You searched for always audrey

“It is a feast for the senses to leaf through this book …” — Lovely Books Germany

Audrey Hepburn once said “I never thought I’d land in pictures with a face like mine.” Nothing could be further from the truth. As one of the 20th century’s most loved icons, her face is instantly recognizable the world over. Here, for the first time, ACC Art Books and Iconic Images proudly present the work of six wonderful photographers – Norman Parkinson, Milton H. Greene, Douglas Kirkland, Lawrence Fried, Terry O’Neill and Eva Sereny – who were fortunate enough to capture the star at different moments of her life. In addition, former Curator of Photographs for the National Portrait Gallery and co-curator of the Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon exhibition, Terence Pepper, opens up his personal archive of vintage press prints, making this ode to Hepburn truly unique. Throughout the book, Douglas Kirkland, Terry O’Neill and Eva Sereny share their memories of working with the icon. They present a wonderful mix of on-set, fashion, portrait and behind-the-scenes photographs, including contact sheets and never-before-seen images. With an introduction by Terence Pepper, Always Audrey is sure to delight any Hepburn fan.

“While there’s no shortage of incredibly chic photos from Hepburn’s time in the spotlight here, original sketches of Holly Golightly’s costumes and jewels truly can’t be missed.” — Natural Diamonds

“This entrancing book portrays Hepburn’s majesty both on and off screen, giving us a refined and informed look at the actress’s life.” — The Lady
An unrivalled icon of grace and femininity, Audrey Hepburn is perhaps the most beloved star in the history of cinema. She enchanted millions of people with the sweetness of her smile and her inimitable style and was able to renew her image throughout the decades, anticipating fashion trends and establishing a new ideal of beauty. This volume retraces Hepburn’s incredible rise, from the early years to her worldwide fame.

The book is divided into four sections: ‘A Star is Born’, which follows Audrey’s first steps into the spotlight as a doe-eyed dancer; ‘The Golden Age’, how Audrey became the muse of Hubert de Givenchy and gave Hollywood a new ideal of elegance; ‘A Diva’s Style’, which touches on Breakfast at Tiffany’s, where Holly Golighty went down in the history of cinema with her sunglasses and little black dress, along with many others of Audrey’s later film work; and ‘Saving the Children’. This final section of the book puts great emphasis on her humanitarian work as UNICEF ambassador, on the side of all the children of the world. Both on screen and in real life, Audrey has remained faithful to the elegance of understatement and kindness, hidden behind her unforgettable smile.

Always New: The Posters of Jules Chéret highlights the role that French artist Jules Chéret (1836–1932) played in transforming the illustrated poster into a form of ephemeral art that embraced the public’s interest in novelty and rapid change during the 19th century. Recognized as the father of the poster, Chéret was one of the first artists to bring colorful, large-scale advertisements to the streets of Paris. People strolling down the boulevards were captivated not only by Chéret’s vibrant images, but also by how frequently new designs appeared. Chéret’s printmaking innovations allowed him to produce astonishing numbers of posters rapidly and inexpensively enough to publicize the latest pleasures the city had to offer. Drawing from the largest collection of Chéret posters in the United States, the book features over 100 works that span the artist’s career and includes both his most celebrated and lesser-known images. Always New brings Chéret into focus as a master of his medium, an artist who celebrated the ephemeral nature of posters and shaped the way they were created and experienced.

Twenty-five years of smart cars. The anniversary is the reason for this beautifully illustrated book. With entertaining and visionary stories, inspiring art, and memories of the brand’s automotive milestones, this book provides surprising insights into the smart world.

This book is a passionate, creative and above all unconventional homage to the brand.

Featuring over 30 color photographs of his work and studio, celebrated Chinese artist Wang Jianwei takes us on a journey that goes behind the scenes of our materialistic world bound by rigid, socially acceptable ‘norms’, and introduces us to the beauty and usefulness of the seemingly banal.

As the reader accompanies Wang through his contemplation of speculative realism and object-oriented ontology, we learn how he integrates his thinking into his creative practice. His philosophical musings turn our worldview of human–object and object–object relations on their head, as he positions humans and objects on an equal footing. By revealing the intrinsic value of an object and refusing to define it by a single meaning, Wang fills the materials and objects that surround him with infinite potential.

A fascinating and thought-provoking book that opens up the realms of the ordinary.

