Antique and Vintage Textile Fairs
The Textile Society raises funds through its Antique and Vintage Textile Fairs (AVTF). The Manchester AVTF has been a key event in the textile collecting calendar for over 20 years. This has been supplemented in recent years by the London AVTF. All proceeds help fund the Society’s awards, bursaries and activities, including specialist study days, group visits, a biennial research symposium and an annual conference with a changing theme.
Manchester Antique and Vintage Textile Fair
The Textile Society annual collectors’ fair in the North of England
The Textile Society celebrates Manchester’s heritage as the powerhouse of British textile design and manufacture. The Manchester Antique and Vintage Textile Fair is the hub for all passionate collectors of textiles. It was the first antique fair to specialise entirely in historic textiles, and it has remained a key event in the textiles calendar for an astonishing twenty seven years. From world textiles to mid-century modern, from Art Deco to vintage fashion, the fair is an exciting and abundant source for objects and ideas, wall art or wearables, the beautiful or the kitsch.
Alongside numerous stalls of antique textiles, and displays by guilds, groups and recent graduates, visitors can dip into an extensive programme of talks that run throughout the day.
The Textile Society Manchester Antique and Vintage Textile Fair is not only about the past – it points directly to the future. Each year the fair showcases the work of new creatives shortlisted for the society’s generous student bursaries. The competition attracts applications from every corner of the UK, and awards prizes of up to £1000 to selected BA and MA students who go on to become the future makers and designers of textiles.
London Antique and Vintage Textile Fair
The Textile Society annual collectors’ fair in Chelsea
The Textile Society London Antique and Vintage Textile Fair offers an outstanding range of vintage fashion, antique textiles and costume sourced from around the world. Textiles from the 18th century up to the swinging 1960s and 70s, furnishings including pre-1950s rugs, and unique fashion accessories can be found here. Visitors can explore the fair for secondhand books, ephemera and advice on textile conservation.
Whether a textile designer or student looking for design inspiration, a collector looking for a unique addition, or just a visitor wanting to browse beautiful materials and objects, this fair cannot be missed.
Proceeds from the Textile Society fairs and events provide student bursaries, professional development, and museum and conservation awards. These awards reflect the Society’s commitment to supporting education and promoting knowledge within the breadth of textile disciplines.
