I bought this first edition a couple of days ago because it has such a fine-looking cover. I haven’t actually read this Nabokov novel and have my reservations (I’ve never found Lolita to be as staggeringly brilliant as everyone says) but I will give it a go!

One of my favourite photography books in the world. Impossibly beautiful and immensely moving pictures of Xhosa tribal life. And that cover is just so brilliant!

Fifties children’s short stories. With its beautiful illustrations, this book is a winner!

Balenciaga spring/summer 2006: everlasting love

In praise of Nicolas Ghesquière. I will never entirely get over his spring/summer 2006 collection: beautiful and masterful and still inspiring 6 years later. He was staggeringly brilliant at Balanciaga. The thought of Christopher Kane replacing him is unnerving. Not because he lacks talent (he’s one of the best) but because it’s a bizarre succession. (Photo by Paolo Roversi).