“This entrancing book portrays Hepburn’s majesty both on and off screen, giving us a refined and informed look at the actress’s life.” — The Lady

An unrivalled icon of grace and femininity, Audrey Hepburn is perhaps the most beloved star in the history of cinema. She enchanted millions of people with the sweetness of her smile and her inimitable style and was able to renew her image throughout the decades, anticipating fashion trends and establishing a new ideal of beauty. This volume retraces Hepburn’s incredible rise, from the early years to her worldwide fame.

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs has maintained close ties with Christofle since the second half of the 19th century. It is celebrating the goldsmith’s creations and expertise with the largest exhibition ever dedicated to this factory, which has a rich history spanning almost two hundred years.

Since its foundation in the 1830s, this lineage of silversmiths, created by Charles Christofle and continued by Henri Bouilhet , has transformed the lines and decorations of silver to adapt them to everyday life. In collaboration with the greatest designers such as Luc Lanel, Gio Ponti, Andrée Putman and Karl Lagerfeld, Christofle is an artistic laboratory that revolutionizes traditional goldsmithing by renewing its uses and adorning it with unprecedented colors and decorations.

The rich iconography of the exhibition catalog invites us to discover some of the most remarkable pieces. In doing so, it transports us into the splendor of great restaurants and palaces such as the Ritz, and legendary trains, liners and planes, such as the Orient-Express, the Normandie and the Concorde. Moreover, it brings us into places of political power, all equipped by Christofle, ambassador in France and abroad of the art of living and luxury “à la française”.

Through thirteen thematic essays divided into four chapters, this book traces the extraordinary destiny of the House of Christofle. Sixty-one notes cover the history of the decorative arts through goldsmithing, from historicism to Japonism, from Art Nouveau to Art Deco, from 1950s design to the most contemporary.

Joan Kron’s remarkable career spans from her early work as a costume designer at NBC Universal to her later roles as a reporter, writer, and editor for prominent New York publications, including the New York Times, New York Magazine, and Allure. In The Renegade Housewives of the 1960s, Kron’s voice—strong-willed, witty, and incisive—resonates on every page as she details her life. Alongside her business partner and close friend of the ‘60s, Audrey Sabol, Kron corresponded and collaborated with artists such as Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana, and Marisol Escobar. The two were known for their leadership at the Y Arts Council in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where iconic events and exhibitions shaped a local arts community. Drawing on a rich collection of personal stories and an extensive private photographic archive, this extraordinary written and visual memoir offers an intimate portrait of Joan Kron’s life while also illuminating the vibrant creative landscape of 1960s Philadelphia and beyond.

“I thought then that Oscar was one of the best. And now, almost 40 years later, I still do!” – Graydon Carter, Editor-In-Chief, Vanity Fair.

“Here are some of Mr. Abolafia’s most enduring portraits of the rich and infamous […]. Thank Oscar for preserving these thrilling images so we will never forget.” Dick Stolley, Founding Editor People Magazine.

Frank. Sammie. Paul. Andy. Twiggy. Jack. Elizabeth. Elvis. Jim. Marlene. John. Priscilla. Yoko. Ginger. Janis. Mick. Fred. Salvador. Cher. Audrey. Very few celebrities are so iconic that their first name is all that’s needed to immediately recognize them. One photographer has captured every one of these icons – and more besides – on film. He goes by the name of Oscar Abolafia. You can call him Oscar.

Making New Worlds: Li Yuan-chia & Friends is the first book to document the extraordinary activity at the LYC Museum & Art Gallery in Banks, Cumbria between 1972 and 1983. The LYC was the singleminded effort of the artist Li Yuan-chia, who moved to the rural North of England by way of London, Bologna, Taipei and Guangxi, China. At the LYC, Li organized exhibitions, published books, exhibited archelogical artifacts, arranged workshops and welcomed an array of visitors from local and international artists and art workers to nearby residents and travelers, many of whom became friends. In this book, which accompanies an exhibition of the same name at Kettle’s Yard, the curators Hammad Nasar, Amy Tobin and Sarah Victoria Turner, establish Li’s work at the LYC as a form of worldmaking, connecting his cosmic conceptual art practice, to his interest in participation and friendship as well as his engagement with nature and the landscape. Nasar, Tobin and Turner’s account is accompanied by nine short texts – by Elizabeth Fisher, Ysanne Holt, Annie Jael Kwan, Lesley Ma, Gustavo Grandal Montero, Luke Roberts, Nick Sawyer & Harriet Aspin, Nicola Simpson and Diana Yeh – that trace the diverse threads and ramifications of Li’s practice historically and in the present. Richly illustrated, Making New Worlds offers a provocative new way of thinking the history of British art in the 20th century.

