Jacquard Black
Jacquard Black
Need inspiration? Here are just a few items to have recently received a big thumbs up from top fashion and lifestyle magazines:
Silk printed long sleeve dress, £75, by Untold. Featured in You magazine (Mail on Sunday supplement), as well as In Style and Red magazines.
A stunning print, sourced from a London vintage print archive, makes this dress a key look for autumn winter. With billowing sleeves and a v-neckline, it has a detailed pleated panel under the bust, with gathering falling down from this to the hem. It is knee length, with a rear zip fastening and buttons at the sleeve cuffs.
http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Silk+printed+long+sleeve+dress./106385637,default,pd.html?cgid=0355&ref=MUS
Wool twist knot front dress, £75, by Untold. Featured in You magazine (Mail on Sunday supplement).
This tailored item dress is a classic shape, with a stylish twist at the front neckline. The fastening is a hidden side zip. Wear with stilettos for a stunning work outfit.
http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Wool+twist+knot+front+dress/105354560,default,pd.html?cgid=0355&ref=MUS
Silk stripe blouse, £41.40, by Linea. Featured in Company magazine.
This blouse has puff sleeves and a neck-tie accessory for versatility. It can be worn with jeans for a daywear look or teamed with smart Linea trousers or a skirt for the office.
http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Silk+stripe+blouse/101385399,default,pd.html?cgid=305&ref=MUS
Silk bell sleeve blouse, £41.40, by Linea. Featured in Cosmopolitan magazine.
This round-neck, front fastening silk charmeuse blouse is lightweight and stylish with ¾ length puff sleeves. Available in grey and red.
http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Silk+bell+sleeve+blouse/105284626,default,pd.html?cgid=305&ref=MUS
Wool circle jacquard coat, £169, by Untold. Featured in Vogue.
This is a princess coat, in a special circle jacquard. The stand away collar and centre buttons add to its beautiful shape. Perfect for evenings out and special occasions. Available in cream.
http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Wool+circle+jacquard+coat/106235523,default,pd.html?cgid=300&ref=MUS
Quilted large pu shoulder tote bag, £39, by Untold. Featured in Bella magazine.
This quilted shoulder tote has stylish metal hardware and is available exclusively at House of Fraser. Inside there’s a zip pocket that’s ideal for keys and ipods. Available in gold.
http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Quilted+large+pu+shoulder+tote+bag/106365726,default,pd.html?cgid=313&ref=MUS
Patent disk belt, £15, by Untold. Featured in Grazia magazine.
This patent disk belt is a stylish fashion forward accessory. It has a flat patent covered disc buckle and a high shine strap. The belt is fastened and sized at the front. Available in red.
http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Patent+disk+belt/106379068,default,pd.html?cgid=313&ref=MUS
Poppy large pu patent shoulder tote bag, £59 by Issie B. Featured in New Woman and Marie Claire magazines.
This large patent shoulder tote has large front pockets secured by a magnetic ‘kiss’ lock closure. The bag has double woven handles with a top zip closing and contrast lining complete with interior zip pockets. Choose from purple and black.
http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Poppy+large+pu+patent+shoulder+tote+bag/106223657,default,pd.html?cgid=313&ref=MUS
http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Poppy+large+pu+patent+shoulder+tote+bag/106223649,default,pd.html?cgid=313&ref=MUS
About House of Fraser:
House of Fraser is the UK’s leading retailer of designer brands and clothes, selling everything you need to make a house a home, from décor and furniture and all you could need for the kitchen, to clothes to fill your closets and cupboards. The department store chain sells women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing and accessories; housewares; linens; stationery; luggage; haberdashery; cosmetics; perfume; jewellery; furniture; and electronics in 61 stores throughout the UK. House of Fraser’s stores operate under many banners, including House of Fraser, Army & Navy, Beatties, and Jenners. Name brands offered include Alberta Ferretti, Armani, Diesel, French Connection, Jean Paul Gaultier, Moschino, Paul Smith, Ralph Lauren, and Versace, as well as in-house brands, such as Linea.
To find your nearest House of Fraser store, or check out the newest products on sale, see http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk
About the Author:
http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Autumn/winter 2007 Must-haves From House of Fraser
Once upon a time only kings and emperors could afford fine woven hangings for their walls. They employed staffs of skilled weavers to commemorate battles and weddings in meticulous detail. These craftsmen worked from dawn ’til dusk on giant hi-warp looms, often for as long as a year, to create stunning masterworks.
