Two books that depict the lost histories of some of New York’s most famous department stores, taking the reader through the intertwined relationships between fashion, business, and friendship

Friends* *Bearing Gifts, by Joseph Cicio | Shares the stories behind objects in the collection of Joseph Cicio, each one evoking a memory of the author’s treasured relationship with friends and the gifts they shared with him, including Lauren Bacall, Bill Blass, Princess Grace, Audrey Hepburn, Lady Nancy “Slim” Keith, the Kissingers, and Joan Rivers.

Dawn: The Career of the Legendary Fashion Retailer Dawn Mello, by John A. Tiffany | Dawn Mello was the directing force behind the transformation of Bergdorf Goodman into a luxury powerhouse and the revival of the then flagging House of Gucci. Her pathbreaking success, fueled by an unstoppable drive and discerning eye for talent (her discoveries include Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Gian Franco Ferre, Claude Montana, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix, and Jo Malone, to name but a few), secured her legacy as one of fashion’s most influential figures.