Palm Beach County is known for its glistening beaches, world-class golf and fun in the sun. But beneath the glitz and palm trees lies a legacy of scandal, darkly rich history and a trove of hidden gems.

A playground for the Kennedys, Vanderbilts and Rockefellers, Palm Beach was born of oil and railroad money. Creating an oasis for the elite, the island became a centerpiece of lavish vacationing and hidden dealings. With wealth and power came secrets and whisperings. Over the decades new generations of socialites have graced the island, maintaining a degree of glory days while business executives continue to find rest and relaxation within county lines.

111 Places in Palm Beach That You Must Not Miss provides an in-depth and diverse look into the past and present of the 561. Whether you were born here or are simply enjoying a long weekend, there is much to be discovered between these pages. From hidden artwork in Tequesta to haunted quarters in West Palm Beach to Japanese traditions in Yamato, navigate the varying landscapes of the wealthiest county in Florida.

“When the pre-eminent portrait photographer of the day met the Cockney kid dominating the London film scene, magic was made.” — Australian Women’s Weekly Icons

“Caine, the timeless gentleman.” — Diego Armes, GQ Portugal

“The engaging images are either black and white or in color and therefore perfectly show all facets of the actor. A wonderful book about a very special and remarkable actor! 5 Stars!” — Lovely Books

“I had to be an actor,” Michael Caine once said. “[…] And of course, you have to remember with me, the alternative was a factory.”

A working-class actor who broke through to stardom, Caine’s screen-time involves standout performances across multiple genres. To this day, he is synonymous with a certain kind of urbane cool. No camera has captured this quality over the decades better than that of his collaborator and long-time friend, Terry O’Neill.

Michael Caine: Photographed by Terry O’Neill offers an immersive visual journey through Michael Caine’s career, immortalizing Caine’s charm both in and out of character. Caine occupies a landmark position in cinema and O’Neill was there from the early days of his stellar career. From the comedy of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels to the European drama of Seven Times A Woman; from the miasma of The Magus to the British cult classic Get Carter, this book combines black and white and color images and includes never-before-seen contact sheets.

Featuring the following films: Mona Lisa, Midnight in Saint Petersburg / Bullet to Beijing, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Blue Ice, Without a Clue, Get Carter, Deadfall, Magus, Woman Times Seven, Funeral in Berlin.

“… none have captured the enigma of Monroe quite as intimately as Shaw’s camera.” — The Daily Mail

“Monroe had many sides — and Sam lets us see them all.” — The New York Post

“… Marilyn unguarded, radiant in her naturalness – a glimpse of the woman behind the myth.” — Arts & Collections Magazine

“This book of photos and letters is a treasure for any fan of Marilyn Monroe, photography or stories of friendship. In Dear Marilyn, The Unseen Letters and Photographs, Sam Shaw is finally showing the world the Marilyn he knew while the world can now see the work of an artist Marilyn knew.” — The Eye of Photography

“Dear Marilyn is an ode to friendship, stardom, and the actress’s enduring legacy, 63 years after her death.” — Airmail

Dear Marilyn offers a fresh insight into the life of the most-famous woman Hollywood has ever created. Through the stunning photography of Monroe’s close friend and confidant, the photographer, journalist and filmmaker Sam Shaw, this book brings Marilyn Monroe to life in a spectacular celebration of the centenary of her birth.

In Shaw’s own voice, through his diary entries and intimate correspondences with Monroe, we learn of their close friendship and an insider-view that charts her rise to stardom, the challenges she faced and her quest to find artistic authenticity. For the first time, Shaw also tells the origin story of his iconic ‘blowing skirt’ series from The Seven Year Itch.

Stunning digitally remastered photographs from the original 1940s–1960s archival material include some of the most famous images ever taken of Monroe: from behind the scenes of The Seven Year Itch to candid images of her on the streets of New York City and in love at the beach in Amagansett. Including never-before-seen images, Shaw’s work favors improvisation and shows Marilyn Monroe at her most spontaneous and radiant.

