Fashion February

New York, London, Milan, Paris… it’s Fashion Week season and Henrico County Public Library is serving books to inspire your looks. Read on to find runway-inspired reads for the fashion-conscious kids, teens, and adults in your lives.

ADULT

• The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester – Historical fiction and mystery collide in this tale of intrigue and a family’s fraught legacy that unfolds across decades.

• The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar (also available on Hoopla) – Charts the course of a would-be fashion designer who derives her inspiration from the dance halls of the 1920s.

• Wear It Well: Reclaim Your Closet and Rediscover the Joy of Getting Dressed by Allison Bornstein (also available on Hoopla) – A celebrity fashion stylist shares all her best trade tips, tools, and tricks for amplifying one’s individual style.

• We Might Just Make It After All: My Best Friendship with Kate Spade by Elyce Arons – Kate Spade’s rise to fashion fame is chronicled by her entrepreneurial “partner in crime.”

• When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion by Julie Satow – An account of how Hortense Odlum, Dorothy Shaver, and Geraldine Stutz transformed the twentieth century fashion landscape through their leadership of three juggernaut New York department stores.

TEEN

• Black Girls Sew: Projects and Patterns to Stitch and Make Your Own by Hekima Hapa (also available on Hoopla) – Provides practical knowledge to help readers craft their own garments.

• Boys Run the Riot by Keito Gaku – This manga quartet follows the launch of Ryo’s and Jin’s fashion brand collaboration as well as their own personal ups and downs.

• Let Them Stare by Jonathan Van Ness & Julie Murphy (also available on Hoopla) – When a fashion internship is torn from their grasp, Sully pivots to persuading a ghost to depart from a vintage bag that could be the windfall they need to kick-start a new life.

• The Power of Style: How Fashion and Beauty Are Being Used to Reclaim Cultures by Christian Allaire (also available on Hoopla) – A book that amplifies clothing as an avenue for representation on a variety of intersectional fronts.

• When the Vibe Is Right by Sarah Dass (also available on Hoopla) – The Trinidad setting turns up the heat on this romance between a Carnival costume designer and her classmate.

KIDS

• Basketball Shoes, Shorts, and Style by Matt Doeden (also available on Hoopla) – Explore the impact of a surprisingly fashion-forward sport on popular culture.

• Get Dressed: A Historical Guessing Game for Fashion Lovers by Katy Canales – Apparel facts and information are presented in a fun game format, bringing the past to vivid life.

• How to Be a Fashion Designer: Ideas, Projects, and Styling Tips to Help You Become a Fabulous Fashion Designer by Lesley Ware – Encouragement and practical information abound in an appealing, ‘tailor-made’ guide.

• The Makers Club by Reimena Yee (also available on Hoopla) – In one of two stories comprising this graphic novel, two aspiring designers navigate fashion and friendship.

• Sew Totally Nala by Misako Rokkusu – While at fashion camp, Nala receives help with her Japanese kawai clothing designs from a squirrel named Timothy in this graphic novel about building self-confidence.

PICTURE BOOKS & BEGINNING READERS

• A Dress With Pockets by Lily Murray – Step into the Fabulous Fashion Store and help Lucy find a practical frock with room for all her treasures.

• The Fairy Fashion Show by Bea Jackson – This beginning reader encourages thinking outside of the box as fairies endeavor to outfit a human friend using elements from nature.

• Fashionista: Fashion Your Feelings by Maxine B. Clarke – A rollicking, rhyming ode to using one’s appearance as a form of self-expression.

• Molly’s Tuxedo by Vicki Johnson – As school picture day approaches, Molly advocates for the outfit that ‘suits’ her best.

• Smile With African Style by Mylo Freeman – Introduces readers to the uniquely patterned and colorful clothing of various countries throughout Africa.