Publishing

The museum will be like a book with its pages always open, and not shut.

Henry Cole, 1857

V&A Publishing works to enrich people's lives by promoting the research, knowledge and enjoyment of the designed world. We work on around 30 books a year, ranging from children's story books to scholarly monographs – and all of our profits are returned each year to the Museum.

Browse our range at the V&A Shop or view our catalogue online where you will also find the trade contacts for all our lists. You can also support the V&A through Bookshop.org

For any other publishing queries, including rights, permissions, press and reviews please email: vapubs@vam.ac.uk

Museum and exhibition publishing

V&A Publishing produces beautiful and innovative titles to support temporary exhibitions and permanent collections at the Museum. These include bestselling books on David Bowie, Alexander McQueen and Horst as well as critically acclaimed publications on subjects as diverse as Medieval Ivory Carvings and Dutch and Flemish Drawings. As well as our distinctive Souvenir book, now available in five languages and spanning the breadth of the Museum's collections.

Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams

Until the time we are all converted into robots – and I hope this time will never come – individuality will be always one of the conditions of real elegance

Christian Dior

Capturing the highlights of the exhibition, Christian Dior, edited by V&A curators Oriole Cullen and Connie Karol Burks celebrates the couturier’s passion for England and showcases photographs of haute couture gowns by Christian Dior and the creative directors who followed him – Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri. Dior: A New Look A New Enterprise 1947–57 by Alexandra Palmer examines the seminal years of the brand, when Dior shook the fashion world with his New Look. In The Little Dictionary of Fashion, Dior himself reveals the secrets of style in a charming series of timeless tips no fashionista should be without, and for those who want a first-hand insight into the workings of the fashion house we have also published Christian Dior’s autobiography Dior by Dior with a beautiful cover by V&A student illustrator of the year Beatriz Lostalé.

Children’s books

V&A Publishing work with Penguin Random House Children's to produce books that showcase the wonder of art and design for children. These focus on three key areas: simple but stunning board books for preschool children; unique activity and novelty formats for preschool readers to those aged 18; and gorgeous, lavish books for art and design enthusiasts of all ages. There's something for everyone, because art is for everyone.

Collections books

With Thames & Hudson we publish titles that explore the huge range of objects in the Museum. Thames & Hudson's mission to make art and culture accessible to as broad an audience as possible has been evident in more than 65 years of publishing – and it is a vision that the V&A shares.

Stationery

Our range of diaries, postcard books and planners are beautifully illustrated with objects from the collections.

E-books: V&A Fashion Perspectives

Selected by V&A publishing in consultation with our world-leading fashion curators, the Fashion Perspectives series offers an access all areas pass to the glamorous world of fashion. Models, magazine editors and the designers themselves take readers behind the scenes at the likes of Balenciaga, Balmain, Chanel, Dior, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue in the golden age of couture.

The complete V&A Fashion Perspectives series is available in e-book format from online retailers. You can read a free extract from selected titles below.