{
  "id": 1848352,
  "title": "From Berluti to Dior, why fashion is obsessed with books",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/from-berluti-to-dior-why-fashion-is-obsessed-with-books",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-19T02:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/magazine/2026/08/19/berluti-dior-books-luxury-fashion-trend/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Fashion has long drawn inspiration from various forms of art and media, but literature has recently emerged as a particularly captivating muse. The Italian label Berluti recently unveiled a limited-edition collection of leather goods, inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's timeless tale, The Little Prince. This simple story, published in 1943, continues to resonate across generations, exploring themes of love, loss, friendship, and imagination.\n\nBerluti incorporated elements from the book into the collection through patination, leather marquetry, and even tattooing. For instance, the Trois Nuit bag subtly echoes the book's famous mountain scene, while the brand's signature patination gives the imagery an aged quality, offering a discreet nod to those familiar with the story. Berluti also collaborated with publisher Gallimard to publish a dedicated edition of Saint-Exupéry's work, complete with custom presentation cases and book covers crafted from the brand's hand-patinated Venezia leather.\n\nThis trend of fashion embracing literature is not limited to Berluti. German pen manufacturer Montblanc created a Meisterstück Le Petit Prince collection in 2018, while Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen marked the book's 70th anniversary in 2013 with a series of timepieces featuring the Little Prince. Boss celebrated the story's 80th anniversary in 2023 with a special collection in China. Olympia Le-Tan, a handbag label, has also reimagined classics like Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea as hand-embroidered bags. Dior's Book Tote, introduced in 2018, showcases first-edition covers of literary masterpieces, such as Bram Stoker's Dracula and James Joyce's Ulysses.\n\nOther fashion houses, like Coach, have embraced the book trend by incorporating miniature book charms into their spring/summer 2026 collection. Saint Laurent, under creative director Anthony Vaccarello, has integrated publishing into its identity, producing art and photography books through Saint Laurent Editions and hosting a rare book and independent magazine space in its Saint Laurent Babylone location. Miu Miu launched a literary club in 2024, while Chanel's Literary Rendezvous at Rue Cambon in 2021 brought together women, culture, and ideas through literature.\n\nFashion's renewed interest in literature extends beyond the industry itself. Australian skincare brand Aesop has been transforming select stores into temporary reading rooms and libraries, dedicating them to women's literature. Singer and fashion icon Dua Lipa launched her Service95 Book Club in June 2023, while Florence & The Machine singer Florence Welch has maintained her Between Two Books reading club since 2012. The rise of BookTok, a TikTok community dedicated to reading, has further fueled this literary fascination, turning the act of reading into a social experience.\n\nThe appeal of literature in fashion lies in the unique qualities that books offer—an aesthetic appreciation for paper, typography, illustration, and craftsmanship, as well as the tactile pleasure and cultural capital associated with physical books. As sales of children's and young adult literature show a modest increase in 2026, there is hope that younger generations, often perceived as screen-dependent, are rediscovering the allure of printed pages. For luxury brands, the association with literature and culture is an attractive proposition, as books can spark conversations and foster a sense of discernment and curiosity among their clientele.",
  "summary": "Fashion has long borrowed from art, music and cinema, but now it seems to be literature's turn in the spotlight. The latest example comes from the Italian gentlemen's maison Berluti , which has turned to Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince for a limited-edition collection of leather goods. Published in 1943, the deceptively simple tale of a young prince travelling between planets has…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "From Berluti to Dior, why fashion is obsessed with books",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/from-berluti-to-dior-why-fashion-is-obsessed-with-books-1851240",
        "published": "2026-08-19T02:01:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}