Issue 50 Ethnographic

CONGRATULATIONS! SELVEDGE is celebrating its 50th issue. The magazine has grown, developed and matured, but most of all inspired everyone involved in it for 50 issues.

When I meet readers they often say what an achievement,

you must be really proud: and of course I am, but it is not my achievement I am proud of. I merely had the idea – ideas are actually pretty worthless in themselves, we all have hundreds of ideas every day – they come and go often without us noticing them. It’s only with a phenomenal amount of hard work, a stubborn refusal to compromise and tenacity to overcome obstacles that one in a million ideas become reality and a tiny bit of magic is born.

Over the last ten years I have been inspired every day by the enthusiasm and dedication of my team to conceive issue after issue. I am inspired by the writers and illustrators who have researched extensively and striven to meet our high standards, in order to present lively and informative material in an appealing way. I am inspired by the advertisers who support the infrastructure of the community, as do the curators and galleries who tirelessly host exhibitions, fairs and events.

But, most of all I am inspired by our readers who buy each and every issue, who renew their subscription religiously, who prioritise the magazine when there are so many other demands on their budgets. The magazine is expensive to print and to ship to all corners of the world. Every subscriber is an important part of the network – so thank you all for making my dream a reality.

In every issue I try to present inspirational rather than aspirational material. If you will allow a little self indulgence, we have filled this issue with material that lifts our spirits and hope it will lift yours too. Cloth is central to my life and I share this passion with the people featured in our pages. This issue is full of inspirational cloth, from the pleats of Mariano Fortuny, and Issey Miyake, to the intricate double ikats Ptolemy Mann discovered on her journey through Indonesia. We look to India, a perennial source of inspiration where on January 14th the skies of Gujarat give way to colourful kites. Meena Kadri shares her colourful photographs and insightful proes. We contrast the delicate woven air of Muslin, from Bengal with the minimalist, Gongadi blankets, woven from the wool of the indiginous Deccani sheep from Andhra Pradesh. Closer to home we marvel at Karen Nicol’s exquisite embroidered confections, in an excerpt from her new book Embellished:NewVintage.

This Spring Selvedge will be the guests of kindred spirits, Anthropologie, at their store on the Kings Road. I would like to invite you all to join me in a glass of wine in celebration of textiles on the 14th February (what better day than Valentine’s to declare your love for textiles) at The Gallery at Anthropologie, 131-141 King's Road, London SW3 4PW, during our seven week ‘pop up’ store: but if you are not able to make that date then I hope to see you at our Spring Fair! Exhibitor applications open on 9th January, please see www.selvedge.org for details. From all of us at Selvedge we send you our warmest wishes for the New Year.

Polly Leonard, Founder