My Personal Coffee Table Books
When it comes to home decor, a good coffee table book is unmatched. I love how the covers give me a great pop of color in my living room, plus they’re always a good talking point when I have company over. My personal collection is pretty diverse—design books, photography books, fashion and more. Check out photos below, links to where to purchase and descriptions of each as well.
Funk & Soul Covers
I saw this book at a local book shop and instantly fell in love. It includes over 500 different funk and soul covers from a great time in African American music. I’m talking record covers from the likes of Roy Ayers, Archie Bell & The Drells, Bootsy Collins, Aretha and more! Every time I go through this book, I feel like I’m time traveling and it leaves me feeling like I missed out on a time period of greatness. Available at Amazon for $17.90.
Hiroshi Fujiwara: Fragment
This book is a prized possession of mine. Hiroshi Fujiwara is one of my favorite designers ever and this book solidifies everything I feel about him. This book covers every single piece of work in his career and I mean everything. His prints, footwear collabs, clothing lines, snowboards, vinyl statues—all covered in this book. If you’re a fan of design, classic streetwear, branding or anything else of the sort, you need this book. Available at Amazon for $41.
Gordon Parks: Segregation Story
I didn’t know much about Gordon Parks before the last two years or so, but I made it a point to visit his exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts back in 2016. Most of the photos in that exhibit, and in this book, are from his 1956 series titled “Restraints: Open and Hidden”. It fully documents a large African American family living in the segregated South. The photos are very deep, a bit saddening at times too, but there’s nothing like seeing where your people come from. Available at the VMFA Shop for $45.
In Fine Style: The Dancehall Art of Wilfred Limonious
The art style of Wilfred Limonious is so unique and interesting, man. I first learned about him at a party my friends at Thank You Gallery threw in my town. He blew up in the 80s doing tons of graphic work and record label artwork for Jamaican musicians in his own style. The characters are over the top and animated, with tons of patois-filled commentary scribbled around the images. Everything is so, so colorful too—just like the music. Available on Amazon for $50.
BEAMS: Beyond Tokyo
In similar fashion to the Hiroshi Fujiwara book above, BEAMS: Beyond Tokyo gives you an extremely detailed look into the brand. Over four decades of everything BEAMS is covered here and this was one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. Every fan of Japanese-based fashion should have this in their collection. Available on Amazon for $38.
