Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
What do the words shibori, ikat, and ganado mean to you? If your answer is "come again?" take a look at this overview of the world's often-used but under-identified print making techniques over at Refinery29. The slideshow offers a down and dirty recap of how the prints are made as well as where they hail from, and it might be the fastest way to get familiar with textiles without ever stepping inside a design classroom. But be warned: Once you read it, you'll have no excuse to use the descriptor "ethnic print" ever again. [Refinery29]