ocation is a reflection of the city’s energy.
“Climax Books: Where Attitude Meets Rare Erotica and Contemporary Art”
“Climax has become more than just a bookstore, it’s a statement,” declares Isabella Burley, the founder of Climax Books. Perched on a bench in the New York location of her rare book dealership, Burley exudes the same boldness and attitude that her store embodies. The windows are covered in a hot pink wrap, and inside, a mirrored wall is plastered with a life-size decal of a green lady in fishnets. This is not your average bookstore.
True to its name, Climax is a distributor of rare-to-find vintage erotica in various forms, from books and magazines to DVDs and VHS tapes. But it also boasts a sprawling collection of titles across art, fashion, and theory. A quick scroll through their online arm showcases an impressive array of first edition titles spanning decades, from Yayoi Kusama’s 1969 periodical “An Orgy of Nudity, Love, Sex & Beauty” to Wolfgang Tillmans’ political photobook “Soldiers: The Nineties” from 1999. And for those looking for more contemporary (yet still provocative) titles, Climax offers works from artists like Precious Okoyomon, Mindy Seu, and Somaya Critchlow.
The majority of Climax’s offerings are sourced from the three cities between which Burley splits her time: New York, London, and Tokyo. “We’re looking at important bodies of work from the past that have maybe been under-recognized or forgotten,” Burley explains. “It’s about recontextualizing those works for a new audience, but also including contemporary artists we really believe in.”
While Climax officially launched online in 2020, Burley has long been regarded as one of the premier tastemakers in contemporary publishing. As a teenager in Southeast London, she was an avid collector of magazines and developed a particular interest in the fashion world while working at Dover Street Market and freelance writing on the side. In 2013, Burley was tapped to serve as fashion features editor at Dazed, and just two years later, at the young age of 24, she was named editor-in-chief of the magazine. Burley held the role until 2021 and was later appointed Chief Marketing Officer of Acne Studios.
Although Burley shies away from labeling Climax as a “pandemic project,” she admits that the period allowed her the space to revisit all the books she had collected over the years. Climax initially operated as an online-only business, shipping books out of Burley’s home. But in 2023, the store was invited to take over the ground floor of London’s Sadie Coles Gallery in partnership with “Hardcore,” an exhibition featuring works centered on sexual power dynamics. The three-month pop-up was a success, hinting at the potential for a brick-and-mortar presence. That fall, Climax opened a storefront in London that also serves as the dealership’s office.
Expanding to another city just a year after launching the first store is no small feat, but for Burley, it was a no-brainer. “For me, it always had to be New York,” she says. “The book culture in New York, particularly in the East Village, is unparalleled.” While the London outpost has a more cozy feel, the minimalist New York location perfectly captures the city’s vibrant energy.
