Book Signings

Authors, including program speakers, will sign copies of their newest books, as well as selected older titles, in the exhibition hall. Please note that the authors will be able to sign books only — and only books that have been purchased at the Designers & Books Fair.

If an author is indicated as participating in our Experiences with Authors™ program, your book purchase entitles you to be entered in a drawing to win a unique “behind-the-scenes” experience created by the book’s author.

A full description of all Experiences with Authors™ is available here.

Friday, October 2

6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Valerie Steele

Valerie Steele

Fashion Underground: The World of Susanne Bartsch

Director and chief curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), Valerie Steele, will sign copies of her newest catalogue, Fashion Underground: The World of Susanne Bartsch (FIT and Yale University Press, 2015), which accompanies an exhibition currently on view at FIT’s Museum. Susanne Bartsch has been the queen of New York City nightlife since the 1980s when she first became famous for spectacular parties, where a diverse crowd brought fashion to the level of performance art.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — a tour of the FIT exhibition on Susanne Bartsch given by Valerie Steele for you and up to 25 of your friends. Details.

7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
April Calahan & Cassidy Zachary

April Calahan & Cassidy Zachary

Fashion and the Art of Pochoir

The 1910s and 1920s witnessed an outpouring of luxury fashion publications that used a hand-stenciling technique known as pochoir (French for stencil). Fashion and the Art of Pochoir (Thames & Hudson, 2015) presents a carefully curated selection of 300 of the most exceptional illustrations using pochoir from albums produced by the leading French couturiers, as well as from high-end fashion magazines.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — a private tour of the unparalleled collection of examples of pochoir at the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Special Collections with co-author and Special Collections Associate April Calahan. Details.

7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Fern Mallis

Fern Mallis

Fashion Lives: Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis

Fashion Lives: Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis (2015, Rizzoli) features features 19 interviews with American fashion luminaries such as Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Betsey Johnson, Polly Mellen, Bruce Weber, and more. No topic is off-limits to author Fern Mallis, award-winning creator of Fashion Week in New York, when she hosts Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis at New York’s prestigious 92nd Street Y, a series of in-depth interviews with the fashion industry’s most talented, successful, and legendary personalities.

Note: Fern Mallis will not be present at the Fair. However, signed copies of her book will be available for purchase on Friday, October 2, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and unsigned copies will be available during the entire Fair weekend.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — two VIP tickets to the next Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis event at the 92nd Street Y in New York and an invitation to the VIP reception afterward. Details.

8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Daniel James Cole & Nancy Deihl

Daniel James Cole & Nancy Deihl

The History of Modern Fashion

Noted fashion historians Daniel James Cole and Nancy Deihl will sign copies of The History of Modern Fashion (Laurence King, 2015), which focuses on the evolution since 1850 of womenswear, menswear, and childrenswear, decade by decade.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — your choice of two all-day fashion symposia (includes lunch) offered this fall at New York University, organized by Daniel James Cole and Nancy Deihl. Details.

Saturday, October 3

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Eames Demetrios

Eames Demetrios

Beautiful Details (popular edition), An Eames Primer (revised edition), Travel Guide Volumes Six and Four: Kcymaerxthaere

Eames Demetrios, director of the Eames office and grandson of iconic designer Charles Eames, will sign copies of the new popular edition of Beautiful Details (AMMO Books, 2015), devoted to the work of Charles and Ray Eames. He will also sign copies of the revised edition of An Eames Primer (Rizzoli, 2013), Travel Guide Volume Six: Kcymaerxthaere, (Eames Demetrios, 2009), and Travel Guide Volume Four: Kcymaerxthaere (Eames Demetrios, 2009).

A purchase of Beautiful Details or An Eames Primer at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — a personally guided tour of MoMA’s Eames collection with Eames Demetrios (plus lunch). Details.

