Brocade made by Séquin & Co., Lyons, France.
Collection: Philadelphia Museum of Art, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Apparently brocade, that opulent and maximalist fabric, is making a comeback…
This article from Architectural Digest explains how the fabric, once the exclusive property of royalty, nobility and the extremely wealthy, is being used in fashion and interiors, and there are new innovations being trialled to make the fabric more durable and better suited to modern tastes and needs.
Brocade is a complex type of weaving. Extra weft threads (wefts are those threads that go back and forth across the width of the weave) are added to create a raised effect on a cloth. In other words, a ground cloth is woven and an additional layer is added on top of it. To make this kind of fabric, a Jacquard loom is generally needed so that there is more variation possible because each thread in the warp can be lifted or lowered independently. The effect is rather like those wallpapers where a solid background has a raised pattern on it created by flocking.
The benefits of brocade are not only decorative. The addition of extra layers of texture increase weight so that fabrics drape (curtains are a good example of this) and they also add warmth. In historic buildings brocade was used for practical reasons – to block draughts, screen-off areas and to retain heat – and had the added advantage of showing off the wealth of the owners. Brocade was an expensive fabric to make because it is time-consuming to weave and expensive materials were used in the process, such as silk and gold or silver thread. Clothes made of brocade would have added to the impression of wealth and luxury.
The name “brocade” comes from the late 16th century. In Italian the word “broccato”, itself derived from “brocco” meaning “twisted thread” led to Spanish and Portuguese “brocado” and the French “brocart”. The cloth’s origins however are in Ancient China where, for more than 1,300 years, these complex, beautiful fabrics have been woven. India too has a claim to the history.
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