The Industries Shaping Each Other

Fashion and literature have always been intrinsically linked. Both acting as a vessel for cultural identity, storytelling, and markers of historical significance, the two have a longstanding symbiosis. Just ask Alessandro Michele, who requested that guests of the S/S27 Valentino show (hosted in the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=%2Fm%2F0422zm" target="_blank">Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève</a> in Paris) bring a book with them to donate to local libraries. Instead of focus being on the outfits that various A-listers and fashion moguls turned up in, literature was the accessory to tell you everything about that person – in perhaps a more personal way than the clothes could. 

Although those of us who are keen readers will insist the hobby never went out of style, it’s fair to say that book clubs and being well read have re-entered the zeitgeist in recent years. Take Dua Lipa’s Service95 Book Club that has earned her the place as this year’s London Literature Festival curator. As an act of rebellion against our increasing screen times, turning to a paperback as a source of both entertainment and information brings a welcome relief for the mind whilst reigniting creativity. 

But this hasn’t prevented a slew of criticism in response to the fashion industry’s use of literature for aesthetic purposes. Bookmarc, Marc Jacobs’ bookstore on Bleecker Street in New York City, received mixed reviews upon its launch in 2010 due to its displacement of a long-standing independent bookshop. Critics also noted that it felt more like a high-fashion lifestyle store than a place focused on books and literature. 

And it’s not just the Marc Jacobs label – Miu Miu, Valentino, Prada, and Chanel have all launched some form of literary campaign over the years, and fashion house creative directors frequently credit the classics as sources of inspiration for their collections (see: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley that the likes of McQueen and Gucci have taken stylistic pointers from).  

So what’s wrong with this natural artistic process? The concern most likely comes from the fear that the literature in question isn’t being taken seriously – or given the cultural time and space it deserves before the trend cycle inevitably carries on. Fashion has notoriously encouraged speedy consumption, and the affinity with books risks sweeping them into the same category.  

Simultaneously, celebrity book clubs have become commonplace – Reese Witherspoon and Oprah’s being some of the most influential. Whilst it could be argued that A-lister and high fashion association with literature could be reserving them for the elite, it’s in fact having the opposite effect. 

Books – and being well read – have long stood as a status symbol. The practicalities of book printing, alongside access to education, kept them reserved for the social elite. Going all the way back to 1440, the invention of the Gutenberg press is what made literature available to the masses.  

By bringing what we read back to the forefront of culture, fashion houses and celebrities alike are paving the way for literature to become not only more understood, but increasingly more accessible. Just look at how Reese’s Book Club picks ignite conversation on TikTok, and how many more readers it has helped to build. 

Moreover, the importance of fashion editorial cannot be overstated. It’s fashion magazines and coffee table books that have worked in step with designers and consumers to curate a world that recognises the importance of fashion, and makes it into something tangible beyond just buying the clothes. The written word has long played a crucial role in dictating what we wear and why it matters, and why it’s something to care about beyond your appearance.  

Perhaps the common thread between the two is their transformative abilities, and power to take you outside of yourself and others. How does what you read influence what you wear? Can you tell someone’s taste in books just by looking at their outfit of choice?  

Joan Didion serving as the face of Celine in 2015 was no random choice – it was a representation of how books and fashion have always carried each other as equals. Ultimately, these are two forms of artistry that leave plenty up to interpretation – not to be dismissed by their combined impact.