“Marilyn was born out of time, still she became a superstar, a myth, and a legend.” — Sam Shaw

“Here are some of Mr. Abolafia’s most memorable, most enduring portraits of the rich and famous (…) Thanks, Oscar, for preserving these thrilling images so we will never forget.” — Dick Stolley in People Magazine

“For the true bookworm who loves culture, history and iconic images, this new photo book by Oscar Abolafia is an irresistible gift.” — Elle NetherlandsAfter the highly successful first book Icons by Oscar, a new book is now released, showcasing numerous iconic women who appeared before his lens throughout his career as a glamour photographer starting in the 1960s. Stars like Sophia, Cher, Twiggy, Madonna, Audrey, and many more. A collection of extraordinary, intimate photos by one of the greatest photographers of his time!

Jeffrey Banks has blazed a remarkable path through the fashion industry. Born in Washington, DC, Banks discovered his passion for clothes at a young age. When he was just 17 years old, he landed an internship at Ralph Lauren, where his precocious talent and eye for classical American design began to blossom. Storyteller: Tales from a Fashion Insider chronicles the designer and historian’s meteoric rise, graduating from New York’s Parsons School of Design to quickly launching his eponymous menswear line in 1977. He recounts the creative and business challenges of establishing his brand, known for blending traditional American sportswear with luxurious sophistication. Banks has authored several best-selling books and biographies about fashion. This is his first memoir. He is currently prominently featured in Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, a groundbreaking show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York.

Banks shares intimate stories about designing for celebrities and his close friendship with Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, who became his mentors. His designs were photographed by Bruce Weber and Richard Avedon, and others. His friendships with Audrey Hepburn, Bobby Short, and Barbra Streisand are also highlighted in the book. But Storyteller: Tales from a Fashion Insider is far more than a catalog of names, Banks relates hilarious and touching tales with unmatched verve. The book also explores Banks’ advocacy for diversity in fashion and his tireless support for young designers. Through personal anecdotes and industry insights, the two-time Coty Award and CFDA award winner reflects on fashion’s evolution from the 1970s through today. The lavishly illustrated book is a must-have for any fashion lover.

This beautiful book of her wartime fashion work addresses Lee Miller’s contribution to the fashion industry in these years and her significant service to the survival of British Vogue magazine.

Audrey Withers, Lee Miller’s editor at British Vogue, in 1941 wrote ‘she [Lee Miller] has borne the whole weight of our studio production through the most difficult period in Brogue’s [British Vogue’s] history’.

Containing over 130 images, with the majority printed full page this book also contains accompanying text by Ami Bouhassane, Lee Miller’s granddaughter and Co-Director of the Lee Miller Archives, who provides insights into Lee Miller’s work process. In two additional essays, fashion historian Amber Butchart writes on the fashion of the period and Robin Muir, contributing editor to British Vogue, discusses Lee Miller’s work for Vogue.

“Any man that loves Bond will love to get this amazing book in their life.” – Men’s Journal

“A great coffee table book filled with amazing photos of everyone’s favourite spy.” – Tom Lorenzo, Men’s Journal

“No fan of 007 will want to miss this coffee-table album…” – Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

“Shy, lascivious, self-confident or sometimes completely private – O’Neill always knows. The photographs are all very aesthetic, somehow magical and an absolute must for all Bond fans.” – Lovely Books Germany

Terry O’Neill was given his first chance to photograph Sean Connery as James Bond in the film Goldfinger. From that moment, O’Neill’s association with Bond was made: an enduring legacy that has carried through to the era of Daniel Craig. It was O’Neill who captured gritty and roguish pictures of Connery on set, and it was O’Neill who framed the super-suave Roger Moore in Live and Let Die. His images of Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore are also important, celebrating the vital role of women in the James Bond world. But it is Terry O’Neill’s casual, on-set photographs of a mischievous Connery walking around the casinos of Las Vegas or Roger Moore dancing on a bed with co-star Madeline Smith that show the other side of the world’s most recognizable spy.

Terry O’Neill opens his archive to give readers – and viewers – the chance to enter the dazzling world of James Bond. Lavish color and black and white images are complemented by insights from O’Neill, alongside a series of original essays on the world of James Bond by BAFTA-longlisted film writer, James Clarke; and newly conducted interviews with a number of actors featured in O’Neill’s photographs.

