2025’s Most Captivating Coffee Table Books
Coffee table books remain a key segment in gifting because they combine visual appeal with enduring cultural relevance. For collectors and brand enthusiasts, they provide curated insights into the heritage and creative practice of leading luxury houses. When it comes to the festive season, dynamic coffee table books also have the ability to elevate interiors, spark conversation and transform the act of gifting into a celebration of taste and cultural depth. In 2025, publishers and brands have pushed the format further, producing books that go beyond traditional documentation to serve as collectible objects, taking coffee table books out of the novelty market. From the avant-garde design of Hublot’s Big Bang Book to the poetic reflections of The Macallan, LUXUO presents 2025’s most compelling coffee table books — exclusive volumes that cater to collectors and connoisseurs of watchmaking, photography, art and fashion.
Hublot Big Bang Book
2025 has been a milestone year for Hublot, as the brand celebrated the 20th anniversary of its iconic Big Bang watch. To mark the occasion, Hublot has released a commemorative coffee-table book that not only chronicles two decades of the Big Bang’s evolution but also invites readers to rediscover the DNA of the Manufacture and the vision of Carlo Crocco, the watchmaker behind the original creation. The volume provides insight into Hublot’s R&D division, its pioneering approach to materials and design and the key moments that have defined the Big Bang as a symbol of innovation and contemporary horology.
The 126-page book is presented as a chromed monolith, with four individual volumes forming a perfect cube — a sculptural approach that mirrors Hublot’s avant-garde design ethos. Designed by Agence Lapetitegrosse in Paris, the project combines conceptual art, graphic and editorial design into a cohesive whole, creating a visually striking and tactile object. The book is both a collectible and a visual record of the Big Bang’s history. The book also complements Hublot’s anniversary watch releases while celebrating the Maison’s commitment to creativity and craftsmanship making it a fitting tribute to a timepiece that has defined modern luxury watchmaking for the past 20 years.
The Macallan: The Heart of The Spirit
Published to mark 200 years of The Macallan, “The Heart of The Spirit” is a limited-edition poetry and illustration book that traces the whisky house’s history through 200 moments drawn from its past. Only 1,000 copies have been produced worldwide, positioning the volume firmly within the realm of collectible publishing. Written by award-winning Scottish poet and novelist Jenni Fagan and illustrated by Spanish artist Javi Aznarez, the book unfolds through the rhythm of the seasons, beginning in autumn as a point of origin and concluding in summer as a moment of reflection and celebration.
Each chapter is distinguished by its own colour palette, informed by the changing landscape of the Easter Elchies estate, with details ranging from discreet marginal illustrations to expansive double-page compositions. Printed in Paris by Imprimerie du Marais on paper sourced from responsibly managed forests, the book is bound in recycled leather and housed in a hand-crafted oak case made in Spain by Marc Morro. Each wooden case is unique, reinforcing its status as a collectible object rather than a conventional publication. A hand-signed art print accompanies every edition, further anchoring the book within the realm of limited-edition art publishing.
Chanel Haute Couture Seen by Sofia Coppola
Sofia Coppola’s relationship with Chanel began early. At fifteen, she spent a summer interning at the House’s Paris studio, an experience that would quietly shape a creative dialogue spanning decades. This volume marks the most expansive expression of that connection, presenting Chanel Haute Couture through Coppola’s use of collages. Across nearly 450 pages, the book traces the evolution of the couture house through rarely seen sketches, archival documents, client photographs and runway imagery. Rather than following a strictly chronological path, Coppola assembles images intuitively, resulting in a portrait of couture as lived and worn rather than staged.
The book spans the defining eras of Gabrielle Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld and Virginie Viard, capturing the shifting codes of the House through the lenses of leading fashion photographers and the presence of its clients and models. Together, these perspectives form a visual record of how Chanel couture has evolved while maintaining its underlying sensibility. Designed by Anamaria Morris for Joseph Logan Design and developed with the support of Chanel, the volume reflects the care given to its contents. A signed edition includes an additional image plate signed by Coppola and affixed inside the back cover, offering collectors a more personal point of connection to the work.
Italian Hands: Artisanal Stories From Italy by Tod’s
Tod’s turns its focus inward with “Italian Hands: Artisanal Stories” From Italy, a volume that uses the iconic Gommino loafer as a starting point to explore the wider culture of Italian making. Rather than centring solely on product, the book traces the skills of artisans shaped by patience and a deep respect for materials. At its heart is the Gommino, long regarded as one of the clearest expressions of Italian craftsmanship. Through photography and narrative, the book draws parallels between shoemaking and other artisanal disciplines that define Italy’s creative landscape. Master glassblowers, terracotta specialists, metalworkers and food artisans appear alongside the craftsmen behind the loafer.
