Chapters of Couture: Why the Fashion Industry is Deeply Infatuated with Literature

Fashion has long drawn inspiration from art, music, and cinema, but literature has recently taken center stage. A prime example is the Italian gentlemen's maison Berluti, which partnered with Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince for a limited-edition leather goods collection. Published in 1943, this timeless tale of a young prince journeying between planets continues to resonate through its universal themes of love, loss, friendship, and imagination. Berluti translated the story into its own visual language across shoes, bags, and small accessories launching later this year, embedding excerpts and Saint-Exupery’s illustrations via patination, leather marquetry, and tattooing.

Rather than relying on literal storytelling, Berluti wove discreet literary references directly into the material. The Trois Nuit bag, for instance, subtly evokes the book’s famous mountain scene, while the house's signature patination grants the items a weathered, intimate aesthetic. Furthermore, Berluti collaborated with publisher Gallimard to produce a Bibliotheque de la Pleiade edition dedicated to Saint-Exupery, featuring custom presentation cases and hand-patinated Venezia leather covers.

Berluti is far from alone in embracing the written word. Luxury houses and designers have increasingly intertwined fashion with literature in recent years. German fountain pen maker Montblanc introduced its Meisterstuck Le Petit Prince collection in 2018, while Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen celebrated the book's 70th anniversary in 2013 with dedicated timepieces. Boss also marked the narrative's 80th anniversary with a special collection in China in 2023.

Beyond The Little Prince, handbag label Olympia Le-Tan has reinterpreted famous tomes since 2009 into hand-embroidered minaudieres featuring classics like Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, and Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. Similarly, Dior expanded its literary footprint with the Book Tote, introduced under Maria Grazia Chiuri and later updated by Jonathan Anderson with first-edition covers from authors such as Bram Stoker, Choderlos de Laclos, James Joyce, Charles Baudelaire, and Truman Capote.

Coach brought reading materials to everyday wear with miniature readable book charms created alongside Penguin Random House for its spring/summer 2026 collection, featuring works by Celeste Ng and Maya Angelou. Meanwhile, Saint Laurent established Saint Laurent Editions and opened the Saint Laurent Babylone space in Paris under Anthony Vaccarello to champion art books and independent magazines. Brands like Miu Miu with its literary club, Chanel with its Literary Rendezvous at Rue Cambon hosted alongside Charlotte Casiraghi, and DKNY featuring literary quotes on New York billboards with Kaia Gerber have all embraced the literary aesthetic.

This fascination extends beyond clothing and accessories. Australian skincare brand Aesop frequently transforms its stores into temporary reading rooms dedicated to women’s literature. Figures like Dua Lipa with Service95 Book Club and Florence Welch with Between Two Books have turned personal reading habits into global communities, echoing the massive influence of BookTok on modern reading culture.

Ultimately, fashion's enduring embrace of literature points to a desire for deeper cultural capital in an increasingly digital world. As physical books, quality typography, and fine craftsmanship gain new status as luxury objects, iconic brands continue to leverage the tactile allure of storytelling to forge deeper connections with their audiences.