How textile communicates : from codes to cosmotechnics

Textile has been used as a medium of communication since the prehistoric period.

Up until the 19th century, civilizations throughout the world manipulated thread and fabric to communicate in a way that would astound many of us now.

Unlike text and images, textile is haptic and three-dimensional.

Its meaning is unfixed, constantly shifting as it circulates between different owners and creators.

In How Textile Communicates, Ganaele Langlois dissects textile’s unique capacity for communication through a range of global case studies, before examining the profound impact of colonialism on textile practice and the appropriation of this medium by capitalist systems. A thought-provoking contribution to the fields of both fashion and communication studies, Langlois’ writing challenges readers’ preconceptions and shines new light on the profound impact of textiles on human communication.