Modern Fabric: Twenty-Five Designers on Their Inspiration and Craft

Textile shop owners Gilchrist and Poole debut with a striking, colorful collection of profiles of contemporary fabric designers. The essays capture an international array of artists, balancing big names with up-and-coming designers. “There is no single definition of modern fabric,” the authors write; for London’s Sally Kelly, “color is the pure joy that can create absolute magic,” while to Argentinian American Pat Bravo, “Modern fabric design is not a word—it is a feeling.” Canadian Destiny Seymour, who is Anishinaabe, First Nation, speaks of being frustrated by the lack of textiles related to her people’s Indigenous identity, which led her to create her own designs from pottery shards and bone tool, “taking those patterns and giving them a modern twist, so that we see ourselves in these interiors and in these spaces.” Gilchrist and Poole impressively capture each artist’s creative growth and personal life—Jen Hewett “found her way into the world of print when she needed a creative outlet while working at a corporate job”—and each profile is complete with color photographs that highlight each artist’s process. This is a winning, vibrant look behind the scenes of textile design. (Nov.)