A Book at Easter

The Easter weekend is perfect moment to finally sit down with that book you keep meaning to read. Here are the books we are looking forward spending some time with.  All in stock now.

Clare Mackie - An Exhibition of Art Work from Country Life

Potterton Books London are currently hosting an exhibition of Clare Mackie's illustrations for Country Life.

Clare's 12 year collaboration with Country Life has produced over 600 illustrations for the 'My Week' feature, along with the notorious Town Mouse and Country Mouse.

Having decided at the age of 12 that she was going to be an artist, Clare was encouraged by her mother, who had been taught by Alberto Morocco at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen.  Clare gained a First Class Honours degree in Illustration and Printmaking at Edinburgh College of Art and launched her highly successful career in London.  In 1993 she was taken on by John Locke Studios in New York.  She has worked on campaigns with IBM, Badoit, Chanel and Harvey Nichols along with commissions for Tatler, Harpers & Queen, The Independent, Elle, Glamour, The New York Times and Good Housekeeping.  She has previously displayed her Country Life illustrations at Lyon & Turnbull, Edinburgh.

Do come along to the shop between 5th March and 10th April to see the exhibition.

Books for January

January is the perfect month for curling up by the fire with a good book.  Here are some new books we recommend delving into, all in stock now.

A Book for Christmas

Unwrapping a book at Christmas has a timeless appeal, the beautiful cover, turning the pages for the first time, perusing and finally sitting down to read and enjoy. 

There is something incredibly special about a book carefully chosen for you, by somebody else.  Here are our favourite books for this Christmas:

Merry Christmas from Potterton Books! 

Nicky Haslam: A Designer's Life

In this unique and very personal book, Nicky Haslam recounts the diverse inspirations that have shaped his life and work.  The designer, who is renowned for his chic, opulent and often flamboyant style, his artistic and literary pursuits, and the decor his has designed for some of the most illustrious parties, reveals the influences, associations and achievements of his career.

The third son of the diplomat William Haslam and Diana Ponsonby, a goddaughter of Queen Victoria, Nicky Haslam grew up in Great Hundridge Manor in Buckinghamshire and was educated at Eton.  After a period working for Diana Vreeland at American Vogue, he became the editor of Show magazine and then moved to Arizona to breed horses.  He returned to England in the early 1970s and began his career as an interior designer in earnest, setting up his company NH designs in the late 1980s.

Written in a fresh and lively style, in Haslam's delightful prose, this book is a fascinating insight into the designer's glamorous and creative world.  Included are beautiful photographs by leading interiors photographers, evocative paintings and drawings by the designer and other artists, personal photographs, newspaper and magazine cuttings, invitations and notes - all of which paint a fascinating and inspiring picture his life and work.

Photographers

Both Cecil Beaton and Annie Leibovitz have photographed many of the same people and both these books offer a fascinating insight into their work  - 'Cecil Beaton, Portraits and Profiles' a wonderful combination of Beaton's photographic portraits and incisive observations from his journals and diaries; 'Annie Leibovitz, At Work' on how she made her pictures - written in her own words, she talks about the people she has photographed.

Books In Focus: India

'India, Living in an Ornate World' is James Welling's vibrant collection of photos of the country, following on from his exhibition 'Colours of India'.  Beautifully put together, James documents every day life in India with a particular focus on the brilliant colours that are an inherent part of the culture.

'India's Disappearing Railways, A Photographic Journey'  by photojournalist Angus McDonald, is a vivid documentation of India's narrow-gauge railways.  His photo essay documents the country from a unique standpoint and records a way of life in India that is slowly fading as modernisation takes over and the railways are converted to broad-gauge.

Rick Stein's 'India, In Search of the Perfect Curry' is a collection of over 120 recipes, uncovered during his journey through India whilst on the hunt for that elusive dish - the perfect curry.  On his travels he looks at Indian food in all it's complexities, discovering long-held cooking traditions as well as modern techniques and creating fragrant kormas, delicate spiced fish, slow-cooked biryanis and more.

'Mughal Architecture & Gardens' by Geroge Michell & Amit Pasricha is a fascinating study of the splendid monuments and gardens of the Mughal Emperors during the 16th and 17th century.  An indepth look at the stylistic developments under different emperors, and the origins of Mughal design and decoration, the book  also contains specially commissioned architectural plans and stunning colour photographs of the buildings still in existence.

All featured books are currently in stock.

Cleonice Capece: An Evening with the Author

On Tuesday 4th November, we are looking forward to our evening with Cleonice Capece, whose anticipated visual autobiography 'Fashion by Chance - 1960-1974' is now out.

'Fashion by Chance, 1960-1974' provides a vivid and richly documented account of her life working as a designer, during the years when the Italian fashion industry began to move away from haute couture towards pret-a-porter.  It is a fascinating personal insight of these pivotal years, and a beautiful a retrospective of Cleonice's own contributions during that time.  She was at the centre of the 'Made in Italy' philosophy - beautiful products that were both designed and crafted in Italy and were for the first time readily available.

Please do come along and meet the author on Tuesday 4th from 6-8pm at Potterton Books, 93 Lower Sloane Street, London. SW1W 8DA.

RSVP: shop@pottertonbookslondon.co.uk

New Fashion Books

We have a beautiful array of fashion books in - including the fantastic 'Vogue and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Costume Institute' an in depth study of the Costume Institute's history, with a focus on the recent exhibitions; 'Dries Van Noten' a look at the fashion designer and his sources of inspiration; 'Louis Vuitton Fashion Photography' a chronological look at the representation of the brand by fashion photographers; 'Halston', a fascinating monograph of the life of the designer and his aesthetic, written by his niece.

