Some books are made to be read; others transform a room. This autumn, ten books bring photography, fashion, art, architecture and interiors to the coffee table. Volumes to linger over, to give as gifts and, above all, to leave open — their presence matters as much as what lies within.
Richard Avedon: The Harper’s Bazaar Years — Abrams
Richard Avedon’s Harper’s Bazaar years capture a defining moment in fashion photography. Published on 13 October 2026, the book celebrates the graphic energy and modern elegance with which Avedon took fashion beyond the studio. A remarkable archive, as compelling for its historical significance as for its physical beauty.
Sanlé Sory — Phaidon
The first major volume devoted to the Burkinabè photographer, this book celebrates portraits taken in his Bobo-Dioulasso studio and on the city’s streets. His stylish, inventive and joyful young subjects form a striking visual record of post-independence West Africa.
Beyond Color: White Interiors from Simple to Sublime — Monacelli
With Beyond Color, design house Schumacher reveals the richness of white interiors. Whether minimalist, warm or eclectic, rooms by leading designers show how shades, textures and light create distinctive spaces. Bringing together contemporary interiors and historic settings, this beautiful volume combines inspiration with practical advice, including designers’ favourite paints, wallpapers and fabrics.
PHOTOgraphies — GrandPalaisRmn
PHOTOgraphies explores the medium through its many visual languages. Bringing different practices, periods and perspectives into dialogue, it presents photography as a living landscape rather than a linear history. A richly curated volume whose images reward repeated viewing.
From the earliest photographs of the nineteenth century to contemporary works, PHOTOgraphies explores two hundred years of an art form that has transformed how we see and tell stories about the world. Sixteen photography historians contribute scholarly, sensitive and personal essays. Published under the direction of the scientific committee for the Bicentenary of Photography, this reference work celebrates images as much as the people who create them.
Fashion Heroes — Stéphane Sednaoui, SSSSS Editions
With Fashion Heroes, the book becomes sculpture. Stéphane Sednaoui revisits a series created for The Face in 1989, in which Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Azzedine Alaïa, Thierry Mugler and Martine Sitbon, alongside their muses, become characters in a cosmic odyssey. Cut-outs, collage and pop energy come together in an A3-format object whose seven accordion-fold sections unfold into a panorama more than 2.7 metres wide. On the reverse, solarised black-and-white photographs reveal moments behind the scenes. A work to unfold, refold and display.
Meet the photographer: Stéphane Sednaoui will sign Fashion Heroes on Saturday 14 November 2026 at 2 pm, at Paris Photo, Grand Palais, on the SSSSS Editions stand J10 (a Paris Photo ticket is required), and on Wednesday 18 November at Yvon Lambert gallery, 14 rue des Filles du Calvaire, 75003 Paris.
Alex Webb: Walking Blues — Aperture
In Walking Blues, Alex Webb crafts a journey shaped by the rhythms of the street, light and colour. The volume brings together 87 images across 128 pages. Its chromatic intensity and fragmented narrative make for a photography book that is compact, cinematic and deeply musical.
Great Women Photographers — Phaidon
More than 250 photographers, almost two centuries of images and a broader story at last. This volume highlights women’s pivotal contributions to the history of photography, from Anna Atkins to contemporary voices. A rich, thoroughly researched and inspiring reference work.
Vincent Van Duysen: Works 2018–2025 — Thames & Hudson
The third volume in a series devoted to Vincent Van Duysen, this 320-page book brings together his recent projects in architecture, interiors and design. It captures his distinctive language of muted materials, serene proportions and meticulous detailing. Here, minimalism feels warm and lived-in.
Philippe Halsman: The French Crate — Thames & Hudson
A forgotten crate, rediscovered glass negatives and 1930s Paris brought back into view. This book reveals a little-known chapter of Philippe Halsman’s work in France for the first time. The fascination of the archive meets the intrigue of a photographic investigation.
Full Spectrum — Abrams
Douglas Friedman arranges this book like a prism, from chrome yellow to charcoal black. Full Spectrum brings together interiors, architecture, travel, fashion and portraits in a carefully orchestrated abundance of colour. A spectacular, joyful and instantly decorative volume, underpinned by a discerning photographic eye.
