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themercantile.bsky.social
August Phoenix Mercantile
@themercantile.bsky.social
160 followers 150 following 180 posts
Textile artist working in recycled textiles to produce wearable art pieces based on a 1900s aesthetic.
augustphoenixhats.com
https://linktr.ee/augustphoenixmercantile
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themercantile.bsky.social
August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Nov 24
Updated and renamed today. Drop me your handle if you are a fashion or textile historian and would like to be added to this list.

bsky.app/starter-pack...
themercantile.bsky.social
A summary of my works over the past few months, in a nod to #textiletuesday and a shift to new, non-textile projects.
augustphoenixhats.com/what-ive-bee...

#sewing #performingarts #edwardian #medieval
Exploring Creative Projects: From Skirts to Performance Art
Explore creative projects from walking skirts to medieval clothing and paper arts, showcasing unique designs and personal updates!
augustphoenixhats.com
September 30, 2025 at 3:34 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

#libraries #readabook #literacy
Warsaw opens metro station ‘express’ library to get commuters off their phones
Metroteka aims to encourage people to read more in country that lost majority of libraries in second world war
www.theguardian.com
September 7, 2025 at 5:19 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/music/2025/s...
David Bowie’s final project was 18th century musical, new V&A exhibition reveals
A forthcoming display of the singer’s archive includes sticky notes detailing a theatrical work called The Spectator, about a petty thief and high-class gangs in London
www.theguardian.com
September 5, 2025 at 5:55 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxO0...

#historicalfashion #museums
I Toured One of the Best Historical Fashion Museums in Europe
YouTube video by V. Birchwood
www.youtube.com
September 5, 2025 at 6:50 AM
themercantile.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

#venice #silkroad
Venice’s Lion of St Mark’s Square was at least part made in China, study suggests
Isotope analysis finds copper ore came from Yangtze River basin while statue could be a repurposed Tang Dynasty tomb guardian
www.theguardian.com
September 4, 2025 at 5:32 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025...

#armani #italianfashion #fashion
Giorgio Armani, celebrated Italian fashion designer, dies at 91
His company announced death of designer synonymous with modern Italian style and elegance on Thursday
www.theguardian.com
September 4, 2025 at 5:27 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
Fruits of recent labors - paper lanterns for #Luminata in Seattle, a walking skirt from recycled yardage acquired at the ReCreate shop in Seattle, and a 14th century inspired ensemble for a performer, made from pieced wool and linen scraps from my studio. See the ALT text for more details.
Moroccan style lanterns crafted from laminated paper, with fabric insets and gold paint pen detailing. For sale at the Luminata - a lantern festival and fundraiser for the Fremont Arts Council, September 20 at Greenlake Park in Seattle. https://fremontartscouncil.org/luminata An Edwardian style walking skirt, made from striped cotton yardage that I found at ReCreate - a recycled art supply store in Seattle. Not shown here are a pair of bloomers I cut from a damask tablecloth I found at a local thrift store. This is another step towards converting my wardrobe to a fully 19th century aesthetic. A black linen hood with liripipe, and a sideless surcoat from pieced wools from my shop. Less visible is a long sleeved black wool tunic with cuffs and neck facings from the red striped wool seen here. Not seen here is a full length, long sleeved 'chemise' cut from a damask tablecloth. Every inch of textile in this ensemble are recycled. I am now to the point of piecing linens and wools together to form enough yardage to make garments.
September 1, 2025 at 6:53 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

#bayeuxtapestry #France #museums
‘La tapisserie, c’est moi’: Macron accused of putting politics first in Bayeux tapestry loan
Organiser of petition says French president ignoring expert advice that artefact too fragile to be transported to UK
www.theguardian.com
August 30, 2025 at 7:49 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/...
arts24 - Cleopatra: Power, myth & mystery reimagined in Paris
Why has Cleopatra remained such an iconic figure for more than 2,000 years? Arts24 kicks off its new season with a deep dive into the Paris exhibition at the Arab World Institute "The Mystery of Cleop...
www.france24.com
August 26, 2025 at 5:30 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
Just what we need - yet another assault on our domestic textile and fashion industry...
lavocedinewyork.com/en/new-york/...
Garment District at Risk: Fashion Challenges New York’s Urban Planning
Manhattan’s Garment District, a symbolic neighborhood for textile production and New York fashion, is now threatened by a major urban
lavocedinewyork.com
August 25, 2025 at 6:13 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
Smithsonian artists and scholars respond to White House list of objectionable art
www.npr.org/2025/08/24/n...
Smithsonian artists and scholars respond to White House list of objectionable art
A page published by the White House entitled "President Trump Is Right About the Smithsonian" lists exhibits, educational sites and more that the administration seems to take issue with.
www.npr.org
August 24, 2025 at 5:47 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
Meanwhile, in #moving #architectural news: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
The ‘big church move’: Swedish town begins to roll historic building 5km
Kiruna Kyrka’s slow journey is part of effort to stop town being swallowed by Europe’s biggest underground mine
www.theguardian.com
August 20, 2025 at 6:17 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
I have booked a virtual seat for this conference. My coffee will be in hand at 1:30 AM tomorrow Pacific Coast Time : )
royal-needlework.org.uk/events-exhib...

