by Christos Zabounis
On page 83 of the weekly magazine Paris Match, in the August 27–September 2 issue, I notice a bag with a rather distinctive aesthetic. It is a large, book tote-style bag (i.e. designed for carrying books), embroidered with the cover of the first edition of The Leopard. The signature: Dior. Price: €3,300. The idea, I read, comes from the French house’s new artistic director, Jonathan Anderson. In collaboration with the publishing house Les Saints Pères, he decided to launch a collection under the title “Book Cover Collection.” The venture has already proved a commercial success, with major works of world literature “circulating” across the four corners of the globe. Books, I have noticed of late, have become a trend. Influencers appear on our screens reading with an air of profound contemplation, while book clubs are multiplying. One of the pioneers of the genre is singer Dua Lipa, who every month selects and presents a book from her own library. Her Instagram following has reached 723,000 subscribers. Here at home, reading clubs have also been flourishing lately, with active online communities as well as gatherings in carefully selected venues. Even politicians, such as former Secretary-General to the Prime Minister Grigoris Dimitriadis, have taken the lead in establishing organisations such as Bookmakers, dedicated to promoting reading. Alas! As with every fashion or trend, there are also its victims — the notorious fashion victims. The phenomenon is known in English as “performative reading”: essentially, carrying a book for the sake of appearances. In reality, as fashion analyst Eric Brones notes in his essay Generation Z and Luxury, “the book acts like Ozempic for screen addiction, while simultaneously responding to the new demands of desirability in luxury, which is based on being rather than appearing.”
