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This summer at Eastern Accents, we are celebrating some of our finest textiles. We asked Louise Traficanti, our longtime creative director, to share her top 5 favorite fabrics and trims from our line. Over the last 30 years she has visited mills and textile manufacturers all over the world, sourced unique products, and developed countless custom designs. Her passion is searching for what is new, fresh, and inspiring in the textile world!
Reflecting on her position at Eastern Accents, Louise says “the best aspect without a doubt of my job is the ‘hunt’ for the next amazing textile that knocks our socks off…basically the holy grail of fabrics. When we see the fabric we know that it is a winner, there is a visceral reaction.
The composition, color, technique, and dimension scream ‘I am something special, I am beautiful - you need to build a collection around me’. Generally we recognize these fabrics immediately — it is hard to pinpoint what makes it special, but you just feel it. Textiles appeal to your eye and to the touch so when I want to keep looking at it, I know that there is something there that is pulling me in”.
Louise’s Top 5 Fabrics:
Well, technically top six fabrics — Louise couldn't choose just five! With over 1000 textiles in our catalog, it was very difficult to select only a few. So, in no particular order, here are Louise’s favorites…
Aosta Gray
“A stunner. It is a solid fabric but the texture in this woven fabric screams luxury. Composed of alpaca and virgin wool, the depth of this fabric is astounding and the hand is to die-for”. This light shade of gray is soft and versatile, easy to mix with both cool and warm tones. The long fibers add not only sublime softness, but an additional depth of color, making for beautiful decorative pillows. “The fabric is so elegant and made of natural fibers, you just want to snuggle up to it. Personally, I would love a chair in this fabric — I would never leave it!”
Nobu Teal
“This was a standout. When we saw the swatch from one of our Italian suppliers, it just stopped me in my tracks”. Nobu Teal is a fil coupé, meaning that certain threads in the woven fabric are cut to create texture, a raised pattern, or fringe effect. The pattern is an organic, almost faux-bois style, in a striking teal and copper palette. The fringe on this fabric is deliberately left long so it gives the fabric an added textural element. “Such an interesting woven fabric, we had to create a collection around [it]— it turned into Montaigne!"
Hebrides Gold & Platinum
“These fabrics are so interesting. They are woven with novelty yarns that give it great body and texture. Then the fabrics are overprinted with a metallic color, so you end up having this color and texture that play together, it drapes and catches the light in a spectacular fashion. It evokes the feeling of mermaids, fish scales, and iridescence". In two color-ways, gold and platinum, the Hebrides fabrics can compliment whatever metallic tone you fancy. "Another strong support fabric … these fabrics are the little exclamation mark that solidifies the glamorous look of some of our collections like Kolette, Tilda, Dominique, and Esmeralda”.
Indochine
“This embroidery is beautiful. In metallic tones, it uses the thread almost like fine colored pencils... you can see the graduation of dark to light on the design. The cut threads periodically section off the colors and add another dimension to this fabric.” In addition to the gradient of blues in this embroidery, the metallic tones shift from gold to steel then platinum colors, creating a beautiful range. “[The composition] is so dynamic- this is another fabric that we had to build a collection around”.
Heron Dusk
“This fabric is one that I think people glance over and miss all the nuances of what a spectacular woven structure it is. The chenille yarn used makes it incredibly soft. It is also woven in a way that it feels like the chenille is micro-pleated, and the colors within this remind me of water when light hits it on the ocean or a lake”. Used to create our Zephyr Chenille Bed Scarf, it wraps the bed in a wave of luxury. “The soft seafoam color with the warm neutrals emit a lovely sea glass palette with a sumptuous hand. Upholstered on a piece of furniture, this one is a quiet stunner. The nature of the chenille yarn also causes it to catch the light in a nuanced way. You should request a swatch of this, as the image does not do it justice!”
Jeffrey Ochre
Jeffrey Ochre, the standout of our Gustav collection, is a heavy, organic satin fabric. No GMO seeds were used when growing the cotton, rotation of cultivation fields is practiced, as well as collection and use of rainwater. “This print packs a whole zoo into its selvedges. There are so many animals (I think 19) that are hidden in this print, it is a jumble of goodies”. The pattern is a reinterpretation of a Japanese archive, digitally printed using 18 different colors. This method makes the colors richer, brighter, and more saturated. “The amount of screens are shocking, each color is printed and the print is so crisp and clean…it is truly mesmerizing. There is so much going on here, the animals, the leaves and the beautiful spirals that radiate are all so harmonious in this print…A great conversation piece and a beautiful combination of so many colors, this fabric can bring a room together”.
Louise’s top trims:
Now on to the trims! According to Louise, “trim is the finishing details, that little thoughtful note that adds the perfect touch. Never to be underestimated, details matter and while we glance at items that are constructed… the details are things that draw us in and cause us to look at the item carefully and investigate how it is made.”
