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Craft

Made in Mexico: The Rebozo in Art, Culture and Fashion

Art and fashion lovers the world over are inspired by Frida Kahlo, yet few will ever have travelled to Mexico. Now there’s a chance to get a taste of genuine Mexican style in London, by visiting Made in Mexico at the capital’s Fashion and Textile Museum.  The colourful new exhibition on the art of the […]

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Threads of the Indus: Ethical Textiles and Accessories from Southern Pakistan

The Indus Valley area has a longstanding tradition of stitch-craft and textile weaving, but in recent years the quality of workmanship has deteriorated due to a lack of emotional connection between the makers and their craft. As part of her PhD at the Royal College of Art, Seher Mirza set up a project not only to […]

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Cottage Crafts, Organic Materials and Inventive Recycling

Craft workers and product designers are rapidly becoming the new elite of the art world. Master craftspeople, working with basic materials like wood, natural resin, wax, stone, metal, glass, leather, wool, paper or clay, create practical objects, as opposed to functionless art. Practicality and ease of manufacture is seen to outweigh the need for refined […]

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Imperfect World: Weathered and Worn Fabric and Furniture Finishes

The Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi sees imperfection as a form of beauty – a product can actually be enhanced by its irregularity. Here we take a look at some designs which celebrate the imperfection of handcrafted work. In the spirit of our previous post, Kaixi Lin reuses discarded materals to create functional woven textiles. Inspired […]

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Boro: Threads of Life at Somerset House

This exhibition should have niche appeal – at least to ‘anoraks’ of the fashion world. Textile designers, embroiderers, costume curators, quilters and enthusiasts of handcrafted fabrics will certainly appreciate the work that has gone into creating the pieces on show. Historians and sociologists may well be fascinated by the backgrounds of the unintentional abstract artists. […]

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Visuology Magazine Issue 2 – S/S 2015 and Beyond

The second issue of Visuology Magazine is now available to order for delivery in 5-12 days. Be first to see 148 pages of sustainable summer style, with product picks encompassing fashion, textiles, art, craft, accessories, furniture and lifestyle designs. Discover inspirational new trend ideas and colour combos. Visuology offers a uniquely independent blend of trend forecasting […]

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Tools For The Future – Utility and Craftsmanship

Oscar Medley-Whitfield creates pottery from Thames mud. Based beside the river in SE1, he calls his creations Wharfeware. There are many problems associated with using mud rather than clay. The drying out and tempering process makes the mud crack and it can’t be modelled and manipulated like clay. Oscar has created his own casting process, […]

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Icy Effects and Frosty Finishes in Craft, Accessories and Textiles

As climate chaos becomes a more regular feature of our lives, designers will increasingly employ icy effects and frosty finishes in their work. The candle holder above, made from natural rock crystal, will come in handy during power outages caused by freak storm conditions. The glittery, paillette-covered bag by Mawi will cast sparkles of light onto snow […]

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New Product Trends: Pearls Go Punk

Pearls have fascinated for centuries and the popularity of the exhibition at the V&A reflects the universality of their appeal. Pearls are the inspiration for one of our product trends for Autumn/Winter 2014-15. In Elizabethan times, pearls were both a symbol of virginity and of fertility. The latest pearl embellished products capture this curious dichotomy […]

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