You may remember Sally Adkin's blog post on the documentary 'The True Cost' which reveals the disturbing realities behind our fast fashion habits. Following the film's release in May, Lucy Siegle, the documentary's executive producer and Guardian columnist, wrote an enlightening piece explaining the reasoning behind and importance of the film for the India issue of Selvedge. It seems an especially apt time to consider the issues raised by the True Cost, given that today marks the first day of London Fashion Week 2015. Made by Andrew Morgan, Livia Firth, Michael Ross and Lucy Siegle, 'The True Cost', asks us to consider, who really pays the price for our...

Thinking about returning to work and leaving the holidays behind will always be the hardest part of a well-earned voyage. This is often made worse by the rolling-in of September weather: grey mists, driving rain, a cold wind, all make up the inevitability of the coming winter, and what seems like the end of any hope to see sunlight again. Instead of flying south like birds, the best we can do is work on travelling through the mind, whether its drinking the undrinkable Ouzo to remind us of hot nights outside at a cafe in Greece, or using books to...

Last month Tricia Guild worked hand in hand with florist Juliet Glaves, transforming the Designers Guild hidden garden on the Kings Road into a collection of arrangements, fabrics and wallpapers – a celebration of all things floral. Being inspired by the foliage and blooms grown all year long on her modest flower farm in Shropshire, Juliet’s arrangements showcase her natural and seasonal style. And although the show is now over there is still plenty of floral news to be excited about in July. The Designers Guild's 'Orangerie II' collection which inspired Juliet is still available in store and online. Designers Guild, 267-277 King's Road,...

Cornelia O'Donovan's show for Anthropologie on the Kings Road, 'Feast' feels perfectly named. Her colours and subject matter, especially when printed on plates, feel joyful and generous. Behind O'Donovan's work is a fascination with folklore, superstition and poetry. And it shows. Without knowing the specific references behind each piece there is a strong and consistent sense of  mythology. These paintings are almost like textile designs in that the composition and content are so lucid and full, yet the actual painting style is so flat. You can see why Anthropologie chose to commission her, her colours and subject matter chime extremely...

From Toast to Dover Street Market, via Anthropologie, practically every UK and US 'boutique' and brand deemed stylish appears to be completely seduced by Asian aesthetics. The utilitarian simplicity of Japan and the warm, vibrant and decorative aesthetic of India, both seem, not only huge geographical generalisations, but basic sartorial go-tos for Western designers. Of course this is a completely crude analysis and there is always a multitude of inspirations and moods influencing any worthwhile design. Furthermore accelerated globalisation has blurred  cultural lines more than ever before and the West has been borrowing from the East for centuries. However, that is not...