Passementerie – the art of making trimmings, tassels and tiebacks – has seen a huge resurgence in recent years, as designers discover both the decorative possibilities and the craftsmanship behind these jewels of the design world. While they might normally be approached as finishing touches, a new installation at the Design Centre puts them right in the foreground.
The 12-tiered cascading installation mimics the shape of a traditional tassel, but look closer and you’ll see that it’s made from more than 500 individual pieces, each one a Samuel & Sons product in its own right. In shades of blue, pink, orange, yellow and green, this kaleidoscope of colour makes a vivid impression to visitors, whether they’re standing underneath it or getting a closer view from one of the Centre Dome’s balconies.
The majority of the installation is made from ‘Bali’ tiebacks, a pared-back modern design in linen that shows how passementerie can be a feature of contemporary schemes as well as more traditional decorative ones. Also incorporated are ‘Sophie’, ‘Calisto’, ‘Aurelia’, ‘Céline’ and ‘Ilana’, ‘Saisons’, ‘Aquarelle’, ‘Caitlin’ and ‘Cabana’. Suspended from the bottom tier is an extra-long orange tassel that showcases Samuel & Sons’ custom capabilities.
The design world is increasingly seeing trimming as something that can steal the spotlight in its own right. Here, that idea is writ large: the detail is what makes the whole.
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