#needlework #embroidery
Stitched Together Conference 2025
The RSN is thrilled to be hosting its first ever embroidery conference, 'Stitched Together: Needlework Research and Making', 21-22 Aug 2025.
royal-needlework.org.uk
August 20, 2025 at 5:45 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
getpocket.com/explore/item...

#18thcentury #LondonHistory #LettersHome
This Is What Being in Your Twenties Was Like in 18th-Century London
A restored collection of letters describes a 27-year-old’s office job, social life and financial concerns beginning in 1719.
getpocket.com
August 12, 2025 at 7:00 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Experience: ‘I live as William Morris for three months a year’
It’s made me feel it’s OK to be an artist with a social purpose, though my wife hates the beard
www.theguardian.com
June 13, 2025 at 5:00 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
My newest submission is live at MainlyMuseums.com
"Ai, Rebel" now showing at the Seattle Art Museum through Sept. 7, 2025. I highly recommend it.

#SeattleArtMuseum #AiWeiwei #museums

mainlymuseums.com/post/1352/th...
The
mainlymuseums.com
May 26, 2025 at 10:50 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
Finally - an emphasis on men's fashion at the Met.
Bring Back The Dandies!

#MetGala #BlackFashion #MensFashion

www.cbc.ca/news/enterta...
The 2025 Met Gala makes a serious fashion statement with a theme exploring Black style | CBC News
Under all the glitz and glam of fashion’s biggest night, it seems there could be some serious fashion statements this year, as the 2025 Met Gala theme Superfine: Tailoring Black Style examines how Bla...
www.cbc.ca
May 4, 2025 at 4:46 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
Hot off the press at my alter ego website, Daveno Travels:
davenotravels.blog/2025/04/28/a...

#museums #SeattleArtMuseum #AiWeiwei #disruptiveart
Ai, Rebel at the SAM…
I had never expected to see any of the works of Ai Weiwei, let alone in Seattle.  So I was thrilled to visit this exhibit when it came to Seattle.
davenotravels.blog
April 28, 2025 at 7:35 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
My project for #WorldCon is an homage to "Britannia", a costume worn by the Baroness of Wolverton to the Duchess of Devonshire's Diamond Jubilee Fancy Dress Ball in 1897.

Because I accidentally won a bid on a breastplate at a fundraiser this weekend...
Roman style embossed brass breastplate, held up to my body and photographed in a mirror. The gorget was already in my jewelry collection. A sepia photo from 1897, showing the Baroness of Wolverton dressed as Britannia,with gown, breast plate, shield and trident. She attended the Duchess of Devonshire's Diamond Jubilee Ball in honor of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Victoria.
April 16, 2025 at 5:27 AM
themercantile.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
The Met reveals feminist take on porcelain that ‘has always elicited a strong reaction’
In a new exhibition, the ‘monstrous’ history of chinoiserie is used to discuss ideas of women and femininity
www.theguardian.com
April 9, 2025 at 3:36 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Bringing the forgotten weavers back into the rich tapestry of Indian textiles
Curators are finding new ways to spotlight India's rich textile traditions in unique ways.
www.bbc.com
March 30, 2025 at 4:37 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
‘It’s a scary time’: artists react to White House’s recent targeting of Smithsonian Institution
Roberto Lugo and other artists of color are now feeling heat from Trump’s attack on diversity and efforts to rewrite truth of the US’s past
www.theguardian.com
March 29, 2025 at 3:57 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
www.bbc.com/future/artic...

#renaissance #architecture #cityplanning
www.bbc.com
March 26, 2025 at 10:00 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
An immersive week with a well-to-do medieval household. If that's an astrolabe hanging on the wall near where the piper played, it might indicate that this was a merchant family.

Very nicely done. #medievasky #livinghistory
March 13, 2025 at 10:38 PM
themercantile.bsky.social
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Medieval ring found by Norfolk detectorist could make £18k
The retired firefighter says he was left "amazed" when he spotted some gold glistening in the mud.
www.bbc.com
March 11, 2025 at 10:37 PM