6 Cutting-Edge Textile Design Books to Read in 2025

Connie Huffa’s extensive expertise in knitwear design shines through this volume, which bridges the often separate worlds of technical knitting and apparel product design. You’ll find over 1500 original tutorials, illustrations, and designs focusing on Abstract Weave Jacquards, offering practical insights into gauge, stitch types, and assembly challenges. The book draws on a wide range of cultural influences—from Milan to Istanbul—to inspire designs that feel both globally informed and uniquely modern. Whether you are a professional designer or a knitting enthusiast, this book provides a rich exploration of trend forecasting and practical applications for men’s and women’s knitwear in diverse styles, from casual to formal.

Unlike most textile design books that focus primarily on technique, this volume brings a fresh perspective by weaving together Syria’s rich textile history with cultural and political narratives spanning two millennia. The authors, experts in archaeology, art history, and heritage preservation, explore how Syrian textiles reflect broader socio-political shifts, supported by insights from artisans and conservators. You’ll gain a nuanced understanding of textile production's role in global art and commerce, backed by detailed scholarship and compelling visuals. This book suits anyone keen on exploring textiles as a form of material culture and those interested in the intersection of art, history, and conflict preservation.

This tailored book explores the forefront of textile design innovation emerging in 2025, providing a unique journey through the latest breakthroughs and creative developments shaping the field. It examines new techniques, materials, and artistic approaches that align closely with your background and interests, offering a deeply personalized exploration of contemporary textile trends. By focusing on what matters most to you, this book reveals how cutting-edge discoveries are redefining fabric design and surface pattern artistry in fresh, inspiring ways. Through this tailored experience, you gain direct access to evolving knowledge and creative possibilities that match your specific goals.

Drawing from extensive archival research and collaboration with textile specialists, Régine Bonnefoit and Marie-Eve Celio-Scheurer delve into the Wiener Werkstätte movement's textile legacy between 1903 and 1932. You explore how lesser-known female artists shaped these textiles, uncovering influences from Eastern European folk traditions to Japanese motifs. The book also examines the application of these designs beyond fabric, including fashion, interior decoration, and even theater, offering a multi-dimensional understanding of the movement. If you're fascinated by early 20th-century design intersections and want to grasp how historical textiles influenced broader artistic markets, this book provides rich, illustrated insights drawn from major collections like the Cotsen Textile Traces Study Collection.

Italian Textile Design: From Art Deco to the Contemporary offers a rich exploration of Italy's textile innovation throughout the 20th century and into today. Vittorio Linfante and Massimo Zanella trace how designers like Emilio Pucci and Gianni Versace transformed fabric into art, blending local craftsmanship with bold new techniques. You’ll learn about the evolution of iconic patterns, manufacturing methods, and the role textiles played in shaping Italy’s fashion identity. This book suits anyone fascinated by the intersection of design history and textile craftsmanship, especially those seeking to deepen their understanding of Italy’s influential contributions to fabric design.

While working as a pioneering textile designer, Sarah Campbell noticed the unique possibilities of painting directly on fabric, a practice that diverges sharply from digital design's repeat patterns. This book walks you through creating original, hand-painted textiles using varied tools like brushes and simple household items for resist techniques, covering fabrics from cotton to silk. You'll gain insights into pattern scale, color dynamics, and pattern placement — learning to embrace individuality in design rather than uniform repetition. If you want to experiment with tactile, personal textile art and understand how to make each piece truly one-of-a-kind, this book offers a focused, practical guide without unnecessary jargon.

This tailored book explores the rapidly evolving landscape of textile design as it stands in 2025, focusing on emerging trends and transformations that shape the future of fabric innovation. It delves into recent discoveries and developments personalized to your interests, providing insights into new materials, techniques, and cultural influences driving the next wave of textile artistry. By matching your background and goals, the book offers a unique opportunity to engage deeply with the forefront of textile creativity, helping you anticipate and shape design directions that resonate with your specific focus areas. This personalized approach ensures your learning is both relevant and immediately applicable to your textile design journey.

What if everything you knew about Andy Warhol’s artistic legacy was incomplete? Geoffrey Rayner and Richard Chamberlain explore a lesser-known chapter in Warhol’s career—the vibrant commercial textile designs that predate his iconic Pop Art fame. Through over 30 featured textile patterns, including whimsical ice cream sundaes and acrobatic clowns, you gain insight into how Warhol’s early commercial work shaped his artistic sensibility. This book is a visual journey with newly discovered textiles and rich photography, revealing the intersection of commercial art and fine art in mid-20th century design. If you’re fascinated by textile history or Warhol’s creative evolution, this offers a focused lens on an overlooked dimension of his oeuvre.