In a felicitous display of fabulosity, the latest exhibition at London’s Fashion and Textile Museum – Zandra Rhodes: 50 Years of Fabulous – plays host to the lifetime’s output of its colourful founder and resident, Dame Zandra Rhodes. The largest presentation of her work yet showcases a design for every year of her career, and […]
No one would have guessed that the Great Pottery Throw Down would make for compelling television entertainment, let alone that BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour would be running its own craft competition to celebrate the programme’s 70th anniversary. Likewise, few could have anticipated the rise and rise of craft, at a time when ‘authenticity’ is everywhere, […]
Discarded materials have been put to good use in Cheryl Higgins’s textile collections. The young designer’s slow textiles incorporate used bottle tops and ring pulls reworked into sustainable mixed media designs. Her 2015 degree show at Loughborough University won her a place as one of the Top 30 New Designers in the annual show of the same name. Cheryl […]
Peacocks are known to be aggressive. A London boxing gym is even named after the pugnacious bird. But peacocks are nothing to be scared of – they have appeared in art and fashion throughout the ages. In China, peacocks are a manifestation of the mythical phoenix and linked to fame, luck, divinity, rank power and beauty: […]
From passementerie to fashion adornments so extreme that the decoration becomes the fabric itself. Just when you thought we were over fringing, this is something you’ll be seeing even more of in the spring – with fringing becoming an integral part of the fabric. The frayed fabric look has been seen on the catwalks of Chanel, […]
London’s Chelsea Harbour Design Centre houses some of the world’s foremost passementerie specialists. Samuel and Sons offer a wide array of tassels, borders, braids, gimp, fringes and custom made trims to interior designers and architects. Their Labyrinth border is “inspired by the proportions and configuration of classic architectural mazes from Grecian antiquity.” Raised satin stiches stand […]
VV Rouleaux is more than just a ribbon shop. The 25 year old haberdashery emporium is an Aladdin’s cave of trimmings. From feathered birds (great for Christmas decorations as well as hats) to pom-poms, tassels and Chanel-style grosgrain ribbon, the colour filled store is a cherished resource for dressmakers, milliners and home accessories designers. Owner Annabel […]
In Visuology Issue 3, we flagged up the growing use of passementerie in fashion and interior design. We thought the run up to Christmas, with its explosion of colourful decorations, would be the perfect time to showcase some of the passementerie that has captured our attention over the past couple of years. In 2014, we […]
The world’s leading university of art and design is an inspiring place to hunt for unique Christmas gifts. Showcasing the raw talent of students from a variety of arts disciplines including textiles, fine art and ceramics, the Royal College of Art Christmas Fete is now in its 4th year. All proceeds from the event at […]
Billed as the highlight of the V&A’s India Season, The Fabric of India will be the first major exhibition to explore the dynamic and multifaceted world of handmade Indian textiles from the 3rd to the 21st century. The show will feature over 200 pieces including an 18th century tent, ceremonial and religious cloths, textiles created for […]