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Velvet – the story behind the luxury material of the elite
The history of velvet is a complex journey that spans continents. The idea of velvet is believed to have existed since around 2000 BC in Egypt, where the method of weaving piles using silk and linen was first conceived. A version that resembled what we think of as velvet today was produced in China between 400 BC and 23 AD. Silk yarn was used at first, but fibers from linen, cotton, and rayon were later used, making velvet accessible to more people.
Seduced by the soft qualities of velvet, Europeans introduced it into trade along the Silk Road. Although production flourished in Spain, Italy was the first European country to establish a velvet industry of its own and subsequently dominated the supply of the material to Europe between the 12th and 18th centuries.
One of the earliest written European references to velvet dates back to 1311 AD and refers to items owned by Pope Clement V.
The earliest centers of velvet production in Italy were in Lucca, Genoa, and Florence. Although Venice had been importing silk from the East for some time (even before Marco Polo), it was not until the 1300s that 300 refugees from Lucca, many of them weavers, brought the art of velvet making to Venice. Called Lucchesi, these asylum seekers founded the Republic of Venice of velvet weavers in 1347, a significant event in Venetian history.
When Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel, Galileo discovered the moons of Jupiter, and Leonardo da Vinci dreamed of the future, kings and queens from all over Europe fell in love with the soft, luxurious, and very expensive velvet produced in Venice.
Venetian velvet was the perfect fabric to showcase their power and wealth. Its deep, rich colors were difficult to produce and therefore extremely valuable – everyone knew its value at the time. Kings lined their crowns with it, insisted on their royal robes being woven from it, and upholstered their thrones with it.
Velvet Renaissance
In the 1400s, Venice took velvet weaving to new heights of sophistication with the soprarizzo method. A double-pile technique, it involved weaving one layer of fabric that absorbed light with a lighter layer on top that reflected it. This created a moving, wavy effect as you stroked it. Weavers then began to make the fabric even more luxurious by adding precious metals and gilding to the fabric.
The techniques for making velvet were so important that weavers and their fellow artisans in the glass and jewelry trades were not allowed to leave Venice for fear that their secrets would be revealed. To keep their secret technique to themselves, a law was passed in Venice in 1474 to protect inventions. This was practically the first copyright law.
Because velvet required more time and material than other fabrics, it was more expensive and therefore more prestigious. Clothes were no longer just for concealment—they were used to peacockly display one's power and prestige.
The velvet market was so strong in the 1500s that almost a fifth of Venice's population worked in the silk and velvet trade, making Venice the leading exporter of velvet throughout Europe.
Bevilacquas: Keeping the tradition alive
The Bevilacqua family can trace their weaving roots back to 1499, first appearing in a Venetian painting depicting a parade of velvet-wearing nobles, thanks to an inscription on the painting that reads “Giacomo Bevilacqua, weaver.” Yet their story, which is still being woven today, began in 1875, when Luigi Bevilacqua had the brilliant idea of rescuing XNUMXth-century looms from then-empty mills. Inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement—an artisanal reaction to the cheaper, less durable products created by the new machinery of the Industrial Revolution.
Bevilacqua and his partner Gianoglio opened their own weaving factory in the building of the old weaving school. Their mission?
"Keep the old weaving method alive."
Since they opened, Bevilacqua has served popes, kings, and even the White House.
Velvet: A Tale of Several Weavers
Today, the Bevilacquas run the oldest velvet workshop in Venice, and the only one still using the soprarizzo technique. Although the family has had to keep up with the times and open another factory that uses power looms, they still employ around six dedicated weavers who toil every day to produce one of the most intricate textiles in the world. It is so intricate that a single weaver can only produce around 25cm per day, which gives you an idea of how expensive a piece of the fabric can be.
"Luigi Bevilacqua weaving” offers private tours of its workshop by appointment only. If you still feel like taking a tour, a weaver will help you navigate the maze of ropes and rigging connecting 18 ancient looms. There, you can see 3500 designs and woven drafts, arranged floor to ceiling, dating back to the Middle Ages.
How is velvet made?
The velvet is cut along the length of the threads and always in the same direction.
It is made on a special loom that produces two pieces of velvet at the same time. Velvet is characterized by a uniform pile height, which is usually less than half a centimeter.
Today, velvet is commonly made from synthetic and natural fibers, but it was originally made from silk. Pure silk velvet is rare today, as it is extremely expensive. Most velvet sold as silk velvet combines both silk and rayon. Synthetic velvet can be made from polyester, nylon, rayon.
The cotton material used for velvet is a type of natural textile, which consists of fibrous materials of plant and animal origin, which represent morphologically different unicellular and multicellular formations. They are made of high-molecular biopolymers of different composition - cellulose (for plant fibers), keratin (for wool fibers) and fibroin (silk fibers). In terms of chemical composition and structure, textile fibers are very different, but what unites them is that they belong to the group of high-molecular compounds.
There are several different types of velvet fabrics, as the fabric can be woven from different materials using different methods.
- Crushed velvet – As the name suggests, crushed velvet has a “crushed” appearance, which is achieved by twisting the fabric while wet, or by pressing the pile in different directions. The appearance is patterned and shiny, and the material has a unique texture.
- Panne velvet – Pane velvet is a type of crushed velvet in which strong pressure is applied to the material to push the pile in one direction. The same pattern can appear in knitted fabrics such as suede, which is usually made of polyester and is not true velvet.
- Embossed velvet – embossed velvet is a printed fabric created by heat stamping, which is used to apply pressure to the velvet, pushing down the piles to create a pattern. Embossed velvet is popular in velvet upholstery materials that are used in home decor and design.
- Chiseled – this type of patterned velvet is created by cutting some looped threads and leaving others uncut.
- Plain velvet – Regular velvet is most often cotton velvet. It is heavy with very little stretch and does not have the luster that velvet made from silk or synthetic fibers has.
- Stretch velvet – elastic velvet has spandex incorporated into the weave, which makes the material more flexible and stretchy.
- Pile-on-pile velvet – this type of velvet has piles of varying lengths that create a pattern. Velvet upholstery usually contains this type of velvet.
During the Industrial Revolution, velvet production improved and became more widely available. Since the 1900s, velvet has been a staple in both fashion and interior design. The art of devoré has become synonymous with the 20s and Art Deco, something that has stood the test of time and continues to inspire designers and offer its riches to the senses to this day.
Author: tinablend
Cover photo: www.fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1938-chanel-suit/
Photos in the article: www.goblenda.com & Image by talpeanu from Pixabay § www.luigi-bevilacqua.com
