Books published by V & A Publishing

The V&A's collection of netsuke is world-famous, and this stunning book draws on its many highlights to explore the origins of netsuke and to trace the sources of their designs in prints, paintings and woodblock-printed books.

Sir Norman Hartnell (1901-1979) was the star of London couture during the interwar years. His autobiography, first published in 1955, tells the story from the creation of his couture house in 1923, to the most momentous commissions of his career: Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown in 1947 and her magnificent coronation dress six years later.

His artistic flair, coupled with his cutting skills, enabled Paul Poiret to translate the spirit of Art Deco into revolutionary garments. This title tells the story of the meteoric rise of a draper's son to the 'King of Fashion'. It reveals the tale from his humble Parisian childhood to his debut as a couturier, to his experiences during the WW I.

From edible insects and lab-grown meat to industrial farming and freeganism, the future of food is the debate on everyone's lips. Food: Bigger Than The Plate engages with the work of artists, designers and food professionals who are examining key activities and relationships through food.

The Culture of Bronze explores the material and making of bronzes and the interrelationships and collaboration between sculptor, foundry, and owner.

Published to celebrate the opening of the refurbished Cast Courts at the Victoria and Albert Museum, this book presents a fresh perspective on the Museum's diverse collection of reproductions including plaster casts, electrotypes and photographs.

Focusing on 30 highlights from the V&A's superlative Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection, this book explores micromosaic construction, its roots in antiquity, their incredible popularity in the last quarter of the 18th century, and their evolution through the 19th century until the technique virtually vanished in the early 1900s.

The Biba store was to become an icon of hip 60s and 70s London and a hangout for artists, film stars and rock musicians, including the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Twiggy, and Brigitte Bardot. This work tells the story of the rise and fall of the tiny, energetic boutique that grew into a vast emporium and epitomised Swinging London.

Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973) was one of the leading fashion designers of the 1920s and 1930s with a flair for the unusual. This autobiography charts her rise from resident of a rat-infested apartment to designer to the stars.

This exquisite gift book explores the phenomenon of 'garnitures', or matching sets of ceramic vases. From the 1650s such sets were used in elite European interiors as an integral part of the decorative scheme; displayed on chimney-pieces, cupboards, tables or over doors, they 'garnished' the interior and so enhanced the status of the owner.

Spanning four centuries, the V&A's Fashion Collection is the most comprehensive in the world, housing unrivaled collections of dress,accessories, shoes and hats from the 17th century to the present day. This thoroughly revised and redesigned edition perfectly encapsulates the collection and is a must for any fashion enthusiast.

The Julie and Robert Breckman Print Fund has enabled purchases by such art world stars as Damien Hirst, Julian Opie, Chris Ofili, Grayson Perry and Rachel Whiteread to name but a few.

The V&A has the UK's largest permanent display of Japanese art, housing objects from the 6th century to the present day. In this new book some of the world's leading researchers in the field bring their attention to the V&A's unparalleled collection.

This book tells the story of Great Bardfield and its artists, and their famous 'open house' exhibitions, showing how the village and neighbouring landscape nurtured a distinctive style of art, design and illustration from the 1930s to the 1970s and beyond.

Focuses on Voysey as a designer of furniture, metalwork, and textiles, providing a new analysis of his characteristic motifs and designs. It draws on the greatest public and private collections of his work to give a complete and fully illustrated account of Voysey's output and his vision for domestic life at the turn of the twentieth century.

Set in Iceland, this beautifully illustrated story is the perfect read for cosy winter nights.

The first book to examine, in detail, the luxurious garments produced by the rarefied London couture industry - from lavish ballgowns to sharply tailored suits and spectacular court dress - as well as the designers who conceived them, their clients and the prestigious publications that disseminated and promoted the 'London Look'.

Footballs, as well as footballers, have feelings too, as proven by this reproduction of the charming 1940's children's book by design duo Lewitt-Him.

Includes previously unpublished material from Bawden's scrapbooks Ephemera and correspondence shows Bawden's fascination with London life Appeal to London's numerous visitors and residents as well as twentieth-century British art aficionados.

This beautiful book is an indispensable history of the fashion houses that have become synonymous with show-stopping glamour. The Glamour of Italian Fashion showcases the fashions that turned 'Made in Italy' into an internationally recognized mark of style.

This book is an investigation into the design and history of British magazines over the past 170 years. It identifies turning points and new directions in one of the most sensitive barometers of mass-market design taste.

From the sky-high coiffures of Georgian Britain to the languid silhouette of 1920s 'flappers', Style and Satire tells the story of European fashion and its most fantastical trends from two interrelated perspectives - the lavish, celebratory fashion plate, and the gloriously irreverent satirical print.