Nygårds Anna, 2010 collection. Photography by Carl Bengtsson.

Selvedge Magazine Editorial Office 162 Archway Road, London N6 5BB editor@selvedge.org www.selvedge.org T: +44 (0)20 8341 9721

Publisher: Selvedge Ltd Editor in Chief: Polly Leonard editor@selvedge.org Editor: Elizabeth Smith editorial@selvedge.org Advertising and Events Manager: Clare Bungey advertising@selvedge.org Circulation Manager: Michelle Zimmer subscriptions@selvedge.org Brand and Product Manager: Felicity Shum drygoods@selvedge.org Editorial Assistant: Gráinne McKenna admin@selvedge.org Listings Editor: Gemma Waggett listings@selvedge.org Intern: intern@selvedge.org Copy Editor: Siobhan Hennessy

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(ISSN: 1742-254X) is published bi-monthly six times a year in January, March, May, July, September and November by Selvedge Ltd. Registered Office 14 Milton Park, Highgate, London, N6 5QA. Copyright © Selvedge Ltd 2010. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. The editor reserves the right to edit, shorten or modify any material submitted. The editor’s decision on all printed material is final. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of Selvedge magazine, Selvedge Ltd or the editor. Unsolicited material will be considered but cannot be returned. Printing: Westdale Press Ltd UK. Colour Origination: PH Media. Web Design: datadial. Distribution: DHL Global Mail, Periodicals Postage Paid at Rahway NJ. Postmaster send address corrections to Selvedge Magazine, DHL Global Mail (UK) Ltd, Mills Road, Quarry Wood, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7WZ. Subscription rates for one year (6 issues): Paper Magazine, UK £50.00; Europe €75.00; USA $125.00; Canada C$125.00; Australia AU$100.00; Japan ¥10,500; Rest of World £75.00

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Contributors

We are fortunate in North London to have several places where open air swimming is possible in our neighbourhood. There are the famous Hampstead bathing ponds – a real oasis in the city, open all year round and patronised by enthusiastic individuals. We also have one of the few remaining lidos, built in the 1930s, the Parliament Hill Lido is a vision of blue sky reflected in water surrounded by colourful changing rooms. Although this is undoubtedly a feast for the eyes I am far too lily-livered to enjoy the reality of its icy water. I emerge after the briefest dip slightly nauseous and hyperventilating.

The English summertime can be similarly deceptive. I might remember childhood days spent in my grandmother's garden eating Victoria Sponge and lying among the daisies, but deep down I know these occasions were few and far between – dispersed with more usual breezy afternoons when a snug cardigan was much more useful than sun cream. Sometimes hindsight is not so much 20/20 as distinctly rose-tinted! Distance softens our recollections, blanks out the shivering and recalls instead the sunny moments as our shopping feature, A breath of salt air, pg 14 admits.

This issue we embrace the reality of the summer rather than the fantasy. We celebrate blue, the cornflower blue of the sky and the deep indigo ocean. We find out at how people have protected themselves in the latter, Bathing beauties, pg 42, looks at the appeal of rubber bathing caps, and A waterman’s tale, pg 45 tracks the invention of the wetsuit. And we discover the brave souls that launched themselves into the former in our article on hang-gliding, pg 41. Also we celebrate the rich blue of indigo, pg 60 and its paler cousin woad or pastel, pg 66

During the easter break I was invited to the beautiful Chateau Dumas, just north of Toulouse, an area in south west France famous for its rich textile heritage. I brought back souvenirs of woad soap made by Denise Lambert. She and her husband Henri revived the production of woad, a once lucrative crop which dominated the area and underpinned the renaissance of the city of Toulouse. Woad is not the only industry of interest in the area. A town in the surrounding countryside, Caussade, was once the centre of the straw hat industry, pg 24. I visited two of the three remaining millinery factories and the simple, undyed, stitched braided hats they craft would be my choice for Ascot if I were to go... and weather permitting maybe I will. I hope you enjoy your summer come rain or shine!

Polly Leonard Editor in Chief

What does the Selvedge team do on a wet summer day?

FELICITY SHUM, DRYGOODS

As a child, heaven was rummaging in Uncle Mac’s shed to find sheets and blankets to create makeshift tents on the lawn. This love of dens has stayed with me and now, when it rains, I’ll bake a cake, pitch a floral tent in the conservatory and eat my treats while the rain pours.

CLARE BUNGEY, ADVERTISING

Although it might seem dreary, rain doesn’t always stop play, in fact it’s the perfect excuse for a game of Scrabble. And only allowing obscure textile terms is a good challenge. The word textile itself, if played in the right place, could score 140 points!

MICHELLE ZIMMER, SUBSCRIPTIONS

I was brought up with British seaside holidays – Wales, Isle of Wight or Cornwall, were regular ‘treats’. As a family we spent days nestled behind rocks, under a golf umbrella, watching the waves. Hellish at the time, but now, when I’m tired of London, I can’t think of any place I’d rather be.

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