The Global Home

High style from around the world

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WORLDLY FABRICS

Many of today’s most beautiful fabrics for the home are inspired by techniques native to countries with rich textile-making traditions.

–SAMANTHA STEVENSON

1 SUZANI

This fabric’s name comes from the Persian word for “needle” and “needlework.” Suzani textiles were gifted by “soon-to-be brides to their betrothed as a symbol of affection,” says Amanda Bauer of KDR Designer Showrooms. “A traditional suzani is embroidered,” says Design & Detail’s Jessica Murrie. Popular motifs include flowers and moon and sun imagery. This particular fabric consists of a repeating pattern of machine-embroidered rosettes on a heavy linen herringbone cloth.

Manuel Canovas, Villars, in Amethyste

2 ANDEAN

A process of dyeing fabrics to tell stories, Andean designs date back to the early 1500s in Perú. “This particular piece, inspired by a pre-Columbian woven garment from South America, is a print,” says Bauer. The textile tradition began in a culture in which craftsmen used thread spun from cotton and wool from alpacas and llamas.

Cowtan & Tout, Peru, in cinnabar

3 TOILE