Saturday, 27 July 2013

Bespoke Suits Versus Bespoke Sofas

By Cara Stone


To the majority of us, the term "bespoke" will bring up the image of a tailor meticulously measuring, cutting, and stitching a suit from the finest cloth. Indeed the word bespoke in fact originates from London's Saville Row where tailors would typically refer to garments as being spoken for by their clientele. Yet the expression bespoke is also closely connected with another English business involving high-quality fabrics and exceptional technical knowledge - that of the Upholsterer.

Initially, it may well not appear like there is a great deal in common among the two professions. Fashion and furnishings are after all too really distinct industries, and it really is obvious that sofas and suits are two totally distinct items to buy for any typical consumer. Even so, if we make a historical comparison in between the two, we find a considerably closer resemblance than what you know already.

Both upholstery and tailoring trace their roots back to the Renaissance period of European history. Previously clothes and furnishings had been considered solely in functional terms, as a means of clothing and seating the human body. Nonetheless, as metropolitan societies became far more prosperous during the Renaissance, a new demand arose for designer goods which served to decorate and emphasise both the human form and also the home environment. The twin arts of tailoring and upholstery were born.

Beginning with the Italian city states, followed by the Spanish and French royal courts, the art of tailoring emerged gradually with technical knowledge passed from generation to generation before gradually developing a series of more formal frameworks. Throughout the 17th century, Paris developed into the centre for style and furnishing as over the top Parisian dress and home dcor grew in popularity across the continent. As tailors cut and stitched ever more ornate costumes, upholsterers designed magnificent furnishings gilded with flowing lines and lavish detailing. Each profession developed under the inspiration from the other.

Yet it wasn't until the 18th century that English styles came to dominate the scene as restraint, and understated elegance became the new cosmetic informing bespoke attire and home furnishings. Subtly blending gentile, sporting and bourgeois clothing, English tailors established a brand new kind of style emphasising fit and subtle detailing over gaudy displays of prosperity. In a comparable fashion, English upholsterers developed new techniques to advance comfort, elegance and technical expertise as the central rules guiding bespoke sofa manufacture - moving away from the decadent style espoused by the French at the time.

To this day, English bespoke tailoring and sofa upholstery remain at the forefront of international style and interior design. From Saville Row to Chelsea Harbour, contemporary cosmopolitan London remains the shop window for bespoke craftsmanship of the finest quality and creative flair. Behind every handcrafted item lies the accumulated expertise, expertise and technical specialism of a wealthy and illustrious design heritage. Moreover, there is also the creativity and eccentricity of England's modern day day tailors and upholsterers, who continue to push the limits of the attainable in their quest for excellence in their field.




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