When Exisle Publishing came calling, owner Lucy Godoroja recalled the many and varied conversations she'd had with our lovely customers - leading her to take a deep dive into the social and industrial history of the button.
 
In order to look to the future, one must consider the past. This book explores the history of button making through the ages, with special mention of the social histories of the time. It is hoped that through this exploration, a new era of button makers, admirers, and users, may emerge. With knowledge of the old techniques, many of which have been refined and remain today, and together with the knowledge at the forefront of emerging new technologies, an exciting challenge lays ahead. The issues of sustainability have permeated the fashion world, with the “slow fashion” movement causing a groundswell of thought processes on this matter.
 
The buttons featured in this book are not collectible, for the most part. Lucy does not consider herself a collector, but rather, a user of buttons – she likes practical things, used practically. She has included buttons that have followed on from past historical practice, usually through their design, using new techniques that are generally able to be laundered with current methods of cleaning. Lucy hopes to highlight the beauty of all buttons, and to inspire others to make button choices based on longevity, and versatility – when a garment is no longer wearable, the buttons may live another life, no matter if they are transferred to a piece of clothing, used in jewellery making, or featured in an artwork.