Selvedge - Issue 127 Aurora

Selvedge Issue 127 Aurora

As the evenings grow darker and daylight wanes, this issue turns its gaze to light’s symbolic and spiritual power—so often honoured in sacred texts. In the Far North, that reverence finds form in the ethereal Aurora Borealis, while the region’s soft, diffused northern light offers a constant, painterly glow prized by artists and makers alike.

This edition celebrates colour in all its expressions: from the vibrant world of Zandra Rhodes and the woven artistry of Harriet Wallace-Jones to the restrained tones of Sámi textile artist Elsa Montell-Saanio. Scandinavian design’s deep respect for light—born of long, dark winters—shines through in Marimekko’s bold prints, Arne Jacobsen’s refined clarity, the cosy creations of Norway’s Flakk family, and the rich madder reds explored in Tim Parry-Williams’s ongoing research.

Rooted in warmth and well-being, the Nordic spirit of hygge informs an exploration of domestic textiles, from traditional Welsh coverlets to their New England descendants and the contemporary makers reinventing figured weaving for modern homes.

In cold climates, comfort is both craft and innovation. Sophie Vent charts fifty years of mountain-wear evolution—from Everest’s Southwest Face to Moncler’s collaboration with Pierpaolo Piccioli and Liya Kebede, recently seen on And Just Like That’s Carrie Bradshaw.

Finally, the spotlight turns to knitwear designers Jo Gordon and Rose Brown, whose bold use of colour blocking and single-strand construction redefines modern knitwear. Their work will feature at the Selvedge Winter Fair on 22 November.