Seductive Splendour
Passementerie doesn’t get much more sumptuous than Houlès’ Volanges collection. Designed by French interior designer Olivier Berni – and photographed at his oplulent Parisian studio, pictured above – its rosettes, tassel tiebacks, fringe, braid and other trimmings show off the traditional skill of the passementier to its full, with refined details and incredible craftsmanship.
Volanges is named after Mademoiselle de Volanges from the classic Enlightenment novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, so expect a seductive collection that would feel right at home in an opulent 18th-century palais or apartment. Despite the complexity of these designs, there is a lightness to everything: fringe is embellished with multi-coloured jasmines (the vertical hanging elements of a passementerie design), while tiebacks feature tiers separated by brush fringing.
Apply a final flourish with a delicate rosette, or trim curtains and cushions with Volanges‘ reversible wide braid, based on a stylised laurel-wreath design with a trompe-l’oeil relief effect. The colour palette runs from soft browns and blues to regal jewel-toned malachite and purple.
Olivier Berni opened his own studio in 2007, and is known for his sensitive approach to period interiors. But who knows where the Volanges collection will end up? With passementerie currently experiencing a huge revival, designers are revelling in being able to explore traditional trimmings in new ways.