New Design Books Just In

We have a wonderful selection of beautiful design books just in - 'Jaime Parlade' a look at the Spanish designer's stunning country house interiors - 'The Biba Years' a fascinating study of the brand from the first ensembles to iconic London shops - 'Virginia Woolf's Garden' a look at the creation of her garden at Monk's House in Sussex - 'Robert Couturier: Designing Paradises' a look at his beautiful projects and 'Unseen London' perfect for those wanting to take a peek into the interiors of some of London's most iconic buildings.

Exhibition: Alan Halliday - 'Inspired by Charleston'

This coming week at Potterton Books London we are are looking forward to the opening of our exhibition of original paintings by Alan Halliday, which were inspired by Charleston and the Bloomsbury artists.

Earlier this year, Alan was commissioned by Potterton Books to go to Charleston to draw and paint interiors of the house, the Sussex country residence of the Bloomsbury set.  The sixteen paintings he has produced for the exhibition combine the beautiful rich colours of the hand-painted furniture, wallpaper, rugs and decorative objects of Charleston that are so evocative of the Bloomsbury artists, but still maintain his own unique and wonderful style.

The exhibition will run from 26th September - 15th October 2014.

Our private view takes place this Thursday 25th September from 6-8pm in our London shop at 93 Lower Sloane Street, SW1W 8DA.

Please do RSVP to Deborah Mack - shop@pottertonbookslondon.co.uk if you would like to attend the opening.

The paintings will be available to view on our website: www.pottertonbookslondon.co.uk

Exclusive SIGNED copies of Christian Louboutin's First Book. Only 10 copies - Reserve Yours Now!

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February's Favourites.

By the second month of the year, work picks up speed and publishers begin to churn out some of the year's most anticipated book titles. Therefore the deal is that at Pottertons, we have already gotten many of those books! Giving you a sneak peek into February's Favourites.

End of sales drawing close...

Boy, what a magnificent sale we have had in the last couple of weeks..some great titles leaving the store with happy & contended faces!! But like all good things in life you knew this offer came with an expiry date! Our sale period ends on the 5th of February so you know what to do. Meanwhile, staying on the same page with all the David HockneyRA: A Bigger Picture show-goers http://festival.london2012.com/events/9000961347, we have taken some effort to paint our shop window with  books on the artist's life, memoirs of his earlier works and his ongoing legacy. Added Bonus to be at the store!

Winter Sale!

Not too late a New Year's greetings, we hope. Wishing you all a very Happy 2012! To keep up with the festive mood, we thought that the news of a sale might cheer you up! The month of January is going to be our extensive sales period with a host of great titles going for anything between £10 and £35.We are effectively re-stocking the sales section everyday so drop in for a browse and you just might find a great book for a great price!:

 Was £35.00. Now £10.00

 Was £14.95. Now £8.00

 Was £25.00. Now £18.00

Was £45.00. Now £35.00

Best of 2011

Here's our definitive list of 2011's top sellers at Potterton Books London. Five points for each guessed correctly...

15. The Gentleman's Slipper
A fitting favourite that we think went into a lot of Christmas stockings this year!
14. Andrew Martin: Interior Design Review 15
Otherwise known as the 'Bible' of interior design
13.  Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty
The king of fashion's holographic masterpiece is fast becoming as scarce as the fleeting portrait on its cover...
12. Bals: Legendary Costume Balls of the Twentieth Century
As much a beautiful photographic compendium as a book, these magnificent volumes have been dancing from our shelves!
11. Romantic English Homes
A very warm English glow and some 'defiant eclecticism' ensured that many of you found inspiration in this one
10. Axel Vervoordt: Wabi Inspirations
The antithesis to 'Romantic English', Vervoordt's take on a twelfth century Eastern art and philosophy was a triumph in minimalist design
9. La Dolce Vita: The Golden Age of Italian Style and Celebrity
In praise of Fellini, this book has fast become a new classic compendium of style
8. The World of Muriel Brandolini
And what a fantastical world that is!
7. Parisian Chic
Proof that deep down, we all aspire to resemble glamorous French women, Ines de la Fressange's dictionary of 'tricks' was very popular...
6. Parisian Interiors: Bold, Elegant, Refined
...and this doesn't stop with the way we dress!
5. Dealer's Choice
Curiosity about how interior designers' homes look finally got the better of you when you were given a peek into their own spaces this year
4. Luciano Giubbilei, Kengo Kuma, Peter Randall-Page. Nature and Human Intervention
Beautiful documentation of Chelsea Flower Show's Gold Medal winner this year
3. Oliver Messel: In the Theatre of Design
Another fantasy-fuelled title!
2. Edwardian Country Life: The Story of Avray Tipping
An inside look into Tipping's legacy, written by a present owner of one of his houses
1. Behind Closed Doors: The Tragic, Untold Story of the Duchess of Windsor
Fitting that 2011's shortlist should be topped by a royal title, this volume was nothing short of a bestseller

Twas the night before Christmas...

The temperature has dropped a little and the skies have cleared, a few last minute shoppers are apprehensively browsing but on the whole Chelsea seems just a little bit less fraught - Christmas Eve has finally arrived! All that's left to do here is wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and hope to see you in 2012... (or on 28th December, when we will re-open for a few days in case anyone is in need of a break from the festivities)

Christmas at Pottertons!!

 The decorations have gone up, the books have arrived and the mood within the store is simply superb!The prime reason: Our Christmas Extravaganza is nearly here!! 8th of December is afterall, just a few days away and that very fact has us immsensely excited. We are very much looking forward to your visit so do make sure to reserve Thursday the 8th of December between 6 and 9 p.m on your calendar!  Until then,here a few titles that seem aptly gift-worthy for Christmas..what do you think?