Paris bookstore Ephemera creates global award for fashion books

Ephemera, a fashion-focused bookstore in Paris, is introducing the first International Fashion Book Award—an initiative designed to honor outstanding publishing in the fashion world. The award marks a major step forward for the store, just one year after opening. Its founder, Pascal Monfort—who also launched the trend consultancy REC Trends Marketing in 2014—is widely recognized for exploring the intersections of fashion, culture and visual storytelling. With this new prize, he aims to spotlight the most compelling fashion books published each year.

“There’s no award that celebrates fashion books in all their forms,” he told FashionNetwork.com. “It’s an idea I’ve had for a long time, and once Ephemera came to life, it felt like the obvious next step.”

Monfort brought together a jury of 15 influential figures from the global fashion, publishing and visual arts communities to shape the award’s first edition. Among them are Sarah Andelman, founder of Just an Idea and co-founder of Colette; Jean-Baptiste Talbourdet-Napoleone, creative director at M Le Magazine du Monde; Swiss-Palestinian creative director Ruba Abu-Nimah; Dan Thawley, Australian journalist and art director at Matter and Shape; and Sébastien Peretto, image director at Givenchy.

The Ephemera team began by compiling a longlist of 100 standout fashion books published in 2024, which was then narrowed down to a shortlist of 50. After reviewing the final selection, the jury convened at the bookstore to choose the Grand Prize winner. Additional distinctions will include awards presented by Ephemera and REC Trends Marketing, as well as a Student Prize, to be selected by fashion school students through an online vote.

The winners will be revealed on June 20, 2025, during an awards ceremony at Soho House Paris, where finalists will also be recognized. “Ten books really stood out this year,” Monfort noted, though he kept specific titles under wraps ahead of the event.

Ephemera will highlight the winning titles in-store with a special display and a book signing event. Originally planned as a temporary space, the bookstore—located on rue de Trévise near the Folies Bergère—has established itself as a cultural venue, regularly hosting events during Fashion Weeks and throughout the year. An e-commerce platform is expected to launch this fall.