CRITERIA FOR ARTISAN GOODS

Would you like to be considered for our Artisan Goods selection? Please consider the following criteria before applying.

For any enquiries about Artisan Goods or the application process, please contact Lison Marcel, Artisans Lead, at artisans@selvedge.org.

CULTURAL AUTHENTICITY

Does the work connect to the geography, history or politics of the maker’s home country? We are looking for traditional or contemporary interpretations of the artisan's cultural heritage. We want our shop to reflect the incredible diversity of textile expression on the planet. An artisan can only represent their own cultural heritage. e.g., an artisan from Yogyakarta in Indonesia who is making a contemporary version of Batik. An artist from Bulgaria making work that references Indonesian Batik is exhibiting less cultural authenticity.

QUALITY OF DESIGN

How well does the work communicate the formal elements of good design: colour, composition, shape and form? Does the  colour work, does the design employ positive and negative space in a considered way?

QUALITY OF CRAFTSMANSHIP

How is the work constructed; does it demonstrate the highest level of hand skills and mastery of technique? Is the product well constructed? Have the fastenings been considered? 

SUSTAINABILITY

Are the products environmentally and economically sustainable? Do they employ locally sourced sustainable materials? Is the production process environmentally sustainable, i.e. what dyes are used, is the fibre hand-spun?

What is the product made from? Is the fibre local to the artisan, or is it imported from another location? How was it grown or harvested? What dyes were used? Is it recycled? When thinking about economic sustainability, the shorter and more transparent the value chain the better. 

If it’s a cross-cultural collaboration, then think about an equality of the collaboration: what is the input from each party? Are the artisans partners with a voice in the process, or simply cheap labour? Our Artisan Goods page promotes artisans whose creativity has long been overlooked.