The Textile Directory Bookstore

Here at The Textile Directory we are very excited to announce the launch of our brand new bookstore, selling hundreds of books about all types of textile art and craft. The new store is split into five sections to help you browse through the books we have available. These are Textile Art and Craft, Beadwork and Jewellery, Knitting and Crochet, Fashion, Costume and Design Sources, Inspiration and Reference.

We are working in partnership with many leading textile publishers including Search Press, Apple Press, Rainbow Disks, GMC Publications and Telos Arts, as well as several independently published authors, to bring you a comprehensive list of titles all available from the one store. It has never been easier to find books on your favourite subject!

We will be adding new books to the site all the time so do keep checking back to see what is new in. If you are looking for a particular title and can’t find it on the site then please drop us an email at admin@thetextiledirectory.com, as we may be able to order it for you.

We would also love to hear from any publishers or independent authors of textile art, craft or fashion books who are looking for ways to sell their books online, as we are very happy to consider including your books on the bookstore. For more information please call Sara on 01386 760406.

Please visit us at www.thetextiledirectorybookstore.com

Featured Books on The Textile Directory Bookstore

In the last few days we have added some fabulous fashion and design books to the bookstore, all published by Antique Collector’s Club. They include books about Zandra Rhodes, Dolce & Gabbana and famous clothing range Biba. The books are an absolute must for all fashion designers, students and professionals working in the design industry. Please see below for more details about the books and how to buy them.

Biba: The Biba Experience

By Alwyn W Turner

Price: £35

Biba remains one of the most evocative names in British design history; it pioneered a new style, mixing the contemporary with Art Nouveau, Art Deco and the golden age of Hollywood, dressing itself in the richly luxuriant colours of a bygone time. This book showcases Biba clothing and much of the Biba memorabilia, merchandising and interior design, presenting an entire history of the company.

For more information or to buy this book please click here

Jean Muir

By Sinty Stemp, foreword by Felicity Green

Price: £25

Jean Muir (1928-1995), doyenne of dressmaking, is forever associated with the 'little black dress'. Her signature style married a distinctive purity of line with a soft fluidity on the body, to create the sensuous, deceptively simple clothes that became her trademark, epitomised by her work in matte jersey, and in particular her jersey dresses, which brought her legendary status in an internationally-renowned career that spanned four decades. Working with a range of fabrics, which apart from her matte jersey included wools, silks, suedes, leather, and fine cashmere, she was the first designer on the international stage to apply couture quality and craftsmanship in her collections. While the French accorded her the title 'la nouvelle Reine de la Robe', the actress Joanna Lumley, a Jean Muir house model in the '70s, who has worn Muir designs ever since, famously stated that, 'every woman should have a Jean Muir in her wardrobe'.

For more information or to buy this book please click here

Zandra Rhodes: A Lifelong Love Affair with Textiles

By Gity Monsef

Price: £18.95

This stunning book celebrates the work of the British fashion icon Zandra Rhodes. Internationally recognised, Zandra's designs have always been clear but creative, dramatic but graceful, bold but feminine, and her garments have a timeless quality, which makes them unmistakably a Rhodes creation.

For more information or to buy this book please click here

20 Years Dolce & Gabbana

By Sarah Mower

Price: £60

To celebrate their twentieth anniversary, Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana feature their most significant fashion moments in this luxurious book. Known for their contemporary fashion with a strong Mediterranean identity, Dolce & Gabbana's style is sensual and unique with the utmost attention to quality and detail. Adored by Hollywood elite and pop stars around the globe, their creations convey a message in a universal language. 20 Years Dolce & Gabbana is a collection of memories and iconic images that mark each step of their evolution. The book features images from photographers such as Steven Meisel, Mario Sorrenti, Ferdinando Scianna among others and models of the likes of Gisele, Linda Evangelista, Isabella Rossellini and Marpessa.

For more information or to buy this book please click here

Yeohlee: Work

Price: £40

Since establishing her own fashion house in 1981, Yeohlee's strong and consistent approach to clothing design has made her name synonymous with 'intimate architecture', seasonless efficiency, striking geometrical designs and concise functionalism. She designs for the 'urban nomad', a postmodern consumer who demands adaptable, functional, low-maintenance clothing that looks deceptively simple but makes a powerful impression in changing environments of time, place and circumstance.

For more information or to buy this book please click here

The Power of Fashion

Price: £29.50

Fashion encompasses much more than the latest skirt length, the newest colours or the most up-to-date fashion accessories. Image, individuality, group identity and countless other facets also play a role. Fashion is no longer governed by the catwalk; what happens in the street is at least as important. Fashion is a mirror of society and reveals all its social connections.

For more information or to buy this book please click here

To browse our complete selection of books please visit www.thetextiledirectorybookstore.com

Judith Brown

Judith Brown makes original handmade jewellery from her studio in Birkenhead. Each item is beautifully gift wrapped to make the gift extra special, so why not treat yourself or someone you love this Christmas? We spoke to Judith to find out more about her work.

What materials do you use to produce your jewellery?
I handstitch with fine wire to create my jewellery. For my Floral Collection and Intricate Collection I use permanently coloured wires, often combining complementary or contrasting colours and accenting them with tiny glass beads. Pendants, earrings and bracelets in my Vintage collection incorporate antique mother of pearl buttons and buckles around 100 years old. Many of these buttons are beautifully carved and are embellished with silver wire stitching.

What are the inspirations behind your work?
I studied embroidery at Manchester Metropolitan University, where I learnt lots of stitching techniques. One of the workshops we did was on stitching without fabric, which really caught my imagination. But it wasn't until more than ten years later when I met some friends who made traditional wire jewellery that I started playing with wire and experimenting with stitch, and since then I have not stopped. To get new ideas for designs I might refer to nature or traditional textile designs.

What are you working on at the moment?
I have been preparing work for exhibitions in galleries around the country and for the fairs that I am taking part in during the run up to Christmas. As well as this I am also getting ready for Collections at Top Drawer, Earls Court in January.

Do you do any teaching?
Yes, I run workshops in wire jewellery and other types of jewellery for different groups of people, including teenagers and adults. I have also been asked to run a workshop for secondary school art teachers, which I am organising at the moment.

What are your plans for the future?
I want to continue developing my technique further, creating new designs and collections of jewellery. I intend to take part in more trade fairs in 2008.

If you are interested in stocking Judith’s work then please email Judith@judithbrownjewellery.co.uk for a list of wholesale prices. You can also visit her website at www.judithbrownjewellery.co.uk

Gallery

The designer-makers featured in this gallery all have showcase windows or banners on our website. Please click on the names below the images to view the designer ’s showcase on The Textile Directory, where you can click through to their website if you would like more information.

If you would like to discuss being involved in this gallery please email Sara at admin@thetextiledirectory.com or call 01386 760406.

Diary Dates

For more information about any of the events listed please click here.