Words by Flora Macdonald Johnston
wHat tHe koisquad Have been ReadinG tHis summeR
From biographies to 80s romances, the KOIBIRD team reveal the books they've loved
BELMA GAUDIO
FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
The Collectors Apprentice
BA Shapiro
I’ve been enjoying this 1920s Parisian art scene mystery novel, a perfect beach read. For art lovers who want to be taken back to dining with Matisse, peddling Picasso and Cezanne and a US art crowd who wasn’t ready for them. There is murder, and mystery, all set around amazing art during a time where the new guardtook the art world by storm.
FLORA MACDONALD JOHNSTON
FASHION & CONTENT DIRECTOR
Young Mungo
Douglas Stuart
Set three years after Thatcher's departure, we enter into the world of Glasgow’s disrupted youth. Poverty, crime, nylon tracksuits, stolen cars and youthful optimism is writ throughout, and the story follows teenage Mungo as he navigates this world – and his homosexuality. A must-read.
FLORA MACDONALD JOHNSTON
FASHION & CONTENT DIRECTOR
Young Mungo
Douglas Stuart
Set three years after Thatcher's departure, we enter into the world of Glasgow’s disrupted youth. Poverty, crime, nylon tracksuits, stolen cars and youthful optimism is writ throughout, and the story follows teenage Mungo as he navigates this world – and his homosexuality. A must-read.
LUKA NIKOLIC
PR MANAGER
Anna, The Biography
Amy Odell
Maybe it’s because deep down I want to emulate Anna (but what self-respecting fashion director doesn’t?), or maybe it’s the need to know the inner workings, struggles and scandals within the world of Conde Nast. Either way, this book had me hooked from the first page. Wintour has had an enviable career, but she’s also a grafter, and her work ethic and love for the fashion industry shine through each chapter (even if she does love to fire plenty of staff along the way).
GABRIELLA MAY
DIGITAL DIRECTOR
Happy Hour
Marlowe Granados
Equally funny and sharp, this novel is a great summer read. It’s a nostalgic recollection of a couple of London girls moving to New York in their mid-twenties. The book revolves around the kind of friendship girls only have with their besties when single in their twenties (relatable, right?!), the kind of parties you go to after planning a quiet one and dates you only see in
90's rom coms.
GABRIELLA MAY
DIGITAL DIRECTOR
Happy Hour
Marlowe Granados
Equally funny and sharp, this novel is a great summer read. It’s a nostalgic recollection of a couple of London girls moving to New York in their mid-twenties. The book revolves around the kind of friendship girls only have with their besties when single in their twenties (relatable, right?!), the kind of parties you go to after planning a quiet one and dates you only see in 90's rom coms.
HEATHER GWYTHER
CONTENT EDITOR
The Body Keeps The Score
Bessel van der Kolk
Intellectually dense and emotionally overwhelming, The Body Keeps The Score isn’t exactly a ‘fun summer read’. It is, however, a necessary read for anyone wanting to understand how trauma manifests physically and what can be done to heal from it. Exploring perspectives as seemingly disparate as neuroscience and yoga, it’s as rigorous as it is riveting.
HIDE NOGAWA
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR
Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style
W. David Marx
Ametora is a cross-examination of the ideological movements of Japanese and American youth culture seen through the eyes of a young Japanese designer. It’s one of those books that makes you think. The cross-pollination of fashion trends between the two countries is honestly fascinating and continues to this day. Plus, once you’ve read it you can appear highly knowledgeable about the subject around a dinner table. Adulting at its finest.
HIDE NOGAWA
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR
Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style
W. David Marx
Ametora is a cross-examination of the ideological movements of Japanese and American youth culture seen through the eyes of a young Japanese designer. It’s one of those books that makes you think. The cross-pollination of fashion trends between the two countries is honestly fascinating and continues to this day. Plus, once you’ve read it you can appear highly knowledgeable about the subject around a dinner table. Adulting at its finest.