Famous brands have also joined the reading trend. Dior introduced new “Book Tote” handbags adorned with “Ulysses” and “Dracula” covers. Earlier this year, Coach, in collaboration with Penguin publishing house, created miniature literary bag charms. Chanel also used book aesthetics.
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i-D magazine recently published an article about the New York-based literary magazine “Whitney Review” – calling its team “sexy intellectuals reshaping criticism.” However, this description also received controversial evaluations, for example, one reader wrote: “there is no place for ugly intellectuals, only SEXY ones.”
Writer and content creator Sihaam Naik believes that reading has become fashionable due to the economic pressure young people face today: “Gen Z will probably never be able to own their own homes, so we are more inclined to invest in taste.”
She also states that celebrity book clubs can also promote this trend: stars like Dua Lipa, Kaia Gerber, and Reese Witherspoon share book recommendations. However, there is also a growing tendency to focus more on how a person looks while reading, rather than how critically they delve into the text.
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This trend stems from “BookTok” and “Bookstagram” platforms, where creators share aesthetic photos of books, shelves, and special editions.
Book content creator Sol Noya believes this trend is a good thing – “it’s a welcome change, debunking old stereotypes that readers are boring or weird, especially considering that a large part of society still reads almost nothing for pleasure.”
“Reading has a positive impact on critical thinking and empathy – two qualities society desperately needs. So in that sense, I support reading being fashionable,” she says. However, according to her, the aestheticization of reading focuses too much on consumption, and reading becomes a new form of “displaying wealth.” “A large book collection means you have money to buy them and space to store them.”
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