Chairly there

Photo: Vlisco

 Dutch Wax prints designed for the African diaspora use some of the most inventive patterns and are often on a larger scale than anything else designed for apparel. There's a sheer joy to these fabrics that Africans the world over have adopted as their own to the point of identifying with them despite their being designed in by Europeans for their market. Today several west African firms exist, yet the plus appreciated and 

imitated is Holland's Vlisco.  

These designs featuring chairs and buildings are right at home on this page.

For more about spectacular Dutch wax prints, please see my textile blog, St Tyl.

From St Tyl: the Fruman Collection

(c) Alain Rousseau

After over 30 years of collecting embroidered liturgical ornaments, Josiane Cougard-Fruman and Daniel Fruman were able to bring together over 200 examples of these magnificent but largely over-looked embroidered textiles dating from the 15th to the 20th century. The collection is comprised of pieces specifically created for Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican devotional rites, unlike many other liturgical ornaments which were often re-created or 

re-cycled from precious silks formerly worn by their donners. 

(c) Alain Rousseau

The Fruman couple, with the contribution of the Zaleski Foundation, has recently made a donation of this unique collection to the Museum of the Treasure at the Cathedral of Puy-en-Velay, a UNESCO world heritage site, were the setting is every bit as exquisite as these new and rare masterpieces. 

the article continues, St Tyl

Draped

textiles in art, follow to St Tyl

St Tyl: L'orient des femmes

"A true hymm to oriental women, the exhibition reveals another aspect of femininity, from the North of Syria to the Sinaï peninsula, introducing an exceptional collection of 150 traditional costumes and accessories from the Near East, selected by designer Christian Lacroix, in close co-operation with Hana Chidiac, Head of the North African and Near East collections at the musée du quai Branly...."
for more, follow to St Tyl

Interwoven

Here's my new project in the form of another blog dedicated to textiles.

It will be presented - at least partially - under the heading of Le Style et la Matière and also published separately under the helpful patronage of StTyl, click!