March Reading List: The World’s a Stage

In her memoir, The Price of Illusion (Atria Books), Joan Juliet Buck chronicles the path that lead her to the helm of French Vogue as the title’s first—and only—American editor-in-chief. Hidden among Buck’s fashion industry anecdotes lies a more universal theme: the heavy cost of maintaining a glamorous facade. Nollywood Portraits (Skira) presents a selection of photographs by Nigerian-born, New York-based artist Iké Udé. The vibrant images of the Nigerian film community turn portraiture into performance, capturing the subjects’ personas as well as their faces. Where They Create (Frame) showcases the studios of 32 Japanese creatives, including architect Tadao Ando and graphic designer Rikako Nagashima. Combining photographs by Paul Barbera and thoughtful interviews by design journalist Kanae Hasegawa, the book provides an intimate glimpse of contemporary Japanese design culture. A collection of studio visits and interviews, London Uprising (Phaidon) maps the contemporary London fashion world, highlighting the designers who established the city as a top-tier style capital. Conversations with designers including Manolo Blahnik, Mary Katrantzou, and Stella McCartney are brought to life with photographs of their studios, sketches, and collections.