Issue 05 Utility (digital only)

May/June 2005

Please note this issue is only available digitally

Find the extraordinary in the ordinary

"AS A WORKING MOTHER with too few hours in the day one of the things I really miss doing is a thorough spring clean. If cleanliness is next to godliness then I'm a terrible sinner but I do acknowledge that a clean house has an almost purifying effect on the soul. I love the smell of wax polish and lemon and the soft touch of yellow cotton dusters. I even find ironing and folding sweet smelling linen has a therapeutic quality. But maybe if I really had the time I wouldn’t want to; it’s an ongoing dilemma that Sarah James charts in Household Security, the loss of domestic skills and the rise of the commercial domestic goddess. If you are embarking on a quest to make your home sparkle we have some of the best products to help you, Spick and Span.

So throw open your windows and sweep the cobwebs away, for our thoughts are turning to spring and summer. We take a closer look at linen, the crispest of cloth, and highlight those produced by Vittorio Solbiati and used to stunning effect in the work of Shirin Guild. We investigate the reasons for the phenomenal growth in the Italian textile industry and admire the exquisite tailoring of Giorgio Armani. Mansel Fletcher finds out just what gives Italian men that groomed look that we in Britain, despite being home to some of the best designers in the world, find so hard to achieve.

Closer to home Sarah Jane Downing uncovers the diverse history of the Jute industry and we also look at the meteoric rise of Turkey red dye, a dazzling colour that had worldwide significance in the 18th century but died out as quickly as it emerged."

Polly Leonard, Founder, Selvedge Magazine

Please note this issue is only available digitally