This one is pure porn to those that love the classic frames. Rizzoli is set to deliver The Competition Bicycle, a strong look at the world history of bicycle races and competitions as told primarily from the aspect of he bicycles themselves. Richly detailed photos of the classic frames from ages past are served up across 168-pages. Simply put, this one is gorgeous and is highly recommended for cyclists, design junkies, and anyone would can appreciate simple form of a two-wheeled sprinter. The representation is strong: ‘74 Merckx De Rosa, Lemond’s Gitane from ‘81. You want this book.

Coming Febraury 21, 2012 on the Rizzoli imprint. Available from Amazon.

Photography: Jeff Carvalho/Selectism.com

Select looks from inside The Competition Bicycle in our gallery…

For more than twenty years, Italian coffee producer, Lavazza has supported and explored the world or photography with their annual calendars, commissioning the likes of Helmut Newton, Ellen Von Unwerth, Ferdinando Scianna, Elliott Erwitt, David LaChapelle, Annie Leibovitz, Jean-Baptiste Mondino, to being profound and at times seductive images.

Next week, Rizzoli delivers the new book, Lavazza: Con Te Partiro, which  brings together this wide collection of calendar photography for the first time.

Curated by architect and designer, Fabio Novembre, the photo book also highlights illustration work for Lavazza by Milo Manara, one of the true masters of Italian erotic graphic novels and comics and narrative by Vincenzo Cerami. As a bonus, Lavazza: Con Te Partirò features the complete 2012 Lavazza calendar, which keeps with the tradition of the past two decades. Lavazza arrives January 10, 2012 on the Rizzoli imprint.

All photography: © Lavazza, curated by Fabio Novembre, Rizzoli New York, 2012.

Post images:  Jeff Carvalho/Selectism.com

Select looks from inside Lavazza: Con Te Partiro after the click.

While menswear is great and all, it’s always nice to educate yourself on interesting figures, regardless of field. Cecil Beaton was a legendary fashion photographer, who’s work for Vogue has been an inspiration to many. The new book, Cecil Beaton: The New York Years, covers the London-based photographer’s time in New York with his muse Greta Garbo and the likes of Andy Warhol, Truman Capote and Marilyn Monroe. A perfect gift for the man who thinks society was perfected in the ’60s. Published by Rizzoli. Available from Amazon.

Made in New York: Handcrafted Works by Master Artisans is a look at the the hand made movement’s return to prominence in everyday living. They call it a “renaissance” in the release for the book. While we may not go as far as that, the book is a strong reminder that throughout the world – including New York – the masses are waking up to the small run, the handmade, and local goods and services available to us all. Made in New York brings readers inside the studios of master glassblowers, wood carvers, hat-makers – just about all the finer crafts are covered and re-discovered. Use it as a sourcebook if you will.

Coming in April 2012 on the Rizzoli imprint.

Not the usual tome for us but an interesting book for those looking for a different angle on fashion. Marisa Berenson: A Life in Pictures looks at this 70’s “It Girl” (as Yves Saint Laurent pronounced her). “Marisa Berenson is the original modern muse-inspiring fashion designers, photographers, stylists, and fashion editors for over thirty years. Born of noble lineage-and the granddaughter of the famed fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli-Berenson’s meteoric rise began formally at age sixteen, leading to numerous covers and editorials in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar.” The book is a solid coffee table addition for anyone with an interest in the history of world around fashion. A nice holiday pickup. Out on Rizzoli. Available from Amazon.

Photography: Jeff Carvalho/Selectism.com

More looks after the click.

This new forthcoming book on Rizzoli opened our eyes.

Bicycle Quartely, editor, Jan Heine, and photographer, Jean-Pierre Pradères, deliver, The Competition Bicycle, a new book that sets out to document the history of bicycles for racing. The book “features iconic bicycles that played an important role in the history of the sport, from the bicycle that sent Eddy Merckx over the finish line in his last world championship win, to those of tandem teams who tackled the hour record, motor-paced track racers that exceeded 80 mph on the wooden boards, to California’s mountain-bike pioneers.” We have not seen a preview of the internal pages, but we’ll be sure to share them when they arrive. We have some time on this one; it ships in February of 2012. Pre-order from Amazon

We found this one on the living room table of a writer’s home – and it is a big one. Frank Lloyd Wright Designs: The Sketches, Plans, and Drawings is a massive tome coming this October on the Rizzoli imprint. As the title suggests, the book features one of the most comprehensive looks at sketches, elevations, designs, and mockups from the Frank Lloyd Wright studios. Frank Lloyd Wright Designs also gives a long look at the background work behind such projects as Fallingwater, The Coonley House, Midway Gardens, the Guggenheim, and the Imperial Hotel. A great gift idea for fans of the architect and beyond.

Available from Amazon.

Rizzoli is set to deliver a new Nobo-centric cookbook in 2012. Nobu’s Vegetarian Cookbook is a focused look at healthy Japanese eating. Nobu Matsuhisa keeps the eye on the vegetable dishes with insight and expertise that travels across more than 60 recipes. “Nobu uses a wide range of cooking techniques—from marinating and pickling to steaming, roasting, boiling, frying, grating, etc.—to bring out the full flavors and textures of the vegetables. He also introduces tofu and yuba, both traditional Japanese ingredients made from soybeans, and offers ten recipes for vegetable sweets and fifteen for cocktails.” Pre-order from Amazon.

Rizzoli is set to release a look back at the history of the Rick Owens collection as well as the designer himself. The book, Rick Owens, was designed by Owens himself. The single volume collections the full-span of his career with images “detailing all aspects of the designer’s work and sensibility. The visual narrative of this book provides an instructive look at the process of design from an artist who is at once comfortable with innovation and respectful of traditional approaches.” Coming this October 2011.

Pre-order from Amazon.

With more than 300 pages and hundreds of illustrations, the new Louis Vuitton: Architecture and Interiors book is a look inside the commissioned architecture and interior works of Vuitton flagships and boutiques. Rizzoli published the book and in their words: “Louis Vuitton continues to encourage innovation and playfulness in the designs of their retail spaces without losing sight of the essence of luxury central to its identity. This process of designing places to display high-style objects has created a new venue for cutting-edge architecture and transformed city streetscapes.” A very nice look into the process behind the assembly of a Vuitton shop. Available October 2011.