In keeping with our Upswing theme, here’s a selection of new book releases that we think best exemplify rising stars and brand turnarounds this year.
Rise Above Lebanon by Christian Ghammachi
Ghammachi decided to turn his lens to Lebanon after he used a drone on the back of his motorbike in a six-month journey through Africa. With a similar technique for bird eye views of the country, he uncovers its often overlooked beauty, breadth of landscapes and resilience, despite all the adversity and humanitarian crises present at the moment.
The Productivity Project, bv Chris Bailey
After getting his business degree, Bailey chronicled a year-long series of productivity experiments he tested on himself, which included: taking a daily siesta, cutting out caffeine and sugar, living in isolation, using his smartphone for just an hour a day, and becoming a total slob. This book is an accessible, counterintuitive guide, with surprising truths (such as productive procrastination) about how we get things done.
Dior: New Looks by Jérome Gautier
Christian Dior’s first collection was in 1947, emerging after a period of war and austerity, celebrated by couturiers Yves Saint Laurent, Gianfranco Ferré and John Galliano alike. In tribute to Dior’s ‘new look’ at the time and the house’s creations in following decades, this is a visual re-examination of Dior’s silhouette through inspired pairings of classic, archival images and contemporary frames, as well as some unpublished rarities.
New Swiss Architecture by Maya Birke von Graevenitz & Hubertus Adam
The international success and influence of architects like Herzog & de Meuron and Peter Zumthor has decisively put Swiss architecture on the world stage. This is an exposé of a new generation of architects in Switzerland, which aren’t as well-known because of their buildings are remote locations and draw on the country’s distinctive landscape that combines the alpine and the rural, the suburban and the urban.
