issue 119 Savoir Faire

We asked our contributors to tell us about a significant textile memory they cherish from France.

Susan Hiner p.36

Cynthia Green p.18

Katerina Knight p.22

I was browsing the Puces de Vanves 10 years ago for 19th-century fashion prints by the Colin Sisters. Not only did I find many handpainted prints but I also discovered curiously decorated fashion prints, embellished with fabric, lace scraps, tiny ribbons, and minuscule faux gemstones. These had been painstakingly attached to the print to replicate the pleats and flounces of the dresses. The texture and delicacy of the ladies fashion merged with the extraordinary skill of the modiste, or amateur crafter, in this strangely enigmatic handiwork. The Basque region is known for its history of cultivating linen and its sturdy striped weaves, but one of my best textile experiences was discovering a shop in Saint-Jean-deLuz that features antique white textiles and household linens – often hand-embroidered – that used to be a crucial component of wedding trousseaux. When old properties are sold, unused, no-longer-used linens are often uncovered in the attic. The quality, from the weave of the fabric to the precision of the stitching, is breathtaking. In 2014 whilst working as a resident artist in Sainte-Valière, a rural village nestled in olive groves, in the Minervois region, Eloise Caleo, the resident leader and chic Parisian writer told me about a small boutique in the neighbouring village, Paraza, owned by a fine artist from Paris. The next day, taking a break from painting, I hiked in the heat of high summer and was amazed to find a treasure trove of French vintage fashions awaiting me. Ten years on, the floor-length white silk skirt with a subtle floral print is still my staple summer piece.