The Night is Young - Alice Mann

IDEA’s first book of 2026 is Alice Mann’s 'The Night is Young'. This is a book of South African school- leavers at their Matric Balls. Photographed between 2018 and 2023, and at thirteen different high schools, the book presents a comprehensive study of South African youth at a momentous point in their lives. The book is designed by Stuart Smith and clothbound in a vibrant blue with a gilded title, fittingly regal for the nights within. Each of these events have been long prepared for, long-longed for — an ultimate crescendo of the creation of self. This is a prepared portrait of who they are. The school corridors are their Met Steps, the dining hall their Oscars stage: it is their big day, and they go big...

• Hardcover
• Tip-on image on cover and gold foiled text on the reverse
• 28cm x 23cm
• 112 pages
• First Printing of 500 copies

IDEA Books, founded by Angela Hill and David Owen, is a distinguished publishing house specialising in rare, vintage, and out-of-print books on fashion, photography, and design. Hill, with her extensive background in fashion and photography, and Owen, with his experience in journalism and design, have made IDEA a vital resource for creatives worldwide. Initially a niche retailer, it has expanded to include exclusive publications and branded merchandise, with a presence in major cities like New York, LA, Tokyo, and Paris, continuing to inspire and influence the visual culture landscape.

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