Merchants and common folk could never afford even a single tapestry; they had to settle for cloth blankets. In the early nineteenth century, the invention of the Jacquard loom changed all that. Tapestries became affordable enough to be used not only for practical purposes, but even the common folk could enjoy them as a decorative influence in their homes.
The Man Behind the Loom
Joseph-Marie Jacquard (1752-1834) was a weaver by the age of ten. He experienced first-hand the numbing labor required to create a tapestry. He was a “shuttle boy,” working inside the loom, but his back-breaking job led him to think “outside the loom.”
In an uncanny prediction of the computers we use today, Jacquard figured out how to use punch cards to direct the intricate weaving of tapestries. Jacquard’s mechanized loom was a nearly instant success. In 1803 he was decorated in Paris by Napoleon himself, who promptly declared the invention “public property.” The early rumblings of the Industrial Age to come had been sounded.
For the first time, even an inn-keeper or a tradesman could afford a tapestry. Today, you can shop for a tapestry for your home without taking out a second mortgage. Beautiful wall hangings that would have cost a prince’s ransom in an earlier times are available for less than a week’s pay now. The materials are the same – fine wool, cotton, silk and exotic threads; but Jacquard’s creation slashed the labor hours.
A Bit of Tapestry History
In medieval times, castles were damp and drafty places. Window glass didn’t exist and massive stone walls were cold. Monarchs liked to be comfortable when they weren’t out conquering barbarians. The earliest tapestries were used to cover windows and doors; artistic merit was important but secondary.
As kings built wealth they traded around the world for precious goods. Fine cloth from India and China was imported to Europe. Weavers learned to use gold and silver thread in their craft. Over time, displaying tapestries large enough for a main hall became a status symbol.
Royal houses kept staffs of skilled weavers on hand. They commissioned tapestries for occasions ranging from victories to coronations. Large or small, every hanging was a labor of hundreds of hours. The artistry of great tapestries was evidence of the owner’s wealth and good taste. They became prized possessions that could be rolled up and carried off if trouble arose.
For centuries tapestries were treasures reserved for royalty. Lucky for us, that’s no longer true! With the invention of Jacquard’s modern loom, the brilliant art form known as tapestry became affordable for regular people and has endured to this day.
Cost Still Matters for Decorating
Home decor is always done on a budget. Choosing among the large variety of decorative accent objects involves comparing prices and making smart decisions. One-of-a-kind tapestries can compete with sculpture and paintings today because the Jacquard loom dramatically reduced the labor cost.
A single hand-blown glass object provides a delightful accent; one misplaced elbow can destroy it. Paintings are interesting, but can occupy only so much space before they appear gaudy. A large tapestry, however, can survive an earthquake and cover an entire wall.
Decorators can now include the rich texture and dazzling colors of tapestry without blowing the budget. Tapestries offer themes ranging from gallantry to mythology to love. A wall hanging woven of wool, silk or cotton becomes a focal point for modern room design.
Options for Every Home
Choose carefully, and each tapestry can set the mood for a different room. Hang an intriguing Oriental skirmish tapestry in your den, perhaps a battle scene. Brilliant hues of red and black can define a casual office area as a serious workspace. Select a pristine Tibetan mountain landscape to create an atmosphere of serenity in your private getaway.
In a bigger living space, use a rectangular English country scene hung horizontally over massive couch. Popular settings range from a lively foxhunt to a hidden cottage by a brook. Earth tones in green, brown, and yellow make decorating easy to coordinate!
Non-pictorial hangings are perfect for first impressions. You can enhance a blank foyer wall by displaying a traditional Native American patterned tapestry, woven on a modern Jacquard loom. Simplicity, pattern, and symbolism will reflect the geometry of tile or marble floors.
You don’t have to rule a kingdom to decorate your home with tapestries. You’ll love the feeling of owning uniquely beautiful art. Your guests will be intrigued and impressed. Thanks to the genius of inventor Jacquard, we can all consider buying woven wall hangings for our homes!
About the Author:
Angela Dawson-Field writes extensively on home decor and
tapestry & textile art
. She divides her time between family and
The Tapestry House
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Tapestries For All – The Jacquard Loom