Three Art and Design Books for Your Winter 2025 Reading List

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Alexander Girard: Let the Sun In, by Todd Oldham and Kiera Coffee

When it comes to midcentury American design, Alexander Girard is celebrated as a leading figure—and for good reason. What he brought to the modern aesthetic was innovative and prolific across multiple categories, including architecture, furniture, graphic design, illustration, interior design, and textiles. This book provides a comprehensive and illuminating look at Girard’s work within each discipline and features more than 800 images—some of which are being published for the first time. Thoroughly researched and compiled by designer Todd Oldham in partnership with Girard Studio, the monograph includes Girard’s object design sketches, environmental panels for Herman Miller’s Action Office project, his Braniff International Airways designs, and a range of additional textile designs that effectively capture the designer’s style.

$125, Phaidon. 

Forever Beautiful: All-American Style All Year Long, by Mark D. Sikes

You know that phrase “good things come in threes”? This book is a perfect example because it’s the third entry in top designer and tastemaker Mark D. Sikes’s Beautiful trilogy. Known for his classic and livable looks, Sikes is a favorite of celebrities and notable public figures such as Reese Witherspoon and Dr. Jill Biden (he redesigned her office at the White House). Showcasing exquisite interiors inspired by nature, a cornucopia of colors, patterns, and textures fills the pages of 12 chapters. There’s a house for each month of the year, from a French chateau–inspired home outside of Chicago influenced by the verdant Gardens of Versailles (April) to holiday reds at a Swiss-style chalet found on a horse ranch near Sun Valley, Idaho (December). The tome also includes insights into Sikes’s artistry and design advice.

$45, Rizzoli.

Dolce & Gabbana: From the Heart to the Hands, by Florence Müller, with Franco Cologni and Alberto Rocca

Glamourous. Luxurious. Trendsetting. Those are just a few ways to describe Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana. Since its inception in 1985, the industry icon has been renowned for adhering to the merits of fatto a mano (handmade) creations. This book includes Alta Moda and Alta Sartoria garments, stunning jewelry, and archival treasures, all brought together in this first-ever reveal. In 10 chapters, curator Florence Müller delves into D&G’s native heritage and long-standing impact on Italian culture through several unique collections, ranging from artistic glass and devotion to goddesses and opera. Both editorial and runway imagery appear through art, architecture, artisanal craft, and movie photographs. Intricate fabric inlays, lacework, beadwork, and other garment techniques are also captured behind the scenes to reveal Domenico Dolce’s and Stefano Gabbana’s ideas, dedication, and passion for design.

$45, Rizzoli Electa.