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Judith Turner & Joseph Giovannini

Judith Turner & Joseph Giovannini

Zaha Hadid, Judith Turner: A Dialogue

Photographer Judith Turner and author Joseph Giovannini will sign copies of Zaha Hadid, Judith Turner: A Dialogue (Axel Menges, 2015). The juxtapositions of Zaha Hadid’s architectural models and drawings and Judith Turner’s photographs of the architect’s buildings from the early part of Hadid’s career reveal a clear agreement of sensibilities — Hadid’s vision lends itself to Turner’s.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — a nighttime tour of Times Square with photographer Judith Turner followed by coffee during which she’ll share tips on photographing architecture. Details.

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #48
Steven Heller & Mirko Ilic

Steven Heller & Mirko Ilic

Presenting Shakespeare; Design Literacy; Education of a Graphic Designer; 100 Classic Graphic Design Journals; Edward Gorey: His Book Cover Art and Design

Graphic designers and design writers Steven Heller and Mirko Ilic will sign Presenting Shakespeare (Princeton Architectural Press, 2015), which they co-authored. The book collects 1,100 posters for Shakespeare’s plays, designed by an international roster of artists representing 55 countries, from Japan to Colombia, India, Russia, Australia, and beyond.

Steven Heller will also sign copies of some of his older books, including Design Literacy (Allworth Press, 2004) and The Education of a Graphic Designer (Allworth, 2005), as well as recent titles, including 100 Classic Graphic Design Journals (Laurence King, 2014) and Edward Gorey: His Book Cover Art and Design (Pomegranate, 2015).

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Chip Kidd

Chip Kidd

Judge This

Graphic design icon Chip Kidd will sign copies of Judge This (Simon & Schuster, 2015). In Judge This, Kidd takes us through his day as he takes in first impressions of all kinds. We follow this visual journey as Kidd encounters and engages with everyday design, breaking down the good, the bad, the absurd, and the brilliant as only someone with a critical, trained eye can. From the design of your morning paper to the subway ticket machine to the books you browse to the smartphone you use to the packaging for the chocolate bar you buy as an afternoon treat, Kidd reveals the hidden secrets behind each of the design choices, with a healthy dose of humor, expertise, and of course, judgment as he goes.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — a personally guided (by Chip Kidd) tour of the exhibition “Chip Kidd Presents: Batman Black and White: The Sketch Covers.” Details.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
André Leon Talley

André Leon Talley

Oscar de la Renta: His Legendary World of Style

Writer, editor and longtime Vogue contributor André Leon Talley will sign copies of Oscar de la Renta (Skira Rizzoli, 2015), a sumptuous monograph tracing the life and legacy of the fashion luminary who passed away in 2014. The acclaimed fashion designer dressed first ladies from Kennedy to Obama, and celebrities from Beyoncé to Sarah Jessica Parker.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize – lunch with André Leon Talley. Details.

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Louise Fili

Louise Fili

Graphique de la Rue: The Signs of Paris

Graphic designer Louise Fili will sign copies of Graphique de la Rue: The Signs of Paris. For more than four decades, Fili has strolled picturesque Parisian rues and boulevards with map and camera, cataloging the work of generations of sign craftsmen. Graphique de la Rue is her photographic diary of hundreds of Paris’s most inventive restaurant, shop, hotel, street, and advertising signs.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize – a tour of Louise Fili’s studio plus gelato with the author. Details.

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
DJ Stout

DJ Stout

Variations on a Rectangle: Thirty Years of Graphic Design from Texas Monthly to Pentagram

Graphic designer DJ Stout will sign copies of Variations on a Rectangle: Thirty Years of Graphic Design from Texas Monthly to Pentagram. With suites of images representing more than 250 major design projects, Variations on a Rectangle is a career retrospective and design primer by internationally renowned graphic designer and Pentagram partner DJ Stout.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize – a New York City “mural crawl” with DJ Stout. Details.

