NUMBAT BOOKS

Publishing by House of Numbat

An independent publishing initiative of Numbat Ltd
Norfolk, England

Publishing Ideas That Outlast Fashion.

About Numbat Books

Numbat Books is the publishing imprint of House of Numbat, an independent family-led creative business based in Norfolk, England.

Our books explore fashion, design, craftsmanship, British clothing culture and the knowledge behind making garments.

We believe that clothing has a story beyond its appearance. Every garment begins with an idea and develops through choices about fabric, construction, proportion, production and use.

Our publications examine these choices, drawing on family experience in textile engineering and clothing manufacturing, independent fashion practice, historical research and personal archives.

Numbat Books also has a deeply personal purpose: preserving the life and work of fashion designer Veronika Guardi (1989–2023) for her children and future generations.

We publish to preserve knowledge, share experience and encourage a more thoughtful relationship with clothing.

Our Publishing Collections

Our publishing programme is organised around three connected areas.

Biography and Creative Legacy

Books that preserve the lives, memories, writings and creative work of designers and makers.

At the centre of this collection is Veronika Guardi Style, documenting Veronika's life and professional career through two distinct editions.

Fashion, Craftsmanship and Manufacturing

Books exploring the practical processes behind clothing, including product development, garment construction, manufacturing, quality and responsible production.

These publications draw on the experience of making clothes, rather than treating fashion only as an image or a trend.

British Style and Cultural Research

Research-led publications examining British dress, tailoring, textile traditions, countryside influences and the changing relationship between clothing, culture and everyday life.

Our aim is to understand why certain garments and ways of dressing endure, while recognising that British style has always evolved through cultural exchange and social change.

Our Books

VERONIKA GUARDI STYLE

Full Biography of the British Fashion Designer Veronika Guardi

First Edition — A Life Remembered

The First Edition tells the story of Veronika Guardi as a daughter, sister, wife, mother and fashion designer.

Written from her family's perspective, it follows her childhood in Bulgaria, her Educaton in England, her family life, her ambitions, her work and the final months of her life.

At its heart is a promise made by her mother to preserve Veronika's story for her two sons, Hector and Francis.

This is a personal biography about the woman behind the designer, incorporating her own writings and family memories.

Its purpose is not to create a legend, but to remember a real person: her determination, humour, kindness, achievements, difficulties and love for her children.

VERONIKA GUARDI STYLE

Life, Design, and British Style Beyond Seasons

A Documentary Design Biography — Revised & Expanded Edition

The Second Edition is a separate, professionally focused study of Veronika Guardi's design career and creative practice.

It examines her journey through the British fashion industry, her work in fashion consultancy, the development of the GUARDI brand, her collections and the design decisions that shaped her work.

Drawing on surviving records, sketches, collection materials and research, the book considers her approach to fabric, proportion, construction, elegance and garment longevity.

Where the First Edition preserves the personal story, the Second Edition documents the designer.

Together, the two editions offer complementary perspectives on Veronika's life and work.

AGAINST SPEED

Fashion Development, Manufacturing and the Value of Thoughtful Preparation

Publishing project

Against Speed examines the relationship between design decisions, product development, garment manufacturing and the pressure to produce clothing more quickly.

Drawing on practical industry experience, it explores why careful preparation, technical understanding and responsible decision-making matter when developing a clothing collection.

The book considers the importance of sampling, communication, quality, production planning and the long-term consequences of decisions made early in the design process.

It offers an alternative to the assumption that faster development always leads to better results.

THE ART OF BRITISH STYLE

An Exploration of British Dress, Craftsmanship and Cultural Continuity

Publishing project

The Art of British Style examines British clothing not simply as a collection of famous garments, but as a culture shaped by landscape, weather, work, textiles, tailoring and social life.

From countryside clothing to city dressing, the book explores the practical intelligence behind garments that have remained useful and meaningful over time.

It also considers industrial change, cultural exchange, global manufacturing and the responsibilities facing contemporary clothing production.

This is not a book about returning to the past.

It is an exploration of what the past can teach us about making, wearing and valuing clothing in the future.

The Veronika Guardi Archive and Future Publications

Numbat Books supports the preservation and documentation of materials held within The Veronika Guardi Archive, a family-led project of House of Numbat.

The archive includes surviving sketches, design records, personal writings, photographs and other materials relating to Veronika's life and career.

As the archive is organised and researched, selected material may form the basis of future publications.

Possible projects include:

• The Sketchbook of Veronika Guardi

• The Lady Collection — Archive Study

• Selected writings and documentary records

These are prospective projects, not announcements of completed or scheduled publications.

In particular, The Lady Collection was an unfinished design project. The surviving drawings and records will be studied and presented as such, without describing the planned thirty-eight designs as a completed wardrobe or exhibition.

Any future publication will be guided by the available evidence and appropriate reproduction permissions.

Why We Publish

We believe that books can preserve forms of knowledge that might otherwise disappear.

A finished garment tells only part of the story.

Behind it are sketches, experiments, decisions, mistakes, technical challenges and the experience of the people who made it.

The same is true of a designer's life.

Photographs and collections may record professional achievements, but personal writings and memories help us understand the human being behind them.

Numbat Books brings these perspectives together through careful research, practical knowledge and personal storytelling.

Our approach is guided by:

• Accuracy — distinguishing documented facts from recollection and interpretation.

• Craftsmanship — respecting the skills involved in design and making.

• Responsibility — encouraging considered decisions about materials and production.

• Continuity — preserving knowledge and experience for future generations.

• Independence — developing publications with care rather than following short-lived trends.

Part of House of Numbat

Numbat Books is part of House of Numbat, alongside its independent activities in fashion, design consultancy, art, publishing and editorial research.

Our wider work includes Numbat Studio, Numbat Fashion, Numbat Art, House of Numbat Journal and the family-led Veronika Guardi Foundation initiative.

The Veronika Guardi Archive and Foundation are concerned with preserving and documenting the family's available material relating to Veronika's life and work.

House of Numbat is independent of Veronika Guardi Ltd and the GUARDI fashion brand.

Through publishing, we hope to connect personal memory, professional experience and cultural research in a way that remains useful to future readers.

Our Publishing Philosophy

Fashion changes. Knowledge endures.

We publish books that encourage readers to look beyond the surface of clothing — to understand the people, materials, skills, decisions and histories that give it meaning.

NUMBAT BOOKS
Publishing Ideas That Outlast Fashion.

An independent publishing initiative of House of Numbat / Numbat Ltd, Norfolk, England.