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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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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...

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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · 9d

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

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Sep 7

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

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Sep 5

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

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Sep 5

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

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Sep 4

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

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Sep 4

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

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Sep 1

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.

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Aug 30

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 Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Aug 26

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 Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Aug 25

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

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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Aug 24

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 Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Aug 20

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 Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Aug 20

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

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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Aug 20

that's a fabulous collection.

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Aug 20

Apparently, word of their demise was misspoken

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Aug 12

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

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August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Jun 13

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

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · May 26

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

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · May 4

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

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Apr 28

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

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Apr 17

That's stunning.

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Apr 16

Absolutely Wow.

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Apr 16

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.

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Apr 9

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

August Phoenix Mercantile @themercantile.bsky.social · Mar 30

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

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