4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #48
Irma Boom

Irma Boom

Making Design; Olafur Eliasson: Contact; Waterweavers: A Chronicle of Rivers; Knoll Textiles, 1945 - 2010; Sheila Hicks: Weaving as Metaphor

Renowned Dutch graphic designer Irma Boom will sign copies of books she has designed, including Making Design (Cooper Hewitt, 2015); Olafur Eliasson: Contact (Flammarion/Rizzoli, 2015); Waterweavers: A Chronicle of Rivers (Bard Graduate Center, 2014); Knoll Textiles, 1945 – 2010 (Bard Graduate Center, 2011); and Sheila Hicks: Weaving as Metaphor (Bard Graduate Center, 2006).

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Michael Bierut

Michael Bierut

How to

How to . . . (Harper Design, 2015) is the first monograph, design manual, and manifesto by Michael Bierut, one of the world’s most renowned graphic designers—a career retrospective that showcases more than thirty-35 of his most noteworthy projects for clients as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Yale School of Architecture, the New York Times, Saks Fifth Avenue, and the New York Jets, and reflects eclectic enthusiasm and accessibility that has been the hallmark of his career.

Note: Michael Bierut will not be present at the Fair. However, signed copies of his book will be available for purchase on Saturday, October 3, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and unsigned copies will be available during the entire Fair weekend.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — an invitation from to join Michael Bierut for lunch at Pentagram New York, followed by a tour of his studio. Details.

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Ina Saltz

Ina Saltz

Body Type 2: More Typographic Tattoos

Designer, art director, and typography expert Ina Saltz will sign copies of Body Type 2: More Typographic Tattoos (Abrams, 2010), her third book in which she documents the use of typographic tattoos.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize – a one-hour tattoo by celebrated tattoo artist Stephanie Tamez of Saved Tattoo and a copy of the first volume of Body Type. Details.

6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Gary Hustwit

Gary Hustwit

Helvetica, Objectified, Urbanized: The Complete Interviews

Filmmaker and photographer Gary Hustwit will sign copies of the complete interview transcripts (Swiss Dots, 2015) from all three films in his Design Trilogy, including 100 hours of never-before-released conversations, with a foreword and notes on each interview by Hustwit. The book includes in-depth discussions with designers and thinkers like Paola Antonelli, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Oscar Niemeyer, and Stefan Sagmeister — more than 75 of the world’s most creative and innovative people. The book was brought to life via Kickstarter.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — a walking tour, photography session, and lunch with Gary Hustwit. Details.

6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Jesse Reed & Hamish Smyth

Jesse Reed & Hamish Smyth

The New York City Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual (full-size reissue)

Jesse Reed & Hamish Smyth will sign copies, newly available at the Fair, of their 2014 Kickstarter sensation, the full-size reissue in book form of Massimo Vignelli’s New York City Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual, first produced in 1970. Previously copies were only available to backers of the project on Kickstarter so this is a new and exclusive chance to obtain this coveted book. In addition, a new compact edition of the Standards Manual will debut and be available for sale at the Fair.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — a tour of the Pentagram New York studio with Jesse Reed and Hamish Smyth, where they work as designers, and a chance to examine the rare 1970 original version of the NYCTA Manual. Details.

Sunday, October 4

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Courtney McCarthy

Courtney McCarthy

Gaudi Pop-Ups, Star Trek Pop-Ups, Dali Pop-Ups, M.C. Escher Pop-Ups

Courtney McCarthy will sign copies of her most recent book of paper wizardry celebrating the work of famous artists and architects through specially created pop-ups: Gaudi Pop-Ups (Thames & Hudson, 2015), focusing on Barcelona architect Antoni Gaudí. She will also sign advance copies of her to-be-released Star Trek Pop-Ups (Thames & Hudson, 2015), as well as Dali Pop-Ups (Thames & Hudson, 2014) and M.C. Escher Pop-Ups (Thames & Hudson, 2011 ).

A purchase of any of these books at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — the entire collection of pop-up books by the author plus a one-on-one meet-up and lunch. Details.