“Trim disappeared a while ago and everything became more severe and stark, bullion practically got wiped out, but now we are seeing a renewed appreciation of trim and a respect for what these small details do to a scheme. Long live trim!”
Daryn Border
“This one is all the bells and whistles... where do we start? Well, this is made in India and the shiny sequins play off the thick cotton cord that is hand-stitched on this border. It packs a real punch when used on home decor. The diamond motif created by these two contrasting materials is on the duvet cover in Teryn. When the light hits this trim, it really comes alive. The color palette is a beautiful monochromatic taupe and gold — this trim is the exclamation mark to your work!”
Concertina Ivory Border
“This trim is very specific and very special. It is not a trim that will work with everything, it is almost sculptural, but I had to include it in this list. The fabric is shipped to New York to Tom's Sons, where it is pleated in a great little atelier in the garment district".
"This trim is used in our Romilly collection, and it has almost an operatic feel to it. We curve it and sew it on pillows, we use it as the hem on the ottoman, it is layered on the curtain panels like some elaborate Oscar-worthy gown! This trim screams ‘I am special, luxurious and refined’. It reminds me of Issey Miyake when he designed the most amazing pleated garments. This trim looks like the fine gills of the underside of a mushroom — organic and refined. The pleats never fall out, they are permanent and the edges are surged. Even the surging is pretty.”
Cord Caldwell
“This humble cord looks like it would be very specific and only work with limited collections — that is where you would be wrong. This cord surprises us time and time again when we find that it blends in perfectly with so many collections”. Cord Caldwell starts with a white/ivory base that is wrapped in black and tan threads. The effect is a lattice design with a slight edgy touch, a perfect fit with our geometric Bale Euro shams. “Looks fabulous on a duvet or around a pillow, it works in the most surprising of places [and] almost all styles of design. This is another good cord to keep in your repertoire at all times”.
Beaded Trim Claire
“Talk about jewelry — this is it! This trim is so elegant and opulent, it is reminiscent of Venetian times and has a historic feel to it”. This beaded fringe features flocked balls that are carefully wrapped with a gold thread and even have a little gold bead on either end. The header is equally as beautiful, with the velvet ribbon sewn on top. “When a trim has such an elegant header, you do want to show it off, let it breathe, and make its statement on the item you have designed”. Featured on our Fairuza Beaded Decorative Pillow in diagonally rows, both the beads and velvet ribbon have their chance to shine. “The palette of teals, greens, and mustard is fresh, and yet harkens to jewel toned interiors layered with velvets and damasks…The spacing is also perfect with these balls, on a leading edge of a curtain they would be stunning. They remind me of beautiful petit fours!”
Pro-tip from Louise:
“Never overuse a ball trim — place it on the sides of pillows. When used on all 4 edges, it falls to the back and hides and you lose the impact of it”.
Brush Fringe Sconset Salmon
“This is a great example of the little engine that could, small but mighty, etc. This little guy here is used in so many different places, I do not think customers actually realize how often we use this trim. It is a humble little half-inch brush fringe, and we use it like it is going out of fashion. This softens the edges of pillows just ever so slightly, and brings a little freshness to a pillow or duvet”.
“This trim is used so often by us that we developed it in many other color-ways…this one little trim grew into a family of offerings! If there is ever a trim to keep in your back pocket, this is the one I would hold onto. This trim can be used in any home, any style. It is the vanilla ice cream of trims. We often overlook the simple in favor of the extravagant - mini brush fringe is your workhorse”.
Yuri Black Border
“We have some of the most stunning wide borders in our line and the detail on this beauty is just exquisite. This border has a beautiful geometry and the embroidery is so neat and tidy” The pattern of squares is layered with a diamond shape, then embellished with tiny gold beads for another layer of texture. The effect is modern and elegant, taking centerstage on some of our boutique decorative pillows. “The [color] palette is classic and the design can work anywhere. I also like the neutral linen ground on this trim, as it softens the black…if it were white it would be a glaring, stark contrast. When a border feels like it would make a beautiful cuff or piece of jewelry, then I think it is perfect for home decor as a little bling/detail”.
“These are obviously the feature fabrics that I am discussing but, like a play, you need a great supporting cast or else the production will not be a success. Same with a collection — a star and some stellar coordinates will give you an amazing collection that will stand out and stand the test of time as a design classic. We are so lucky at Eastern Accents to design products for different aesthetics — formal and glam or mountain/lake home — classic or modern, the range is so broad that it makes the design process so engaging and interesting.”
Looking for your own favorite fabrics? Or the perfect trim to feature in your next project? Explore Eastern Accents full range of textiles here.
