Eloquent Images

DANCE OF THE WEAVE – A DIALOGUE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL TEXTILES & DANCE IN INDIA
BRIANA BLASKO
PENGUIN ENTERPRISE
For San Francisco-born photographer Briana Blasko, movement matters. Her striking series of portraits in Dance of the Weave documents the costumes and fabrics used by dancers all over India, primarily drawing us into the complex patterns that the body creates through movement. The book opens with a profound foreword by fashion icon Donna Karan, in which she passionately describes her undying love for fabric, strong women and Briana’s Indigo series. Briana Blasko’s images shed light on traditional textile creations and her visits included weaving villages and remote regions where many of the country’s traditional dance and martial art forms came into existence.

EMERALD: TWENTY-ONE CENTURIES OF JEWELLED OPULENCE AND POWER
JOANNA HARDY, JONATHAN SELF, HETTIE JUDAH, FRANCA SOZZANI
VIOLETTE EDITIONS
The envy-green gemstone famously recognised as the foundation of the city of Oz is not only found in less than 20 countries, but, in top quality, is also rarer than a diamond. The emerald stone was beheld as a source of unusual powers across cultures, progressively becoming a symbol of aristocracy. Laying emphasis on this journey, Emerald: Twenty-one Centuries of Jewelled Opulence and Power brings together a stunning collection of images and essays, written by Joanna Hardy, Hettie Judah and Jonathan Self. The book narrates the relationship between the gem and some of the most distinguished personalities – from Audrey Hepburn to Pope Pius VII. It also has an evocative description of a visit to the lost emerald mines of Cleopatra and ends with the story of the emerald trade from mine to market. Created with the generous support of Gemfields, Emerald… features designs from Bulgari, Boucheron, Cartier, Harry Winston and more, making it one of the most desirable coffee-table books this season.