Ondulé Fabric in Himalayan Salt (NEW!)
Don’t be fooled by its clean, modern appearance – the inspiration document for this design dates from the 1910s, from the archive of Bianchini-Férier of textile capital Lyon, France. The original document is hand drawn with ink on tissue paper
ABOUT BIANCHINI-FÉRIER
An icon of textile design, Bianchini-Férier became world-famous after the Paris Exposition of 1889. The firm operated continuously for over 100 years, surviving through the Great Depression, two World Wars, and a century’s worth of design eras. Their archive is a course in 20th century art, from Art Nouveau to Postmodernism. Bianchini-Férier textiles were used by couture fashion houses including Balenciaga, Givenchy, Poiret, and Yves Saint-Laurent.
ABOUT ONDULÉ
Ondulé is French for “wavy,” an apt description for this wiggly, dancing design. Ondulé’s source document was likely used as a monochrome jacquard or brocade design, rather than a 2-tone print. Its wandering linework is a hallmark of the Art Nouveau movement, which sought to imitate natural forms like sea coral fabric, river canyons, or cumulus cloud fabric. French architect Hector Guimard, creator of the iconic Paris Metro entrances, explained the significance of curves as, “Nature is the greatest builder, and nature makes nothing that is parallel, and nothing that is symmetrical.”