Vincent Darre

From Vincent Darré, a French dandy and eccentric decorator, this volume offers a fanciful look into his unique universe of artful interiors. Known for his dynamic personality and extravagant style, Vincent Darré--the enfant terrible of Paris's design world--presents a debut monograph brimming with his hallmark flamboyant whimsy, unrivaled imagination, and Gallic flair. As a fixture of the city's nightlife scene and member of its exclusive artistic circles, Darré is arguably one of its most creative residents (prior to launching his decorating career, he held posts at top fashion houses)--which comes through in his instantly recognizable interiors: think Surrealist furniture, dizzying patterns, and spirited color combinations. Boasting over 200 vibrantly colored photographs, this exquisite tome takes readers on a journey into Darré's world of conversation-starting spaces. From his signature furnishings, such as the Grenouille nightstand, and maximalist use of prints (cue the Little Prince Bedroom), to his expert use of vivid hues, he offers an intimate glimpse into the singular, utterly enthralling universe of one of the design world's most eccentric, quirky, and celebrated members.

The next generation of Parisian interior designers curated by the editors of French Architectural Digest. From Vincent Darré and Joseph Dirand to India Mahdavi, a new wave of design talent has emerged in Paris. Combining nonchalant elegance with the French capital’s perennial chic flair, their interiors reflect a refreshingly innovative take on home decor while inspiring myriad designers across the globe. Renowned for publishing the very best of interior design, the editors of French Architectural Digest have thoughtfully curated a collection of interiors by twelve of the new guard’s top names. The New Chic showcases diverse residential interiors projects spanning the past five years. Inviting, charming, and irresistibly cool, this beautifully illustrated book celebrates the voices of modern Parisian interiors and is a must for every library of design.

Step inside the private realm of the great designer Karl Lagerfeld through the eyes of his fellow artist and close friend Patrick Hourcade. The artist Patrick Hourcade met Karl Lagerfeld in 1976. A friendship that will last more than twenty years is immediately born between the two men, strengthened by their shared passion for eighteenth-century arts. After studying art history, Patrick Hourcade begins working with the creative team at Vogue Paris, while at the same time introducing Karl to his beloved specialty, the arts of the Enlightenment. From then on, he would accompany the great fashion designer on all of his lavish acquisitions--mansions, decors, and works of art. The two would build a magnificent universe together, refined and sometimes overly extravagant, especially at the Grand-Champ chateau in Brittany, the Hotel Pozzo di Borgo in Paris, or at La Vigie, a villa on the French Riviera. Patrick Hourcade tells the story of this aesthetic connection, through previously unpublished documents and a unique biography of Karl Lagerfeld, where he is seen in all of his splendor as well as his weaknesses. This intimate story also crosses paths with the colorful characters who populated the life of the great designer, including Anna Piaggi and Francine Crescent, Laure de Beauvau and Liliane de Rothschild, Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent, Gilles Defour, Vincent Darré, Guy Bourdin, and Andrée Putnam, and, most importantly, his mother Elisabeth and Jacques de Bascher--his two loves of his life.

The first book to focus on the solo residential work of the visionary interior decorator Stephen Sills. Simultaneously classical and modern, Stephen Sills’s design work is a dialogue between past and present. Filled with luxurious fabrics, furnishings from across centuries, and unusual finishes, his work is polished, seemingly effortless, and quietly rich, with a muted color palette that serves as a brilliant foil for modern art. In this striking, meditative volume, the follow-up to his best-selling book Dwellings, Sills presents sixteen breathtaking homes, gorgeously photographed by the legendary François Halard, in locations as varied as a penthouse on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, a modern Aspen retreat, an estate on the North Shore of Long Island, and his own country house in Bedford, New York (dubbed the "chicest house in America" by Karl Lagerfeld). Common to them all is a sense of atmosphere, point of view, and soul—the sense of a master craftsman at work.

Enter a world of interiors by Atelier AM, where classical proportions, varied finishes, and exquisite furnishings are masterfully combined, resulting in bold yet tranquil environments. A deft hand at creating interiors that mix materials, both rough-hewn and luxurious, antique and modern, marks the work of Alexandra and Michael Misczynski, the husband-and-wife team behind the Los Angeles–based firm Atelier AM. Only ten years after establishing their business, the couple has garnered a keen reputation for creating environments that are sensory experiences—visually sublime interiors enhanced with subtle, textural palettes. Seventeenth- and eighteenth-century furniture commingle with modernist pieces and ancient objects. Background colors and materials are muted and refined. Interiors Atelier AM showcases a selection of residences—each exhibiting the firm’s skill at mixing furniture and objects with backgrounds such as antique flooring and Venetian plaster, with bold and modern results. Their high-profile clients include Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise and the Michael Eisners. The photography of François Halard beautifully documents each project, educating and inspiring a new generation of interior designers and connoisseurs.

In this volume, senior scholars come together to explore how Jewish and African American experiences can make us think differently about the nexus of religion and politics, or political theology. Some wrestle with historical figures, such as William Shakespeare, W. E. B. Du Bois, Nazi journalist Wilhelm Stapel, and Austrian historian Otto Brunner. Others ponder what political theology can contribute to contemporary politics, particularly relating to Israel's complicated religious/racial/national identity and to the religious currents in African American politics. Race and Political Theology opens novel avenues for research in intellectual history, religious studies, political theory, and cultural studies, showing how timely questions about religion and politics must be reframed when race is taken into account.

A peek behind closed doors in the City of Light. Go on a photographic tour of a side of Paris few have ever seen, created from the vast archive of glorious imagery belonging to the French interiors magazine Côté Paris. Hidden Paris reveals the capital city’s unique architecture and fabulous interiors in a range of styles, from classic French to retro, contemporary, bohemian, industrial and more. How to make a Paris rental apartment one’s own? Go with the author behind closed gates, through the courtyards, and into people’s stylish homes and chic apartments to learn the answers. Here are myriad examples of Parisians embracing what they have while demonstrating clever and effective ways of coping with the existing structures and architecture that they cannot change, to make beautiful spaces of their own. Carolyn Clifton-Mogg is a journalist who specializes in interior design, antiques and gardens. She has authored The Curtain Book: A Sourcebook, The White Home, Set with Style, China and Glass, French Country Living, Decorating with Antiques, Provencal Escapes: Inspiring Homes in Provence and the Cote D'Azur, and A Passion for Collecting. She also writes regularly for a number of magazines and newspapers. She lives in London.