There isn’t a fashion lover out there who wouldn’t love to spend just one evening in a Valentino design. This book offers an insight into the inspirations of creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli and their mutual love of Rome, the Eternal City, detailing how they’ve worked together to inject new life into the fashion house since taking the helm in 2008.
£165, available at Net-A-Porter
This tome was first published in 2002, at which time Grace Coddington was relatively unknown. Since then, she's unwittingly found fame thanks to her scene-stealing appearance in The September Issue. It's a beautiful collection of the British stylist's most breath-taking shoots from her years spent working at both British and American Vogue and includes anecdotes from her collaborations with such legends as Cecil Beaton and Irving Penn.
£100, available at Telegraph Bookshop
Kate Moss is a phenomenom like no other. This book, compiled by the model herself, celebrates her seminal career, which began when she was just 14 years old and spotted by Storm Models founder Sarah Doukas at JFK airport. The 25 years that followed saw Moss become an icon of style and one of the most recognised faces in the world. A must-have for any fashion fan, and fascinating even for those who aren't.
£50, available at Telegraph Bookshop
It's hard to believe that Karl Lagerfeld has worked at Fendi for half a century, the longest partnership between a designer and a luxury fashion house in history. This is more than just a book - not that we'd expect anything less from the man who has dictated fashion for so many years - it's a compilation of exclusive interviews, recorded conversations, personal sketches and DVDs of his short films, through which we discover some of his earliest and fondest memories of the past five decades. A real treat.
£100, available at Net-A-Porter
Giambattista Valli may have only founded his eponymous label in 2005 but in 10 short years he has become one of the world's foremost designers of beautiful, ethereal gowns and cutting-edge silhouettes. Released in 2013, this gorgeous, weighty compendium offers insight into his design process, show preparations and details of his lushly complex fabrics.
£60, available at Telegraph Bookshop
On the eve of her 50th birthday, Cindy Crawford saw fit to chronicle her outstanding career as one of the world's foremost models. Becoming is a collection of 150 images from her over-25-year career, as well as some never-before-seen photographs from her personal archive, alongside stories about her professional and personal evolution.
£35, available at Telegraph Bookshop
Photographer Richard Avedon's relationship with the house of Dior was long and storied, and his images of the maison's clothes endure to this day. This newly-released book celebrates the partnership by teaming Avedon's striking photographs for Dior with original sketches by the house's eponymous founder Christian Dior. A little piece of fashion history on your coffee table.
£110, available at Amazon
This book, published in 2014, is even more poignant considering the recent departure of creative director Alber Elbaz from the famed Parisian fashion house. He is one fashion's most transformative designers working today, and wrenched Lanvin from a sleepy couture house to a ready-to-wear heavyweight. Definitely worth a spot on your bookshelf.
£47.50, available at Telegraph Bookshop
The world lost a legend when Oscar de la Renta passed away in 2014. This book by American Vogue's Andre Leon Talley tells the story of his half-century reign through 70 unique dresses and insights from his many, many friends.
£35, available at Telegraph Bookshop
Louis Vuitton's window displays are a feast for the eyes. Masterminded by Faye McLeod and her creative super-force of a team, each is planned meticulously and executed with the help of the world's greatest craftsmen. From giant ostriches to creatures made from Vuitton's famous bags, this book is a window (excuse the pun) into a part of the industry that we rarely see the working of. And we promise you'll want McLeod's job by the time you've finished leafing through this epic love letter to creativity.
£550, available at Net-A-Porter