The book places equal emphasis on people and process. Established masters are shown working alongside younger artisans, highlighting how knowledge is passed on through observation and repetition rather than instruction alone. This exchange between generations gives the book its rhythm, positioning craftsmanship as an evolving practice. Edited by Annamaria Sbisà, photographed by Lorenzo Bringheli and shaped under the creative direction of Matteo Procaccioli Della Valle, the visual language is direct and unembellished. The images allow hands, tools and materials to take centre stage, reinforcing the quiet authority of the work being documented.
A foreword by Michelle Yeoh reflects on craftsmanship as a link between past and future, underscoring its relevance beyond fashion. Unveiled during this year’s Milan Design Week at Tod’s boutique on Via Montenapoleone, Italian Hands sits comfortably as both cultural document and design object. It is accompanied by a limited-edition Gommino, available exclusively in-store and on tods.com.
The Book of BIRKENSTOCK
Marking 250 years of shoemaking, “The Book of BIRKENSTOCK” charts the evolution of a brand that has moved fluidly between orthopaedics and style without losing its core identity. Produced in collaboration with Bureau Borsche and Steidl, the 688-page volume traces Birkenstock’s journey from a family-run German shoemaker to a global cultural fixture. The book draws from extensive archival material, presenting more than 1,000 images that span centuries of design, production and wear. Early documents and technical drawings sit alongside fashion imagery, film references and moments of subcultural adoption, revealing how the cork footbed became both a functional innovation and a symbol of individualism.
Equally compelling is the insight into process. Readers are taken inside Birkenstock’s German production facilities, where the footbed is still made, grounding the narrative in the realities of manufacturing rather than myth. The emphasis on materials, anatomy and durability reinforces the brand’s long-standing relationship with orthopaedics and wellbeing, while acknowledging its later embrace by the fashion industry.
From Louis to Vuitton
Published by Assouline, “From Louis to Vuitton” traces the House’s evolution from its founding in 1854 to its present-day position at the centre of fashion, design and global culture. Structured around 54 thematic chapters — a subtle reference to the year Louis Vuitton established the company — the book moves fluidly across time rather than following a strict chronology. Richly illustrated with more than 300 images drawn from archives, artworks and photography, the volume documents the breadth of the House’s output, spanning leather goods, fashion, accessories, timepieces, jewellery and fragrance. Portraits of artistic directors sit alongside imagery of Louis Vuitton’s stores worldwide, many of which have become architectural landmarks in their own right.
The book also highlights the Maison’s enduring relationships with art, sport and contemporary design, examining how collaboration and craftsmanship continue to shape its identity. Texts by Franco-Swiss author Arthur Dreyfus provide narrative depth, while a foreword by Pietro Beccari frames the House’s ongoing relevance. Presented in a Damier slipcase and printed in Italy, “From Louis to Vuitton” offers a measured look at how heritage, creativity and expansion intersect within one of luxury’s most recognisable names.
David Hockney
Published to coincide with the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s major 2025 exhibition, this large-format volume offers a comprehensive survey of David Hockney’s life and work. Produced in close collaboration with the artist and his studio, the book brings together 484 colour illustrations across 328 pages, combining landmark artworks with archival photography and contextual material. The book traces Hockney’s career chronologically and thematically, from his early years in Bradford and London to his time in California, followed by later chapters centred on Bridlington, Yorkshire and Normandy. Dedicated sections explore key subjects and mediums that have shaped his practice, including portraiture, still life, landscape painting and opera design.
A final chapter examines Hockney’s sustained engagement with digital tools, particularly his use of the iPad, reflecting how technology has expanded his approach to drawing and colour over the decades. Essays by leading voices including Sir Norman Rosenthal, Sir Simon Schama and Fiona Maddocks provide critical insight while remaining accessible. Designed in a landscape format with gatefolds, the book allows the work to be experienced at scale, aligning closely with the exhibition it accompanies. “David Hockney” stands as a timely and authoritative record of one of Britain’s most influential artists.
Richard Avedon: Immortal — Portraits of Aging, 1951–2004
Published to accompany exhibitions at The Image Centre, Toronto and The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, “Immortal” surveys over half a century of Richard Avedon’s portraits, exploring the process of aging. From his early work at Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue to the twenty-first century, Avedon deliberately captured the effects of time, portraying his subjects with honesty.
The 100‑image hardcover volume includes portraits of cultural icons such as Michelangelo Antonioni, Truman Capote, Marcel Duchamp, Duke Ellington, Toni Morrison, Patti Smith and Stephen Sondheim, alongside one of Avedon’s final self-portraits. Text contributions from Adam Gopnik, Vince Aletti, Paul Roth and Gaëlle Morel provide context and insight into this under-explored facet of Avedon’s work, emphasising the resilience and character revealed in the human face over time. “Immortal” combines Avedon’s striking tritone printing with careful editorial design, offering a visual and historical reflection on mortality and the enduring power of portraiture.
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