A close-up portrait of a person with blonde hair, looking down and away from the camera. They wear a black top that leaves one shoulder bare.

Meet the people behind IDEA Books, finders of the finest cult books ever made

Words: Liv Siddall
—
Date: 15 January 2015; Work
Publication

Their home is Comme Des Garcons’ London superstore, Dover Street Market, and their trade is buying and selling some of the rarest, most desirable cult books in history. Who are they? IDEA Books. IDEA are Angela, David and Sandra, who spend their lives trawling the world (online and real) for rare, sometimes dog-eared publications that hoarders like me totally drool over; be it books on French style full of photos of a young Jane Birkin, old American high school films, rare catalogues from the screenings of films such as The Virgin Suicides or Over The Edge (two of my personal favourites) or even just image-heavy magazines and tomes that suggest a more bohemian way to live your life. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been presented with an online shop that has made me feel nervous with competition at the prospect of someone else owning the products rather than me.

IDEA Books are true, modern day treasures – and are all for sale on their online store and in Dover Street Market. Turns out the guys behind this shop are nearly as elusive as their strange profession, which is actually quite charming. Here’s a somewhat reticent Angela on what the mysterious IDEA Books aims to do, and how they do it…

There’s a lot of cool books out there – what makes you know it’s a total gem?

Just an immediate feeling that it is right, that it has a really strong appeal to a lot of people either because it is aspirational or funny or just very, very beautiful.

A black and white close-up of a person’s face, focusing on their eye, nose and lips. The word “kate” is printed in small, lowercase white letters across their cheek. — Above
Kate Moss book

You mainly focus on old books – is new publishing not really doing it for you?

Yes we have published one book (fanzine) so far and are working on at least another two at the moment!

You must get asked this all the time – but how do you hunt for the books?

Absolutely everywhere; the net, shops, we buy personal libraries that are offered to us, in auction, we travel… Just anywhere and everywhere!

What’s the best one you’ve ever found, and how did you find it?

An unbelievable book about an Ibiza club – with an unbelievable title; Ku, Kiss Me Darling; I had already found a great Ibiza book in Amsterdam and came back looking for Ibiza items on the net and found this one but bought it without seeing an image of it – when it arrived it was awesome.

A book cover titled “French Chic” features a black and white photograph of a person with a fringe, holding a small mirror to their face. A black heart shape on the left reads “perfect style of Parisienne”. A list of names, including Anna Karina and Jane Birkin, is printed at the bottom. — Above
French Chic

A person with a shaved side-head and dark hair looks towards the camera. Above them, the words “LONDON BOOK” appear in bold pink lettering. Below the portrait, a yellow banner contains Japanese text announcing a “London Book” carnival. Smaller text provides event details, including the venue, dates and a price of “880円”. — Above
London Book

What’s the demand like for your books?

High! Everyone seems to relate to some strand of our images, whether it is beauty or humour or a sense of calm. In some of the interiors books we sell; the hippie, “idealised” life images are always the most popular – the Utopian dream…

How did you end up being part of Dover Street Market?

We were recommended by Sarah Lerfel who owns Colette.

Have you had any interesting customers?

Yes very, very many! We are also very discreet!

If there was to be a book about IDEA books, who would you want to design it?

Peter Miles

The cover of a book titled “The Closet Book”. It features a grid of photos showing organised wardrobes, a home entertainment system and a clothing rail. The bottom section lists the author as “Elin Schoen” and “Principal Photography by Bruce Wolf”. — Above
The Closet Book

A person stands in a wooded area, one arm raised to hold a thick tree branch. They wear a cropped black ribbed top and patterned briefs, holding a cigarette in their other hand. — Above
Kate (inside)

A book cover featuring a stylised figure with a white skull head and “X” marks for eyes. The figure wears a purple outfit with a blue bow tie, and the text “Kawsone” appears in white and pink. — Above
Kaws One

The cover of a book featuring a portrait of Jane Birkin. Large black typography at the top reads “JANE BIRKIN”, with smaller text below stating “PAR GERARD LENNE”. The name “HENRI VEYRIER” appears at the bottom of the white cover. — Above
Jane Birkin book

A black book cover features a black and white photograph of a person wearing a formal jacket and a patterned waistcoat. The word “Eton” is printed in white at the top, with the name “Ian Macdonald” at the bottom. — Above
Ian Macdonald: Eton

Above

The Bangy Book/New Yorker Street Boys

The cover of a book titled “Handmade Houses”. An oval photograph in the centre shows a rustic, wooden house with an irregular, angular design. Below the image, the subtitle reads “A Guide to the Woodbutcher’s Art”, followed by the authors “Art Boericke/Barry Shapiro”. — Above
Handmade Houses: A Guide to the Woodbutcher’s Art (inside)

A small wooden cabin with a shingled roof sits nestled in a dense forest. A narrow wooden boardwalk leads to the entrance, where a pile of chopped firewood is stacked on the porch. — Above
Handmade Houses: A Guide to the Woodbutcher’s Art (inside)

The interior of a rustic, A-frame wooden cabin with a high, peaked ceiling and skylights. A low bed with a green patterned coverlet sits in the centre, surrounded by a woven basket and a striped sofa. — Above
Handmade Houses: A Guide to the Woodbutcher’s Art (inside)

A child looks out from the open window of a rustic wooden playhouse in a forest. Below the window, a wooden bench holds several small pots, and a watering can sits by the door. Text below the image reads “A WOODSHED converted to a playhouse and . . .”. — Above
Handmade Houses: A Guide to the Woodbutcher’s Art (inside)

Two open pages from a book titled “Kitchens”. The pages feature photographs of a sleek, modern kitchen with light wood cabinetry and integrated storage. — Above
The Closet Book (inside)

Two pages from a vintage magazine titled “Closet Furniture”. The left page shows a close-up of a metal shelf holding a lamp, a clock and a wire basket. The right page shows a small, high-tech room with a built-in bed, a desk and metallic shelving. — Above
The Closet Book (inside)

An open book shows two black and white portraits of people standing against urban backgrounds. On the left, a person in a leather jacket and T-shirt stands before a graffiti-covered brick wall. On the right, a person in a leather jacket and cap stands before a corrugated metal shutter. — Above
The Bangy Book/New Yorker Street Boys (inside)

Two black and white portraits in an open book. On the left, a person in a puffer jacket and bucket hat smokes a cigarette. On the right, a person wears a T-shirt and cap both featuring the words “Think Big!”. — Above
The Bangy Book/New Yorker Street Boys (inside)

A linen-textured book cover in a neutral beige tone. The name “Cathy” is printed in the centre in a black, cursive script.

A child stands against a dark brick wall, looking off to the side while eating. They wear a light-coloured jumper with a zig-zag pattern across the chest.

A black and white photograph of a person sitting cross-legged on the roof of a car. They wear a chunky knit jumper and dark tights, resting their chin on their hands.

A black and white photograph of two people posing closely together on a rooftop. Behind them, a wide view of a city skyline features several pointed church spires and dense blocks of buildings. — Above
French Chic (inside)

Brian Jones and Marianne Faithfull sit close together outdoors. Jones smokes a cigarette while Faithfull holds a single white flower. — Above
French Chic (inside)

An open book shows a black and white spread. On the left, a person with short hair leans against a wall, wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. The right page features a large, bold headline that reads “HOT MEALS”. — Above
French Chic (inside)

Further Info

www.idea-books.com

About the Author

Liv Siddall

—

Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.