Selvedge #123
238 x 238 mm, 96 pages
London, UK
Bimonthly
Founder and editor: Polly Leonard
‘The fabric of your life’
Selvedge celebrates textiles and cloth from historical and contemporary standpoints, with a practical and inspirational edge too.
Going beyond stereotypical representations of the Silk Roads, which often bring to mind a homogeneous image of camels on desert roads and leave the misleading impression of ‘a single trade route from east to west,’ this issue is concerned with the complex networks connecting territories and their inhabitants across the Eastern and Western world. Taking Uzbekistan as its focal point, this issue shares ‘stories of textiles from across the continent that underpin the importance of Central Asia to the history and future of textiles.’
Inside you’ll find an ode to the women artisans of Central Asia, functional and ornamental Russian printed cotton, Iranian and felt carpets, embroidered footwear, and an examination of the textile industry threatening the survival of the communities of the Aral basin.