BOOK WORKS

Book Works is a small, New York-based clothing company, but it is foremost a causal expression of two lives that have been shaped by jazz. Martin Davis and Oskar Mann met as neighbors before discovering a shared love of music, eventually founding the brand in 2017. The pair have spoken at length about an intention to illustrate the rich language of the genre, representing both how it can be seen and heard. Its current output does so through smart, unfussy graphics that often make reference to significant works, album covers and artists. Having worked in radio and as DJs themselves, their website hosts a range of mixes and interviews with the likes of jazz legends like Ron Carter. They have collaborated with the cult skate brand Hardbody, Adidas and Gramicci, and have hosted a number of events in New York. Book Works is firmly rooted in the city’s artistic community, and the people responsible for it have invested so much of themselves that it feels like it has a beating heart of its own. It could go anywhere as far as a trajectory, and each step of its evolution plays a role in preserving jazz’s cultural legacy.