Elise
Fabric and Color Journal
Thoughts on fabrics, colors and textures.
November 9, 2016
African Influence with a Pucci Color Palette
Thank you Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) for this terrific show on textiles from the Dutch company Vlisco.
November 3, 2016
Plaid Reincarnation!
What an interesting combination here, the neutral ground with these traditional plaids/tartans. The piece is subdued and unexpected. The use of cream keeps it moving.
Thank you Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute for having such a wonderful collection of all things textile.
http://metmuseum.org/about-the-met/curatorial-departments/the-costume-institute
Elise
August 10, 2016
August 3, 2016
Young Women in Plaid.
These beautiful young ladies, in their plaids and print, so lovely. I love that they held the moment in these photos.
Elise
July 27, 2016
Plaids and Portrait
The colors and patterns in Madras Plaids are beautifully varied, probably my favorite type of plaid fabric. But just to be clear, I do love all plaids.
This Daguereotype was taken 1854-60 by William Hardy Kent. It is from the Met archives.
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/291781
This young woman is so lovely in her plaid.
Seeing this portrait, of another time and place but with such a familiar pattern, makes me happy!
This Daguereotype was taken 1854-60 by William Hardy Kent. It is from the Met archives.
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/291781
This young woman is so lovely in her plaid.
Elise
July 20, 2016
They started here
I like the old photo's and watercolors of Chennai India (the old Madras). Its a complicated layered country, which makes it all the more lovable.
These colors made me think of the stacks and books of patterns we used to go through to design new patterns and recolor old ones.
Elise
Labels:
Archives
,
Art
,
Fabric Of India
,
Indian Classics
,
Madras
,
Maps
,
Old India
,
Pattern Books
,
plaids
,
Watercolors
July 13, 2016
Summertime
Sometimes they are on trend and sometimes they are not. I've been seeing nice plaids on the street and in windows. Not overkill, but enough to keep me happy.
Here's a fun map of where it all comes from, or at least some of it.
Elise
Labels:
Classics
,
colorful
,
cotton
,
Fabric Of India
,
Free Thinkers
,
Happy
,
Madras
,
plaids
,
Summertime Fabric
July 6, 2016
Love for Madras
As a textile designer and developer, I have spent a lot of time working on men's plaids. Now, every time I see this on the street (or something similar) --
I remember scenes similar to this
and to these.
To say the least, it changed how I see fabric. I love plaids and never find them tiresome. There are endless possibilities. They should get more respect.
Elise
June 24, 2016
June 22, 2016
2 color Mosaic, definitely not understated.
This was a spectacular and huge wall inside a church in Mexico City. I'm a sucker for mosaics, so of course loved this.
Elise
June 1, 2016
May 25, 2016
Monochromatic
These first 2 photos are from a show at the FIT gallery. I just like the monochromatic feeling they have, especially this brown and yellow and pink number below. The red combo, speaks to me because I was taught to treat red with caution in men's wear and here, obviously they don't. The last photo is a wall installation from a museum in Mexico that was made out of sisal-all types, colors and weave.
Elise
May 18, 2016
May 11, 2016
Amazing Needlework
Elise
May 4, 2016
FIT Show
This outfit was in the FIT show a number of months ago, Global Fashion Capitals, representing Mumbai. It was really spectacular. Beautiful weaving, embroidery, print, and such bright happy colors. Everything is happening on this dress.
Elise
Labels:
embroidery
,
FIT Global Fashion Capitals
,
gold
,
juxtaposition
,
mixtures
,
Mumbai
,
weaving
April 27, 2016
Viney Ferny Floral
This is a lovely swatch that my friend Jane shared with me. It have a little of a furry feeling to it. Its old and is a little dingy, but I like it anyway. The pattern is so fluid and evocative.
Elise
April 9, 2016
Changing Stripe
This piece of fabric is a simple stripe woven out of linen/cotton (I think) and then changes to a silk. Its quite interesting and a lovely variety of redish browns and golds.
Elise
March 30, 2016
Swampy Flowers from the FIT Fairy Tale Fashion Show
The show at the FIT gallery Fairy Tale Fashion had this dress in it, which I loved. Its so over the top great and a little creepy.
Elise
March 23, 2016
Some Favorite Men's Dress Shirtings
Elise
March 3, 2016
Great Subway Plaid
Just really liked this. It reminded me of all those great over shirts, CPO's we wore in high school.
Elise
January 27, 2016
January 20, 2016
January 13, 2016
V & A Paisley from The Fabric of India show
The show at the V & A, The Fabric of India, has now closed. They really explained a lot of the textile process so unique to that country. The shop had a range of very interesting textiles. This paisley below was interesting to me as its classic and modern. But mostly I love the floral movement and the busy intensity.
Elise
December 30, 2015
Bicycle Chandelier Ai Weiwei
We went to see the Ai Weiwei show at the Royal Academy in London. I loved this piece and how glittery and over the top it was. Even if you don't like his work, what he has to say is important, go see it if you are in London.
Elise