From the enduring influence of denim to the quiet power of logos and archival fashion, each book on this list offers rich perspective for those who see design as more than surface. Whether you’re drawn to textile heritage, visual storytelling, or the artistry of everyday objects, these books invite you to look closer, and think deeper.
Denim: The Fabric That Built America, 1935-1944
US$ 49.95
The legacy of denim in America, as seen through early FSA photographs of “blue collar” workers. This volume traces the origins of this shift through a compendium of photos, drawn primarily from the archive of the Farm Security Administration (FSA), featuring American workers in denim. In both black and white and color, we see ordinary American laborers in the fields, dam construction workers, women toiling on the Chicago railroad, unemployed miners and steelworkers preparing the country for war, all donning denim overalls, jeans, jackets and shirts.
Hardcover, 240 pages
Threads of Tradition: The Legacy of Japanese Denim
US$ 43.65
Threads of Tradition: The Legacy of Japanese Denim invites readers into the world of Japanese denim, where fabric meets art and craftsmanship meets cultural heritage. This book explores the rich history and profound traditions that have shaped Japanese denim, elevating it beyond fashion to an enduring art form celebrated worldwide.
Paperback, 234 pages
The Computer. A History from the 17th Century to Today
US$ 80
From analog to digital, mainframes to mobile phones—with photos, ads, and concept drawings of inventions that ushered in the digital era, this visual survey of the Information Age reveals how the computer and the Internet irreversibly transformed our world.
Hardcover, 472 pages
https://www.taschen.com/en/books/popculture/04692/the-computer
The Squarzi Archive: The Vintage Collection of an Italian Fashion Icon
US$ 45
A visual showcase of Alessandro Squarzi’s 6000-piece American vintage collection of rare garments spanning military to workwear, embodying styles from the ’20s to the ’80s with an Italian touch.
Hardcover, 350 color images, 176 pages
https://schifferbooks.com/collections/schiffer-new-releases/products/the-squarzi-archive#
American Denim: The Supposed Final Days and Resurgence of a Manufacturing Icon
US$ 45
A photo essay that tells an American textile manufacturing story in three parts: the final days of operation at the White Oak Mills in Greensboro, North Carolina; closure; and rebirth making selvedge denim again under the care of the White Oak Legacy Foundation and Proximity Manufacturing Company
Hardcover, 200 color images, 240 pages
https://schifferbooks.com/collections/schiffer/products/american-denim
Logo Beginnings. Logo Modernism. 45th Ed.
US$ 30
Many iconic brands—like Rolex, BMW, Louis Vuitton, and the New York Yankees—still use logos designed over 100 years ago. Tracing the origins of the trademark and gathering more than 3,000 logos from the mid-1800s up to 1980, design guru Jens Müller’s exhaustive anthology is a must for anyone fascinated by the evolution of modern corporate identities.
Hardcover, 512 pages
https://www.taschen.com/en/books/graphic-design/42373/logo-beginnings-logo-modernism-45th-ed