“Terry was everywhere in the 60s – he knew everything and everyone that was happening” Keith Richards

“Terry O’Neill rates rightly as one of the best photographers in the world. He captures something special” Sir Michael Caine

“When it comes to photographic legends there can be few more prolific or revered than Terry O’Neill, the man who shot the greats.” VOGUE

“This sumptuous collection of portraits, taken over six decades, represents the best of his memorable career and should grace every coffee table in the land” The Daily Mail

“I’ve been repeatedly asked to write my autobiography – I have seen an awful lot of famous people at their best and worst – but I’m not interested in making money trading their secrets or mine. I want my pictures to tell a story not sell a story.” Terry O’Neill

Terry O’Neill is one of the world’s most celebrated and collected photographers. No one has captured the frontline of fame so broadly – and for so long. For more than 50 years, he has photographed rock stars and presidents, royals and movie stars, at work, at play, in private. He pioneered backstage reportage photography with the likes of Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, Sir Elton John and Chuck Berry and his work comprises a vital chronicle of rock and roll history.

Now, for the first time, an exhaustive cataloging of his archive conducted over the last three years has revisited more than 2 million negatives and has unearthed unseen images that escaped the eye over a career spanning 53 years. Similarly, his use of 35mm cameras on film sets and the early pop music shows of the 60s opened up a new visual art form using photojournalism, to revolutionise formal portraiture. His work captured the iconic, candid, and unguarded moments of the famous and the notorious – from Ava Gardner to Amy Winehouse, from Churchill to Nelson Mandela, from the earliest photographs of young emerging bands such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace. O’ Neill spent more than 30 years photographing Frank Sinatra, amassing a unique archive of more than 3,000 Sinatra negatives.

Add to that the magazine covers, album sleeves, film poster and fashion shoots of 1,000 stars, and Terry O’Neill – comprises the most compelling and epic catalog of the age of celebrity. Terry O’Neill has worked for the most prestigious magazines in the world including Time, Newsweek, Stern, Bunte, Figaro, The Sunday Times, Vanity Fair, People, Parade, Vogue and many others. And his award launched to showcase the work of young emerging photographers is now one of the most highly prized global competitions in art. The Royal Society of Arts has honored him with the rare Centenary Medal for his lifetime achievement. Only a dozen have ever been awarded in recognition of ‘outstanding contributions to the art and science of photography.’

When Ziggy played The Marquee Club in Soho, London, in October 1973, most of those invited to the small venue did not realize that this would be the last performance David Bowie would ever give as Ziggy Stardust. Terry O’Neill, celebrated photographer, was given unprecedented access to document the event.

O’Neill captured Bowie and his crew backstage as they went through costume changes, and Bowie transformed into the character he’d soon put to rest. On stage, dodging television cameras and lights, O’Neill snapped the incredible stage presence for which Bowie and his crew had become renowned. O’Neill remembers of Bowie: “He became a character on stage. As much as a person takes a role in a play for the West End or on Broadway, learning the lines, putting on the costumes – this was, I think, the way Bowie treated his stage. This night at the Marquee, I witnessed a modern-day Hamlet – and it was Ziggy Stardust”.

Award-winning music writer Daniel Rachel interviews key contributors of the day, including O Neill, Ava Cherry, Amanda Lear and Geoff MacCormack along with new insights and memories from fans who were in the audience who played witness to this incredible moment.

“I was impressed by The Stones. They were dressed casually, had mischief in them and were different to other bands.” Terry O Neill

In July 1962, a group of young men played a gig at The Marquee Club on Oxford Street, London. They called themselves ‘The Rollin’ Stones’ and little did they know they would soon be making music history.

This brilliant new book captures the youth, the times and the spirit of The Stones’ formative early years. And documenting 1963-1965 were two young photographers just starting out in their careers. Terry O’Neill, aged just 25, had a few years’ experience photographing musicians and knew that this group had the same magic as another British phenomenon that just recently started to chart, The Beatles. As the band was starting to record and tour, Gered Mankowitz came along. His first shoot, the now famous Mason’s Yard session, was so fruitful, Gered was asked to tag along on tour to America. Gered was a mere 19 when he picked-up his camera and joined the band on stage in 1965. Between these two legendary photographers, they document the band’s beginnings and these indelible images are forever placed in music’s consciousness. The photography throughout this book is embellished with various memoires and interviews, celebrating the early days and giving an insight into what it must have felt like to go from a small club in Soho with no record deal to touring the world a few years later with a number one record. Terry O’Neill and Gered Mankowitz, two of the most respected, collected and exhibited photographers in the world were sitting in the front-row.

In 2016, London’s Saatchi Gallery hosted the first ever major exhibition dedicated to the band: Exhibitionism, a career-spanning, museum-style display of Stones artifacts and memorabilia. The publication of this book coincided with the opening of this ground-breaking exhibition.

