Aarathi Prasad’s Silk is a gorgeous new history weaving together the story of a unique material that has fascinated the world for millennia.

Through the scientists who have studied silk, and the biology of the animals from which it has been drawn, Prasad explores the global history, natural history, and future of a unique material that has fascinated the world for millennia.

For silk, prized for its lightness, luminosity, and beauty is also one of the strongest biological materials ever known. More than a century ago, it was used to make the first bulletproof vest, and yet science has barely even begun to tap its potential. As the technologies it has inspired – from sutures to pharmaceuticals, replacement body parts to holograms – continue to be developed in laboratories around the world, they are now also beginning to offer a desperately needed, sustainable alternative to the plastics choking our planet.

Prasad’s Silk is a cultural and biological history from the origins and ancient routes of silk to the biologists who learned the secrets of silk-producing animals, manipulating the habitats and physiologies of moths, spiders and molluscs. Because there is more than one silk, there is more than one story of silk. More than one road, more than one people who discovered it, and wove its threads.

From the moths of China, Indonesia and India to the spiders of South America and Madagascar, to the silk-producing molluscs of the Mediterranean, Silk is a book rich in the passionate connections made by women and men of science to the diversity of the animal world. It is an intoxicating mix of biography, intellectual history and science writing that brings to life the human obsession with silk.

At every appearance, as the world looked on, the impeccable outfits of Queen Elizabeth II were at the centre of keen discussion and debate. This sartorial biography celebrates Her Majesty as a much-loved and timeless style icon. Showcasing the best of the world’s designers, including Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies and Ian Thomas, it also tells us much about the many years in which she reigned.

Journey through the decades to discover classic designs with nipped-in waists and full skirts, strong tailored silhouettes, as well rather more relaxed styles from the 70s, all worn by Her Majesty, who always dressed with poise and diplomacy for the world stage.

Princess Elizabeth was the leading style influencer of her day. Young and beautiful (and a real princess), she represented postwar optimism and renewal, both personal and cultural. She had a wardrobe most could only dream of, custom-made in the finest fabrics. From practical clothes for her beloved outdoor pursuits to exquisite and sumptuous gowns, her personal style reflected cultural and social changes over nine decades and reveals a rare understanding of the value of impeccable dressing. In our current era of casual clothing for nearly every occasion, the Queen’s formal attire signalled respect for those she was visiting.

With stunning formal portraits and candid photography, discover the careful work that underpinned the royal wardrobe and celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s enduring legacy.

Fruits, flowers, spices, bark, leaves, and branches are just some of the natural ingredients from the plant world that are used in the creation of perfume. Dominique Roques, travelling from Andalusia to Somaliland by way of Bulgaria, Laos, El Salvador, Indonesia and Egypt, describes his search to find the best natural ingredients, precious to perfumers everywhere.

In Search of Perfumes demonstrates how the prestigious multi-million-pound perfume industry may begin its life as a single plant harvested by producers surviving on ancestral traditions and techniques and often risking their lives in the process as they combat the rising threat of climate change. Roques reveals the beauty and mysteries of a familiar trade; a return to the source of the world’s scents.

This handbook enables you to switch from toxic to nourishing skincare products that are better for you and the environment. Harness the therapeutic power of plants and natural ingredients to look after your skin – the body’s largest organ – simply, gently and effectively.

Chapter 1: An Introduction to the Skin – understanding what the skin is and how we take care of it; Chapter 2: Plotting My Skincare Garden: What to grow and how to arrange it; Chapter 3: Choosing Skincare Plants: The top 22 skincare plants to grow and forage for and their beneficial properties; Chapter 4: The natural skincare garden through the seasons: What to do to maintain your garden through the year and how to harvest and store your plants; Chapter 5: Basic formulations and 30 skincare recipes, including skincare teas cleanses, oils, creams and more; Sustainability – how to make a Natural Cleaning Spray and Botanical Household Soap.

Silvana takes you on a holistic journey, guiding you through planting the seed in the soil to growing harvesting, storing, creating and bottling your home-made herbal skincare.

Spanning over seven decades and 300 shows, this beautiful book tells the story of the high fashion catwalk. Through this inspirational collection of fashion show invites and tales from fashion week, curator and fashion writer Iain R Webb opens a window into the world’s most exclusive fashion houses.

Whether it’s dreamy romance at Givenchy, cutting-edge modernity at Alexander McQueen, floral drama at Valentino, vintage-inspired fun at Kenzo or heartfelt emotion at Yves Saint Laurent’s final haute couture show, the unique themes and styles that have graced the runway in the past 50 years are gloriously curated and described in The Fashion Show.

From understated presentation to melodramatic performance, this stylish archive is your passport to the international fashion collections.

The Ultimate No-Nonsense Guide

Caroline Hirons knows skin. An established industry expert and aesthetician, she knows what works, what doesn’t, what you need and what you absolutely do not.

Whether you are a skincare pro or overwhelmed by information, Skincare: The New Edit covers where to start, how to build a routine, ingredients to look for and things to avoid, whatever your age, skin concerns or budget.

Fully revised and updated, this book is packed with all the latest skincare recommendations, brands
and techniques? and no nonsense. Including:

• Brand new photography
• All new product recommendations
• Industry updates
• Fully restructured for maximum usability
• New sections on black skin, SPF, maskne, perimenopause and menopause