When we think of fashion books, we tend to picture a setting more than a genre: We imagine an impeccable stack of thick, untouched volumes sitting atop a non-Ikea coffee table. And while this does comprise a certain type of fashion book, the category expands far beyond our apartment goals.

Fashion books are about way more than fashion in a straightforward sense. They can shape a more abstract sense of style, and come in many different forms: a compelling narrative, maybe; a series of photographs, or even a poem. They can celebrate a designer's achievements, explain the beauty of decluttering, and provide inspiration for success. They can highlight clothes — but they can also focus on art, architecture, philosophy, and more — and how they relate to the process of formulating one's personal style.

So, who better to ask than fashion tastemakers to weigh in on the tomes that helped define what fashion means to them? Their answers may surprise you. Ahead, you'll see a vast range of genres represented — from museum retrospectives to lighthearted memoirs — but they each have lit someone's creative fuse. See if something doesn't call to your coffeetable you, too.