For ten years, New York’s Alleged Gallery provided a breeding ground and played the role of willing accomplice to some of the most vibrant American art to come along in decades. By exhibiting the then emerging talents of Mark Gonzales, Chris Johanson, Rita Ackermann, Susan Cianciolo, Barry McGee, Margaret Kilgallen, Harmony Korine, Mike Mills, Ed Templeton, Thomas Campbell and Terry Richardson, much of Alleged’s impact was due to a complete and utter disregard for the status quo. Using a potent blend of photographs, artworks and interviews with artists, photographers, filmmakers, musicians, collectors and other denizens of the era, Aaron Rose’s Young, Sleek and Full of Hell documents the glorious trials and tribulations of running an independent gallery in the final hours of the 20th century.

The full list of the artists interviewed by Brendan Fowler in the book is as follows: Thomas Campbell, David Aron, Liz Goldwyn, Joey Garfield, Leo Fitzpatrick, Spike Jonze, Audrey ‘Rose’ Bernstein, Kid America, Amy Gunther, Mike Mills, Jason Lee, Arik ‘Moonhawk’ Roper, Carlo McCormick, Shelter Serra, Kim Hastreiter, Andre Razo, Chris Pastras, Lila Lee, Athena Razo, Joshua Wildman, Brian Degraw, Chris Habib, Julia Gandelsonas, Bill Powers, Sasha Hirschfeld, Susan Cianciolo, Shayla Hason, Ari Marcopoulos, Cynthia Connolly, Adam Glickman, Michele Lockwood, Terry Richardson, Barry McGee, Phil Frost, Tobin Yelland, Craig R. Stacyk II, Jess Holzworth, Marcellus Hall, Ashley Macomber, Tatiana von Furstenberg, Stefano Giovannini, Adam Wallacavage, Rita Ackermann, Erin Krause, Chan Marshall, Stephen Powers, David Hershkovits; Thurstone Moore, Chris Johanson, Janice Gaffney, Ed Templeton, Hugh Gallagher, Harmony Korine, Andy Jenkins, Ryan McGinley, Cheryl Dunn, Simone Shubuck, Shepard Fairey, Andrew Jeffrey Wright, Lee Ranaldo, Seth Hodes, Bruce Labruce, Brendan Fowler, Dakota Goldhor, Beata Hendricks, Ivory Serra, Susanna Howe, Mai-Thu Perret, Christian Strike, Chloe Sevigny, Oliver Zaham and Clare Crespo.

Paris cats have been celebrated by painters, writers and chansonniers since the 19th century, when Steinlein created the poster for the cabaret ‘Le Chat noir’. An important place among these artists is occupied by Lila De Nobili, who moved to the French capital in 1945 and never left the 7th arrondissement, its quintessential neighbourhood. She painted and designed stage sets for the Scala in Milan, the Opéra in Paris, the Covent Garden in London and many other theatres. Sought by the most famous directors, she designed costumes for Maria Callas, Edith Piaf, Audrey Hepburn and Ingrid Bergman. Just after the events of May 1968, she devoted herself exclusively to painting and adopted her first cat, Ulysse, in her apartment in rue de Verneuil. The feline family soon grew and Lila never tired of sketching them, drawing them, or painting them in watercolor. Most of these intimate works, full of insight and subtlety, were gifted to a friend, herself a cat lover, by Lila in her last years and thanks to this collection a book can now be published.

A uniquely talented and visionary creative leader in the world of retail, Joseph Cicio’s high-profile positions brought him into contact with leading celebrities of the day. He became close friends with figures such as Lady Nancy Slim Keith, Lauren Bacall, Audrey Hepburn, The Kissingers, and Joan Rivers, earning him a fascinating insight into the private lives of people who most can only read about and few were privileged to know intimately.

Friends**Bearing Gifts is about these relationships and the unmatched experience of remembering each one through the beautiful objects they each gave to him. Featuring stunning photography of Cicio’s Connecticut home, which has been published several times, and individual essays on each friend and their gifts – the book deeply emphasizes the importance of relationships, and is a reflection on a life filled with friends, objects, and ultimately, exceptional memories.

“When the pre-eminent portrait photographer of the day met the Cockney kid dominating the London film scene, magic was made.” — Australian Women’s Weekly Icons

“Caine, the timeless gentleman.” — Diego Armes, GQ Portugal

“I had to be an actor,” Michael Caine once said. “[…] And of course, you have to remember with me, the alternative was a factory.”