Selvedge World Fair Trailer

To give you a taste of what to expect at the first Selvedge World Fair (3 - 5 September 2020) we have created a short film. The trailer shows the diversity of textiles that will be on sale, and some of the handmade skills that will be shared and celebrated. The three-day virtual event, a celebration of cloth, culture and creativity, will present the work of 100 artisans, bringing together varied - and in some cases endangered - textile traditions from around the world. Visitors will be able to buy handmade treasures, take part in online workshops and watch and participate in talks on textile-related themes. Watch the trailer here:

Some of the artisans included in the trailer are Ofelio & Antelmo, a textile art project from Mexico focused on hand embroidery founded by artist Gabriela Martínez. Madda Studios, a collaborative textile design studio, also based in Mexico and Siju Shamji Vishram a master weaver from India who focuses on traditional, centuries-old handmade techniques.

Image: Ofelio & Antelmo.

Ock Pop Tok (meaning “East Meets West” in Lao) is an artisan social enterprise based in Luang Prabang, Laos. Ock Pop Tok’s founders Joanna Smith and Veomanee Douangdala will participate in the Cross Cultural Collaborations talk during the fair, giving us insights into their experiences setting up textile businesses using expertise across cultures. They will also teach a Bamboo weaving workshop. And Ethio Sky creates and sells handmade, handprinted textiles made by its artisans in Omo Valley, Ethiopia. Lori Precious and Silanchi Erickson of Ethio Sky will be taking part in a Show & Tell session recorded for Selvedge World Fair where they will talk about one of the textiles pieces that they have made.

Image: Ock Pop Tok.

Tickets to the Selvedge World Fair include access to all talks, show and tell sessions, shopping, demonstrations, articles and interviews as well as a prize quiz. Workshops are the only part of the fair that have an additional cost and need to be booked separately on a first come first served basis.

Visit selvedge.org for more information.