NEW YORK -- Come holiday time, there's never a shortage of splashy coffee table books to please just about any aficionado.
Some suggestions:
FASHION & STYLE
by Magdalena Schaffrin and Ellen Kohrer, Prestel, $49.95. Know someone deeply committed to sustainability in fashion? Taking a truly world view, this book dives deeply into companies that do it well. In Zurich, for instance, look to the brothers Freitag, Daniel and Markus. They're bag makers who launched F-abric, a line of compostable workwear.
This book cover image released by Prestel shows (Prestel via AP)
"," by Sharon Sadako Takeda, Kaye Durland Spilker and Clarissa M. Esguerra, DelMonico Books, $55. Going back to the 18th century, this tome celebrates all aspects of men's dressing, from the French court to Speedo. Among contemporary high points: An intricately bleached denim suit by Vivienne Westwood and a futuristic ruffle suit by Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garcons.
This book cover image released by DelMonico Books shows "Reigning Men, Fashion in Menswear, 1715-2015." (Prestel via AP)
. With some of the most famous faces in fashion represented, the visionary behind NARS Cosmetics tells his story in beautiful close-up colour, with snippets of remembrances and inspirations. He includes the communion looks of both his parents and makes it clear beauty begins with beautiful skin.
Other gift ideas
THE MUSIC LIFE
The Nobel Prize-winning man of the hour, and of oh-so-many hours, has released 36 studio albums that have sold more than 120 million copies. This book includes lyrics from his first album to "Tempest," released in 2012. Dylan has edited dozens of songs for the book, to reflect the words he uses as he performs them now.
" by Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon, Black Dog & Leventhal, $50. The book covers 50 years and 340 songs, beginning with the band's 1963 debut album. More than 500 photos are included, along with details like what instruments were used in the studio.
" by Matteo Guarnaccia and Giulia Pivetta, ACC Art Books, USD $29.95. What better way to honour the icon who died in January than with a colour, cut and play set. Includes paper dolls and his favourite footwear spanning his ever-changing look and a coloring page of the people who inspired him, from Dylan to Marlene Dietrich.
THE BIG SCREEN
USD $65. Stunning studio portraits of film icons from the 1930s through the '60s from the collection of the John Kobal Foundation. Kobal was a film journalist and historian who amassed a huge collection of Hollywood portraits and set images. Look for Bette Davis, shot by George Hurrell for Warner Bros. in 1939.
by Firooz Zahedi, Glitterati, $75. Friend and acclaimed photographer Zahedi offers a private peek into Taylor's life from 44 into her 70s. Includes the Washington, D.C., years, jaunts in Montauk, New York with Halston and Andy Warhol and intimate photos of her children and stepchildren. There's Taylor making fried chicken, on a boat in Venice, on a trip to Iran.
" by Sandro Miller, Glitterati, $95. "Being John Malkovich" is so 1999. In this book, rather than on film, John Malkovich gets to be himself, in all his goofy, creepy glory. And he gets to recreate some of the world's most iconic portraits, with the help of photographer Miller, in a book that offers both pathos and whimsy.
WILDLY MISCELLANEOUS
," by Mel Brooks, Black Dog & Leventhal, $29.99. Whether you're a first-generation "Young Frankenstein" fan or trying to nudge along the next, nobody does this 1974 classic better than Brooks himself. With a foreword by Judd Apatow ("Even Gene Hackman is funny in it") and behind-the-scenes photos, a great to hear the now 90-year-old Brooks in his own voice.
"" by Tamar Arslanian, photos by Andrew Marttila, Harper Design, USD $21.99. To heck with that Yelp reviewer who dissed the bodega cat. This book shows that shop life can work for felines, with a warning that not all may be treated like kings and queens. Dwelling in wine shops, bookstores, dry cleaners and yes, The Algonquin Hotel, think "Humans of New York," only cats.
This book cover image released by Harper Design shows "Shop Cats of New York" by Tamar Arslanian and Andrew Marttila. (HarperCollins via AP)
"by National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Books, USD $40. As much a primer on the slave trade and racial discrimination as a celebration of early black entrepreneurs, musicians, writers, activists and athletes in a nuanced, global context. Marks the opening of the new museum in Washington, D.C., great for tweens and teens.
