Book connections: reading is back in fashion

Reading is back in fashion, and with it, reading clubs and book platforms, such as Zlib, where you can choose a book, chat, and make friends with interesting people.

The most fashionable and beautiful girls on the planet read modern authors and start their own book clubs. Model Kaia Gerber, daughter of Cindy Crawford, has Library Science (in October, they read stories by Djuna Barnes “I’m Alien to Life”), singer Dua Lipa has Service 95 (the most recent one she read was George Saunders “Lincoln in the Bardo”), and intellectual actress Reese Witherspoon has Reesesbookclub (Laureen Ling Brown “Society of Lies”). Men are not far behind. Marc Jacobs reads a lot and posts a photo of himself with a book on social media once a week in the Reading Hour section (he recently read Brene Brown’s “Atlas of the Heart”).

Reading in vogue

Fashion brands are already quoting classics and contemporaries, embroidering quotes from “A Little Life” on suits for the Valentino Spring-Summer 2024 men’s Pret-a-Porter, opening book pop-ups, and holding literary rendez-vous. Ralph Lauren is shooting an advertising campaign with American writer and National Book Award winner Ibram X. Kendi, named by Time magazine as one of the hundred most influential people of 2020.

Chanel invites its muse, aristocrat and clever Charlotte Casiraghi, to interview the contemporary Canadian-British writer, winner of the Femina 2022 literary award, Rachel Cusk. And last summer, Miu Miu opened branded Summer Reads bookstores in major cities around the world, from New York to Seoul, and fashionistas lined up for books with the branded stamp.

Vogue and the Financial Times write about why fashion needs to get closer to literature. Unlike contemporary art, which has long since turned into a commercial market, the association with reading is more gratuitous, it is more about common values ​​than about sales, about slow living – and in the world of fast-paced fashion, where there are shows at least twice a year, slowing down with a book in your hands is a luxury. Especially when the reading list is prepared for you by Signora Prada and Mr. Jacobs themselves.

Reading unites

There is a whole movement on social networks of those who post with books. On TikTok, there is a separate stream – Book Tok. In reels, representatives of Generation Z shoot videos in the halls of libraries and bookstores. It’s beautiful, exotic, and also economical – you don’t have to buy books with colorful covers for the sake of a good shot.

Reading parties have become incredibly popular in the last year. Unlike a book club, for which you need to read a book in advance and generally prepare, a party is organized to focus on reading and socializing at the same time. You can bring a book with you or take one of those prepared by the organizers. They read to quiet, meditative music, usually setting a timer. Such meetings take place in some nice coffee shops, there is a symbolic entrance fee. New interesting acquaintances are a bonus.