In line with this year’s focus on craftsmanship, Vlisco puts its iconic designs in the spotlight with a new fabric collection that celebrates our rich design heritage.
Drawing on our heritage
Vlisco’s fabrics have long been known for their expressive designs. It’s just one of the things that make our brand so unique and beloved by our consumers. The Hommage à l’Art collection pays tribute to Vlisco’s designs in a number of ways; from the feminine florals that draw on our Indonesian batik heritage to hand-drawn abstract designs and our beloved heritage designs.
Heritage colour palette
The Hommage à l’Art collection is a tribute to our past, so it was only natural that Vlisco’s designers and colour house went looking for colour ideas from Vlisco’s rich heritage. The collection‘s calm colour palette was inspired by a pile of fabrics found in Vlisco’s archives. These once belonged to a trader who approached Vlisco many years ago with the request to create fabrics in these colours.
Design on a pedestal
To give their stories a podium, various heritage designs were reinterpreted for the collection. This idea inspired our designers to create a new fabric design, which has become the signature look of the collection – an amalgam of famous Vlisco figures literally placed on a pedestal. We took the idea a step further in our communications campaign by placing our fabrics and models on a pedestal inbeautifully set-up surroundings. We used gold symbols to represent the designs and chose a style of photography often used in royal portraiture. To capture the essence of Hommage à l’Art in the campaign, Vlisco collaborated with Maarten Spruyt, a renowned art- and fashion stylist and photographer Koen Hauser, who is known for his timeless style.
Scarves cut out for style
The collection’s matching line of scarves also pay tribute to Vlisco’s famous figures. Each of the four 100% silk scarves features acleverly created collage of cut-outs of heritage designs such as the Jumping Horse, Fan and Eyes. Shadows, visible stitching, pen markings and sewing paraphernalia such as pin boxes and scissors bring the designs to life and add an unfinished edge and a touch of humour to the four scarves.
Vlisco stories
Our fabrics have been embraced by African women and have become rooted in African fashion- and culture. People often give their own names and symbolism to our fabrics, and many of our designs have different meanings across different countries, regions or even families. People often pass these names and their personal stories along from generation to generation. With this in mind, we’ve invited consumers to share their Vlisco stories on www.stories.vlisco.com