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Bruce Boyer

Bruce Boyer

True Style: The History and Principles of Classic Menswear

Fashion expert Bruce Boyer will sign copies of True Style: The History and Principles of Classic Menswear (Basic Books, 2015). From choosing the right pair of eyeglasses to properly coordinating a shirt, tie, and pocket square, getting dressed is an art to be mastered. The author provides a crisp, indispensable primer for this daily ritual, cataloguing the essential elements of the male wardrobe and showing how best to employ them.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize – a tour of a New York City custom tailoring atelier. Details.

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
J. Michael Welton

J. Michael Welton

Drawing from Practice: Architects and the Meaning of Freehand

Architecture critic and writer J. Michael Welton will sign copies of Drawing from Practice: Architects and the Meaning of Freehand (Routledge, 2015), which explores and illuminates the ways that 26 diverse and reputable architects use freehand drawing to shape our built environment.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into two drawings to win Experiences with Authors prizes – a tour of a architect Daniel Libeskind’s studio, and a tour of architect Suchi Reddy’s studio. Both architects are included in the book. Details.

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Julie Iovine

Julie Iovine

New York in Fifty Design Icons

Architecture journalist Julie Iovine will sign copies of New York in Fifty Design Icons (London Design Museum, 2015). In a new series, the Design Museum looks at the fifty design icons of major cities around the world —  icons that, when viewed together, inherently sum up the spirit of their city. From the famous Chrysler Building and the Brooklyn Bridge to the New York Yankees logo or CBGB’s, the beating heart of the 1970s punk movement, New York is a tapestry of design masterpieces.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — a tour with Julie Iovine of the National Historic Landmark home of jazz legend Louis Armstrong in Corona, Queens. Details.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Page Dickey

Page Dickey

Outstanding American Gardens: A Celebration: 25 Years of the Garden Conservancy

Garden writer Page Dickey will sign copies of Outstanding American Gardens: A Celebration: 25 Years of the Garden Conservancy (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2015). The Garden Conservancy is celebrating its 25th anniversary with this beautifully illustrated book that documents a selection of the outstanding public and private gardens it has worked with since its founding in 1989.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — a private tour with Page Dickey for you and a guest of the magnificent Hollister House Gardens, featured in the book and a preservation project of the Garden Conservancy, plus lunch. Details.

2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #48
Ruth Jamieson

Ruth Jamieson

Print is Dead. Long Live Print: The World’s Best Independent Magazines

Ruth Jamieson will sign copies of her book Print is Dead. Long Live Print (Prestel, 2015) an eye-opening look into the explosion of independent, creatively led magazines that are currently shaping the future of print journalism. It showcases over 50 examples of innovative magazines from around the globe.

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Fran Leadon

Fran Leadon

AIA Guide to New York City, 5th Edition

Co-author Fran Leadon will sign copies of the fifth edition of the AIA Guide to New York City (Oxford University Press, 2010). First published in 1968, the book has long been the definitive guide to the city’s architecture.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — accompanying author Fran Leadon on an exploratory research trip for his next book, plus coffee with the author. Details.

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #49
Megan Hess

Megan Hess

Coco Chanel: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon

Coco Chanel: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon (Hardie Grant Books/Rizzoli, 2015) is a compilation of Megan Hess’s stunning illustrations of the 100 most quintessential moments in Chanel’s history.

Note: Megan Hess will not be present at the Fair. However, copies of her book will be available for purchase on Sun., Oct. 4, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., as well as during the entire Fair weekend.

A purchase of this book at the Fair enters you into the drawing to win an Experiences with Authors prize — lunch with renowned illustrator Megan Hess who will create your own bespoke portrait. Details.

4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Exhibition Hall (John E. Reeves Great Hall): Table #48
Reto Caduff & Steven Heller

Reto Caduff & Steven Heller

Ladislav Sutnar: Visual Design in Action

Reto Caduff and Steven Heller, co-editors of the facsimile reprint of a graphic design classic, Ladislav Sutnar: Visual Design in Action (Lars Müller, 2015), first published in 1961, will sign newly and exclusively available copies of the book. The reprint was realized through a Kickstarter campaign.