London Textile Month: A Heartfelt Thank You
Dear Selvedge Readers,
As we reflect on an exciting roster of events and activities throughout September, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt thanks to the textile community across London, who came together to craft a city-wide festival celebrating the power of textiles to inspire, support, and drive change.
There are many people to thank – far too many to mention individually – but I must acknowledge a few: James Hayward, Ashna Patel, and the entire Selvedge team; the team at the Museum of the Home and the Constance Howard Gallery, Goldsmiths University, who welcomed us as festival hubs, hosting many of our events as well as launching their new textile tours; the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, who opened the doors of their costume department; Diana Uprichard of DOLLY Clothing, host of our clothes swap; Darshan Shah of The Weavers Studio in Kolkata, who brought her groundbreaking exhibition Textiles of Bengal: A Shared Legacy to London; and the Royal School of Needlework for their invaluable support.
To our workshop tutors: Katerina Knight, Sarah Burns, Liz Baltez, Kate Rickard, Kristine Berg, Yasmeen Branton, Hannah Refaat, Catherine Marie-Longtin, Justine Aldersey-Williams, Saskia Weir, Daisy Gray, Dr Vishal C. Bhand, Melissa Jo Smith and Rebecca Cole of Illuminated Arts, and all the tutors at City Lit – whose guiding hands nurtured our skills and creativity – thank you. To the speakers in our programme of online talks, who extended the reach of the festival beyond the city for those unable to travel: Shrey Maurya and Rachna Shetty from the MAP Academy, Phillipa Turnbull, Kavya Saxena, Madhu Vaishnav, Caroline Sato, Nadia Albertini, and Shannon Nelson from Traceable Textiles – thank you.
To the writers who brought our Text and Textile event to life with readings and conversation: Katy Bevan, Justine Lee, Anna Buruma, Deena Beverley, Rachel Matthews, and Hannah Lamb, and to all the contributors to our symposia Crafting Regenerative Fashion & Textile Futures (presented by Safia Minney) and Interwoven: Wool Across Borders (with Khadi London), whose insights provided food for thought.
To the generous makers who opened their studios to our curious readers: Soteria Conservation, Sophie Roet’s archive, Victoria Richards, Clarissa Hulse, and Laura Miles of Woven Studio – the fruits of your labour enriched our lives in so many ways. To our pop-up partners from India: Shantanu Das of Maku, Chinar Farooqui of Injiri, Karishma Shahani Khan of Ka-Sha, Soham Dave, Ashita Singhal of Paiwand, Padmaja Krishnan, and Hetal Shrivastav of RaasLeela – who introduced their creativity to the London fashion scene.
To those who sparked joy: Julieta Gimpel and Mandinga Arts with A Carnival of Textiles; Dr Isabella Rosner of the Royal School of Needlework; Ruby Hodgson at the Goldsmiths Textile Collection; the Worshipful Company of Woolmen; Esther Fitzgerald and Gracjana Rejmer-Canovas, who brought colour and energy to Church Row in Hampstead; Christine Risley Award Winner Ping Chen; and Nancy Vong Johnston of House of Tengri. To Rachna Garodia, Tomoko Yamanaka, and Madina Joldybek, who opened their studios; to Isabella Smith, Woo Jin Joo, Christopher Kelly, Joss Graham, Jenny Balfour-Paul, and Arati Monappa, who engaged us in lively conversations. To Avalon Fotheringham at V&A East Storehouse, Dr Veronica Isaac of Wimbledon College of Art, Varuna Kollanethu of Ruup & Form, Nikki Weston of Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Andra Clițan and Gloria Mazzer at the Romanian Cultural Institute, and Alastair Macleod, Daisy White, and Sophie Carr of Hand & Lock, who all made innovative contributions to our programme.
To everyone else involved – and especially to the loyal Selvedge readers who continue to support our work – thank you. Since Selvedge began hosting events in 2010, we have welcomed visitors to workshops, fairs, talks, and tours. The first London Textile Month in 2025 marked the culmination of these experiences, with events held in heritage makers’ studios, boutique shops, and national museums, offering an unparalleled opportunity to experience the city’s rich textile culture.
Polly Leonard, Founder
Selvedge Magazine