. These are Marvel’s greatest comics.

© 2020 MARVEL

Read more

Hirohiko Araki changed the face of manga forever when he created JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure! The epic story of the Joestar family spans generations, and iconic stories like Phantom Blood, Battle Tendency, Stardust Crusaders, and Diamond Is Unbreakable have made the series a fan favorite—and Araki himself the ultimate fan-favorite artist. JoJo 6251: The World of Hirohiko Araki celebrates his work with an incredible collection of illustrations, foldout posters, and highly desired behind-the-scenes information. Explore the characters, their Stands, and everything you ever wanted to know about heroes like Jotaro Kujo and Josuke Higashikata, and cruel villains like Dio!

Read more

Celebrating 40 years since IPC launched the UK’s most iconic ‘horror’ anthology, this single volume collects all of the strips included in the 15-issue run of Scream!

Produced ‘from the depths’ of King’s Reach Tower by the mysterious ‘undead’ editor Ghastly McNasty, the first issue of Scream! was unleashed on 24th March 1984. More tongue-in-cheek than horrific, the comic was an immediate hit with younger fans as it included a pair of fake vampire fangs attached to the cover and a number of fantastic new strips from such talents as Alan Moore, John Wagner, Jose Ortiz, Cam Kennedy, Tom Tully, Alan Grant and Eric Bradbury.

Read more

Read more

Read more

Phaidon’s much-loved monograph on the legendary Italian designer and architect, Ettore Sottsass

The re-release of this highly acclaimed title demonstrates the continual fascination, from both fans and collectors, with the life and work of Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass. The designer’s work is popular and influential in equal measure, from his designs for Olivetti (such as the striking, bright red, manual typewriter, the Valentine, with its ingenious carry-case) to the post-modern brilliance of the work of the Memphis Group, founded by Sottsass in Milan in 1980.

Packed with beautiful images taken from the extensive Sottsass archives and including drawings and sketches from the designer’s countless sketchbooks, the book explores his entire career from the 1940s to the 2000s, covering everything from his architectural projects and product design to his ceramics, sculpture, and graphics.

Read more

A stunning and inspiring visual inventory from one the most creative and popular designers working today

French designer Ronan Bouroullec works at the very forefront of design. Over his 30-year career he has used photography to document his process and communicate his unique perspective, amassing a vast archive of images in the process. He shares these images on Instagram, where he has a huge and loyal following. Thousands of images from the archive  have been chronologically sequenced to illustrate his work and life in a fresh, new way.

Part visual diary, part catalog of his work, and with captions in both English and French, Ronan Bouroullec: Day After Day presents these images to a wider readership and offers an intimate and fascinating look into his life, vision, and creative process, offering a unique and vibrant insight into the work, perspective, and creative process of one of the most celebrated and creative design minds working today.

Read more