inspired by downton abbey

i have a habit of reading the contributor bios of
every house beautiful i get. in the 02/12 issue,
miles redd mentioned his latest obsession –
the new season of downton abbey. 

though i love period drama pieces, i'm ashamed to admit
that i hadn't heard of it, so i spent the next several evenings
watching season 1 on netflix. i, too, am now completely obsessed.

it's no wonder they landed a golden globe for best
television mini-series.

the sets are ravishing; especially, lady mary's bedroom.

the walls are papered in a red and cream print very similar to the 

design of this 18th century silk from

the world of ornament put out by taschen.

below are my downton abbey-inspired picks for the bedroom...or any room!

1: antique fashion print; 2: candle wall sconce; 3: octagonal gilt mirror; 

4: embroidered velvet pillow; 5: carved and gilded louis xv style canapé

my affliction

it's not a sickness or grief, thank heavens, but rather this – expensive taste.
very expensive. ann getty expensive. the kind that loves ormolu-mounted
porcelain vases, japanned and carved giltwood bureau cabinets, and walls
covered in antique chinese textiles. a bit of a challenge for someone
whose income doesn't come remotely close to satisfying this condition.

just the other day i went to house of fabrics to look for some frames for some
antique botanicals i want to put up in the room makeover and every frame i
picked out was a larson juhl.

and again this morning, i received an email from j.crew about their 20% off
outerwear sale. having worn the same coat for the past 2...or is it 3 winters now,
i don't think i can bear to wear it again this year. besides, it's missing some buttons
and isn't even warm enough for this climate.

anyway, i followed the link, and quickly scanned what they have to offer.
every coat that caught my eye–like this cashmere twill–cost around a grand.
why couldn't i go for something in the under 200 category?

to be honest, even if i had the means to live in a house like the one above
or buy any one of these coats, i know it wouldn't make me any happier
than i already am. and i'm pretty sure i'd be nervous about spilling or
pulling a thread, since i tend to run into things like rose bushes.

how about you? what's your affliction?

image credit: photo by lisa romerein for 1stdibs

inspired by – 08.11.10

 

left to right: embossed and gilded pasteboard simulating leather via surfaceview; funny face (1957) directed by stanley donen; handpainted panel featuring silhouette design painted on a pieced silver 18th century style background via gracie; mecistogaster linearis via the evolution store

japonisme: fashion

continuing with this series of posts on japonisme, this one is about fashion. japan has long provided inspiration for those who design clothing for women, whether it's meant to be worn or purely for the sake of art like galliano's spring 2007 japanese-inspired collection for dior.

the details are what i especially loved about this collection. things like exquisite embroidery worked in lustrous silk threads and sequins, and these blue feathered butterflies perched on thin shoulders.

hand-painted umbrellas, folding fans, and tiered pearl chokers...

time and again, fashion looks to traditional japanese artforms, like origami...

isabel toledo tube jacket via the museum at FIT

marchesa spring 2009 rtw collection

and kirie – the japanese art of paper cutting, which may have been the inspiration for the decoration on this dress from marchesa's spring 2010 collection.

this post wouldn't be complete without mention of the three main fashion houses in japan – yohji yamamoto, issey miyake, and rei kawakubo – the designer behind the 'comme des garcons' label. if you follow the work of these internationally known fashion designers, you may recognize some of these images. their work is sculptural, often confrontational, and shows the use of innovative textiles and construction techniques.

for this hand-pleated silk crepe gown, it seems the current for inspiration was reversed, from west to east, for when asked about the inspiration, yamamoto replied, “maybe mme. grès."

white bride dress with big hoop skirt from yohji yamamoto's spring/summer 2009 collection

"wedding dress”, yohji yamamoto spring/summer 2000

a dress from the staircase series by miyake

issey miyake, spring/summer 2001

i may have champagne taste and a beer budget, but i can dream about one day wearing a creation by the genius that is rei kawakubo. untrained as a fashion designer, she conveys her ideas verbally to her patternmakers.

and now, for a look back in time to the year 1952, a swimsuit designed by carolyn schnurer re-embroidered in the pattern of a japanese paper box.

photographed by louise dahl-wolfe for harper's bazaar january 1952

image credits: TOP: japonaise sous l'orage by kusakabe kimbei via yellowkorner; rei kawakubo images courtesy of los angeles county museum of art

japonisme: surface design

for centuries, japan has been associated with a rich textile tradition. some of my favorite techniques are layering, pleating and resist-dyeing. 

a method i've personally tried is arashi shibori also known as pole-wrapping shibori. it's a lot of work, but worth it. a long hollow pvc tube is needed, which is not something one normally keeps around the house. it's also cumbersome to store if one lives in a studio apartment with limited closet space. 

mine was acquired when we didn't have a car and were living in chicago. g. still reminds me of the time he attempted to board a rush hour chicago bus with one of these that he picked up from home depot. naturally, the driver wouldn't let him board, which led to a 2 mile walk home. 

g. if you're reading this, i love you for putting up with my diversions. 

by wrapping fabric around this tube using string and tape, the fabric is then scrunched together and dyes are applied. an endless array of stripes and pleats are possible.

i also tried my hand at board clamping (itajime). these examples (and the ones above) are from shibori: the inventive art of japanese shaped resist dyeing.  

if these images have inspired you to try shibori, these are some great resources:

shibori: the inventive art of japanese shaped resist dyeing
shibori: creating color & texture on silk 


wrapping up this post, below are examples of contemporary japanese textiles from an exhibit at the MoMA in 1998.



screenprinted and flash heated polyester

machine pleated and manually compressed polyester

nylon stitched onto soluble base fabric that is then dissolved

reverse side of a jacquard double weave made of wool and washi paper

japonisme: fabrics

following the previous post on japanese papers, this next post is about japanese-inspired furnishing pattern. like many, i am unabashedly obsessed with fabric, and a quick glance online and through tear sheets revealed the influence japanese design and culture continue to have on those designing fabrics for interiors. following are just a few.

the inspiration for this collection by john stefanidis came from a trip to japan. i immediately recognized a resemblance to katazome papers, and am intrigued by how any one of these might look gracing a chair or pillow cover.

 fossil fabric in the style of a Japanese wood cut

pagodas, dahlias, cherry blossoms, and peonies – all from designers guild. these to me look more like chrysanthemums...even the leaves, but either one – dahlias or mums – are on the list for next year's cutting garden.
 

this one is a wallpaper from the same collection as the one directly above, but i couldn't resist including it, for i love the colors.

kyoto shrine – a geometric from david hicks

next up: japonisme: textiles and surface design

japonisme: paper

looking back at what i'm drawn to and what inspires me,  i see there are influences that have stood the test of time. one is japanese design and culture. since this blog is a place for me to document what i find beautiful in the world, i thought i'd spend a few posts devoted to my love affair with japonisme, starting with paper.

repetitive designs of small dense patterns have always fascinated me, so it's no wonder that i love chiyogami.

two of my favorite places to find these beautiful papers are paper mojo and shepherds falkiners. what i especially love about falkiners's site is that it allows you to add things to a wish list. it's been at least 4 months since my last visit, but they still had my list safe and sound. i'm familiar with persistent shopping carts, but this is fabulous. another resource is japanese paper place, but be prepared to spend hours there, if you like this sort of thing.

 chrysanthemums – always a favorite. 

are there any persistent styles, art, people, or places that have inspired you and lasted over the years? feel free to share this in the comments and stay tuned for part 2.

image credits: palace garden by nelson hancock at james sansum; paper mojo; shepherds falkiners; japanese paper place