Compelling titles for the fashion cognoscenti
In times of uncertainty, fashion can keep people going, with chin up and eyes on the brighter side of life. Insider stories and tales of creativity mark these books as go-tos for more than what is trending.
Malay Textiles and Costumes: Form and Style
By Azah Aziz
In 2006, cultural custodian Azah Aziz (full name Sharifah Azah Mohammad Alsagoff) wrote Rupa & Gaya: Busana Melayu, a magnum opus on the aesthetics, history and social dimensions of Malay textiles and clothing traditions. Soon after the author’s passing in 2012, her daughter Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz realised it should be shared widely. Work on the English translation began in 2014 and Malay Textiles and Costumes was released in February 2025 by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Many had a hand in this book, including translator Sharifah Shifa Al-Attas, creative designer William Harald-Wong, who helped look for new images, and Raimy Ché-Ross, whose knowledge about old Malay manuscripts and the history of Malay civilisation contributed to the translation of extracts and poetry. Zeti herself sourced costumes and accessories to reshoot with models.
Batik: Makers and Wearers
Batik, the ubiquitous material that bridges casual and formal, has history, culture and artistry woven into its fabric. The 300-year-old textile was prized all over Southeast Asia and is worn at important celebrations and ceremonies. In this book, which gathers three decades of research, Lee Chor Lin and other textile scholars take a fresh look at the personal motivations of batik makers and the experiences of wearers. Innovations have helped this symbol of Malaysian heritage evolve, while contemporary motifs speak to younger generations. There is also the narrative of how batik is embedded in the diverse elements of our time — nationalism, economic miracles and identity politics. Pieces from the Asian Civilisations Museum collection and textile collector Daniel Tendean bring readers closer to batik, which is a thriving industry today.
Colorful
By Iris Apfel
People die, their legacy stays. Iris Apfel (1921-2024), the interior designer, entrepreneur — she and her husband Carl had a textile business and did restoration projects at the White House — and self-described “geriatric starlet” who landed a modelling contract at 97, stay in the mind’s eye for her cropped top and oversized thick-rimmed glasses, more-is-more style and straight talking. Colours were her thing and a “legacy book” titled such that she wrote in 2023 says it all. Those who expect secrets should look elsewhere. Instead, Apfel hopes readers will find the colours and confidence that reflect them. Colorful, with 300 personal photos and unseen fabric patterns from her Old World Weaver’s collection, is a treasure trove of inspiration, influences and source. Final words from this dynamic woman who dared: “Be brave and find your source — what makes you happy?”
Palace Costume: Inside Hollywood’s Best Kept Fashion Secret
By Mimi Haddon
Costumes can transport movie-goers to a different time and place. For more than 50 years, Palace Costume & Prop Co has curated gowns, garments, accessories, jewellery and props for classics such as Chinatown, The Godfather, Austin Powers and Coming to America. Costume designers got their own Oscar statuettes only in 1949, but interviews with nominees such as Shirley Kurata of Everything Everywhere All at Once and Mary Zophres of True Grit and La La Land fame reveal the amount of work and detail that go into dressing stars for a film. Palace Costume started out in the early 1970s as a retro clothing boutique before transitioning into a to-the-trade-only rental service. It now has a collection of more than half a million items.
The Clothes Make the Man
By Finnian Burnett
This novella prompts readers to question what lies beneath outer wrapping, how we view people and how they see themselves. Arthur is sensitive, witty and insightful, the ideal fit for academia. What he hides from the world is self-doubt and an internalised hatred of his own body, which he reshapes through clothing. From a series of flash stories, we learn about his search for love and acceptance, from dealing with a controlling mother to battling gender dysphoria. Burnett, who explores mental health, the intersections of the human body and gender identity in his writing, was a finalist in Canada’s 2023 CBC Non-Fiction Prize, and a 2024 Pushcart nominee.
Hermès: Straight from the Horse’s Mouth
By Luc Charbin
Having started out as a saddle-maker in 19th-century Paris, Hermès has lots to tell about those who passed through its doors, like proud craftsmen who guarded their tools from others, and instances when things went wrong or missing. Designers, leather artisans, saddlers, window-dressers, sales assistants, goldsmiths, electricians and gardeners across several generations share pithy first-person accounts about the family business founded in 1837. Unique customised creations, such as a leather-clad wheelbarrow to store the Duchess of Windsor’s gloves, and a life-sized white rhinoceros for a window display astound — as do Alice Charbin’s illlustrations.
Icons of Style: in 100 Garments
By Josh Sims
Sims traces the genesis of a garment or an item of clothing before it evolved into a wardrobe staple, a collector’s item or an icon of style. The T-shirt was invented by American company Hanes for US Navy personnel and subsequently adopted by sportsmen and bikers, while farm clothes stitched for heavy-duty wear found their way to catwalks and homes. Sims rips the seams of blazers, leather jackets, hoodies and miniskirts to get stories of their provenance and design, and the brands or producers that birthed them and shaped how we dress today. When fashion and design meet and reaches out to gals and guys on the street, trends can then take root and endure.
Dress to Impress & Spend Less: The Modern Man’s Guide to Affordable Fashion
By Antonio Orlando Burton
Dressing well may not come cheap but with smart planning and some tips, you can stretch your budget and spend less for more polish and panache. Burton offers practical ideas on understanding the fundamentals of style, knowing what suits you, making the most of sales and discounts, shopping online, picking the right pieces for different occasions and mixing key wardrobe items to optimise outfit options. If you are dipping a toe in fashion for kicks, you may want to start by discovering your personal style IQ. Once you know what makes you look spiffy, you can step out feeling even more confident, knowing you have not further dented your pocket.
This article first appeared on Apr 21, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
