Why books are becoming fashion’s latest flex

Books are having a moment. From fashion houses hosting literary clubs to celebrities turning reading lists into cultural platforms, literature is increasingly finding its way into the worlds of brands, influencers and consumers.

But this is not necessarily a story about everyone suddenly rediscovering the joy of reading. In an age of endless scrolling, AI-generated content and fragmented attention, books are becoming a signal of taste, curiosity and intentionality.

Ruth Chew, senior PR consultant at Milk and Honey PR, who has more than 16 years of experience across fashion PR and luxury retail, believes the shift has been building quietly since early 2025.

“It’s less ‘Suddenly everybody is reading’ but more ‘Reading is a valuable cultural signal’,” she said.

One of the biggest forces behind this, she argues, is “feed fatigue”. Consumers are spending more time surrounded by visual content, short-form video and increasingly AI-generated material. Books offer almost the opposite experience: sustained attention, depth and a degree of effort.

Don't miss: Luxury goes pop: How music videos are the new catwalks for high fashion brands 

That makes reading particularly interesting at a time when attention itself has become a scarce commodity. “Reading cuts through that visual noise and builds intellectual (and cultural) capital when almost everything else can be achieved with a quick prompt,” Chew said.

The rise of BookTok has also helped move reading from a traditionally private activity into a highly social one. On TikTok and other platforms, what someone is reading can become a conversation starter, recommendation, identity marker and even a form of personal branding.

For Andre Hendrata, communications and marketing director, Southeast Asia and Pacific at Tod’s Group, the shift is similarly tied to screen fatigue.

“We spend all day looking at devices, so holding a physical book gives our eyes and hands a break,” he said.

Social media has also changed what reading represents. “People post what they are reading on Instagram and it gives them a reason to connect,” Hendrata said, pointing to book clubs, recommendations and conversations that have grown around reading.

From quiet luxury to intellectual luxury

This helps explain why books are increasingly appearing alongside fashion and luxury. Koo Sok Hoon, director of marketing at Shangri-La Singapore, describes the shift as a move beyond quiet luxury towards what she calls “intellectual luxury”.

The value of a book is not simply in its physical presence. It can communicate what someone is curious about, what ideas they engage with and what cultural references matter to them.

“Consumers today aren't just buying products; they're buying into a worldview,” Koo said.

That creates a different kind of status signal from conventional luxury. Chew similarly argues that books are an unusually “smart status symbol” because they reveal something that cannot be communicated purely through spending power. She added:

While a logo says ‘I can afford this’, a book (and the knowledge you gain from it) says something much harder to fake.

Hendrata, however, is more sceptical of calling books fashion’s newest status symbol. He points out that fashion has a long history of appropriating whatever is culturally relevant, whether through book-shaped accessories, literature-inspired collections or branded coffee-table books. For him, the distinction lies in whether the book is actually being read.

That distinction is important for marketers because it gets to the heart of the opportunity: books can give brands access to cultural capital, but only if they have something meaningful to contribute to the conversation.

When books become more than props

Luxury brands are already experimenting with that territory. Miu Miu’s Literary Club has positioned reading as an experiential and intellectual community, bringing together female authors and audiences for discussions and readings. Coach’s “Explore your story” initiative has involved publishing partnerships and collaborations with authors and publishers across markets including China, Japan and Korea.

Bvlgari, meanwhile, has connected literature with product design through its Icons Minaudières collection, pairing miniature hardcase clutches with bespoke miniature books commissioned from women authors.

More recently, Dior’s creative direction under Jonathan Anderson has also drawn on literary references, including first-edition book covers and a curated reading list around its Spring/Summer 2026 collection, according to Koo.

These examples demonstrate the spectrum of how brands can engage with literature. Books can be a visual reference, a product inspiration, an experiential platform or a genuine community-building tool.

That said, the experts agree that the weakest version is also the easiest to execute, by simply making books look fashionable. The real test is whether a brand actively participates in literary culture or just decorates with it. 

For brands operating in Southeast Asia, Chew believes that means looking beyond international cultural cues and investing in local literary communities. That could involve working with independent bookstores, local publishers and SingLit communities on readings, panels or longer-term programmes rather than simply creating a one-off visual merchandising installation.

Koo takes a similar view, arguing that literature needs to have a genuine role within a brand’s broader narrative. That could mean collaborating with authors, curating reading lists around a collection or using books to provide greater context around a creative direction.

However, she added that cultural relevance cannot exist entirely separately from business objectives. Brand initiatives still need to strengthen equity, deepen engagement, build loyalty or deliver measurable commercial outcomes. As she puts it:

Creativity and culture are important, but they also need to translate into stronger brand affinity, customer loyalty, and ultimately, revenue or a clear return on investment. That's why brands shouldn't jump on the books trend simply because it feels fashionable.

A new chapter for brands

The infrastructure around reading culture is already extending beyond traditional publishing. Celebrity-led communities such as Dua Lipa’s Service95 Book Club, Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club and Kaia Gerber’s Library Science Club have helped turn reading into a broader cultural ecosystem.

For brands, that opens up potential partnerships, communities and experiences beyond the traditional campaign model. Chew expects the trend to broaden beyond fashion, pointing to the growing appetite for knowledge, learning and personal growth.

Hendrata agrees that more brands will experiment with book clubs, collaborations and book-inspired products as marketers search for ways to build communities beyond product promotion.

Hendrata also warns of saturation where “when everyone does the exact same thing, it stops feeling special.” That may ultimately separate the brands that benefit from the reading revival from those that simply follow it.

For Chew, the answer is straightforward: brands should only enter the space if they genuinely believe in it. The return of reading, then, may not actually be about books at all. It is about what books represent in an increasingly algorithmic culture.

In the end, the marketers agree that books cannot simply serve as props on the table. For brands to earn a place on the shelf, they need a story worth reading.

Related articles:  
How Coach is winning over Gen Z one experience at a time 
How CHAGEE is making tea worth reading 
AI is reshaping beauty, but can fashion keep its soul?