5 Books to Take With you on Holidays

During the Christmas holidays, it's time to discover something new, expand your knowledge, get inspired and treat yourself and your loved ones with funny stories or a Bridgerton-style dinner. HD Fashion presents a Christmas selection of books that you can give to yourself, your close friends and colleagues. From the biography of the singer Cher to Chanel’s very first book about their makeup products, here is a selection of five must-haves of the season.

Cher. The Memoir. Part One

A global icon Cher has released the first volume of her memoirs, told in the first person. “It’s quite painful to tell the truth. I put it off for a long time. I had two options: return the royalties to the publisher or begin my story.” Cher is a woman of a difficult fate. Her grandmother sent the mother of the future world celebrity to have an abortion. The world might never have known the outstanding singer of the 20th century, but her mother Georgia went against family mores and gave birth to Cherilyn. For seven decades Cher has held the attention of the world with her voice, her acting, her style, her wit and her unstoppable spirit.

Cher's childhood was anything but normal, her school life wasn't straightforward. But she always knew she was going to be somebody when she grew up. Cher's powerful instinct landed her in the arms of Sonny Bono. The duo became famous beyond their wildest dreams, from humble beginnings singing backup in Phil Spector's studio through to pop stardom as Sonny and Cher, and then on to the television show that made them household names.

Taking risks, making headlines, and falling in love, Cher struggled and stumbled while trying to become her own woman. Cher: The Memoir, Part One brings us to the brink of her next chapter, as she begins to chart her own path, finally claiming her rightful place in the world and becoming CHER.

Cher: The Memoir, Part One, Harper Collins Publisher, 35 €.

Chanel. The Allure of Makeup

This very first volume dedicated to Chanel makeup celebrates the house’s inspiring story of makeup creation, which began one hundred years ago, in 1924.

Following the success of her first perfume Chanel N5 launched in 1921, three years later Mademoiselle Chanel debuted the house’s makeup line (the classic red lipstick and powders were among the first products), marking the beginning of a century of creativity, excellence and innovation. Now for the first time, penned by Natasha Fraser, Chanel. The Allure of Makeup reveals the history of Chanel makeup creation – including advertising campaigns created by some of the world’s leading photographers and film directors and insider stories about Gabrielle Chanel and her closest collaborators.

The story unfolds in seven chapters that represent the quintessential colours of Chanel’s visual vocabulary: Black, White, Beige, Red, Pink, Gold and Blue. Each chapter highlights the talents driving the brand’s lasting impact across the decades. Iconic products such as the black and white compact or 31 Le Rouge lipstick in timeless red punctuate the chapters and claim their rightful place in the pantheon of beauty. With unprecedented access to the Chanel archives, this book presents a wealth of visual material from historic images of Gabrielle Chanel and seldom-seen early product shots to cinematic campaigns starring icons the likes of Vanessa Paradis, Marion Cotillard or Vittoria Ceretti.

Chanel. The Allure of Makeup. By Natasha A Fraser & Olivier Andreotti, Thames and Hudson, 150 €.

Josh Young. Artful Home

Artist, designer, and tastemaker Josh Young introduces his first book, Artful Home, and takes readers inside his townhouse in the District of Columbia and his never-before-seen country house in Virginia, Sycamore House. The book also features beautiful images of Josh's portraiture, collages, and abstracts, as well as flower arrangements, textiles, and ceramics. Josh celebrates simplicity and elegance, which is why his interiors are so cosy, beautiful and inspiring. Josh Young talked about what shaped his taste, and what accents will certainly decorate the interior and make your dream of an ideal home come true.

A graduate of Italy's renowned Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, Josh and his work have appeared in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Vogue Italia, GQ Italia, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, etc.

The book is arranged by Josh's five guiding principles: palette, texture, form, layers, and nostalgia. Josh uses these concepts in his decorating, detailing his philosophy and overall creative approach as an artist and designer, and how they, too, can lean on them to curate beautiful environments.

Ultimately, this book will inspire readers to establish their own point of view and translate it across any creative project they pursue, to create a life that is artful, beautiful, and unique.

Josh Young. Artful Home, Rizzoli New York, 65 €.

À la table des Bridgerton. The official guide to cooking and entertaining

On the eve of the Christmas holidays, it’s time to think about the party concept if you plan to invite guests to your home. Flammarion Publishing House presents you with 40 recipes inspired by the most popular Netflix series “Bridgerton”. Picnic, brunch, afternoon tea, gala evening, ball… Ideas for table setting and interior decoration. And all this must be done with good manners and beauty. Ideas for gastronomic parties can be varied: dinner on the Titanic (which is so in line with today’s world agenda), lunch at Claude Monet’s house, afternoon tea at Downton Abbey or dinner for Catherine de Medici and Nostradamus, prepared according to the archive recipes of Château de Chenonceau, her most cherished residence.

À la table des Bridgerton. The official guide to cooking and entertaining, Flammarion, 30 €.

The Van Cleef and Arpels Collection 1906-1953

The high jewellery house Van Cleef & Arpels has presented the first volume of a book to explore its rich heritage of collectable works from the early to mid-20th century. This unique retrospective highlights the House’s jewellery legacy through the lens of historical, artistic, and cultural contexts.

The first volume, published by Atelier EXB, tells the story of the renowned Parisian House and features nearly 700 jewellery pieces and 200 unique archival documents. The diversity, aesthetic explorations, and jewellery ingenuity immerse readers in the creative world of Van Cleef & Arpels and provide a panorama of the artistic and cultural scene of the first half of the 20th century.

“The heritage collection, which today includes over 2,700 pieces, is representative of Van Cleef & Arpels’ creations in terms of inspiration, materials, and techniques. This work is a catalogue raisonné – the most comprehensive possible compendium of the works,” says Nicolas Bos, President, and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels.

Currently, the printed version of the first volume is presented in a hardcover and a special slipcase. It is available in three languages for you to choose: English, French, and Chinese.

The Van Cleef and Arpels Collection 1906-1953, Atelier EXB, 220 €.

Text: Editorial team