French fashion designer Coco Chanel once said: “Lace is a great invention comparable to nature’s creation.” Exquisite lace has been the darling of the fashion industry since its appearance, with delicate patterns, complicated craftsmanship, elegant lightness and elegance. It was once favored by European royal families and has been popular for hundreds of years. It is still a common fabric in fashion design and is favored by women. There are lace museums in France, Italy, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, which introduce the development and achievements of lace craftsmanship. There are still a group of handicraftsmen who are tirelessly continuing the tradition. Lace, which has adorned Europe for 600 years, has spread all over the world along with the merchant ships in history.
What does lace look like
The original meaning of the word Lace is a braided rope. Later, as long as it is made of yarn or thread, and has a hollow pattern and a mesh structure, it can generally be called lace. In the early 15th century, records of lace weaving appeared in Belgium and Italy.
The early lace was mainly made of thread knotted and twisted, and the process was complicated. Even an ordinary pattern would take a skilled female worker at least a month to complete. The lace products are almost all unique, so lace has been a luxury that European princes, nobles, priests and other upper class people can wear for a long time. In order to reflect its noble attributes, early lace was even made of gold, silver or expensive silk threads, and a small piece of lace was worth a lot. Because of this, the early lace can only be used as lace to embellish clothes, and it can be used in collars, cuffs, etc., and cannot be used in large pieces.
Now, there are still many lace workshops that still use the traditional way to make. Spool lace is common in Europe. A thread is wound on a finger-thick spool, and a pin is used to fix the position on a small pillow, and then the spool is used to cross back and forth to complete the weaving of the lace pattern. An experienced lace weaver is familiar with the techniques and steps, and can operate dozens of spools at the same time. When he works, the spools will fly, and the exquisite lace will slowly appear inch by inch while outsiders are dazzled.
Women who love beauty mostly like clothes decorated with lace. Speaking of the development history of lace, we must mention Italy and Belgium. In the 15th century, aristocratic women in Venice, Florence and other places in Italy began to weave lace. Later, this skill was introduced to the monastery and became a new way for nuns to practice meditation and increase income for the monastery. Belgium was also making lace at the time and became the main producer of bobbin lace in the 15th century. At that time, Belgium planted a large amount of flax, which could produce high-quality and extremely fine linen threads, which became the key factor for maintaining the high quality of Belgian lace. During the prosperous period, there were 150,000 female workers engaged in lace production in Belgium. In the Louvre Museum in France, the oil painting “Girl with Lace” painted by the Dutch painter Vermeer depicts a scene of a girl weaving lace quietly at that time.
The export of lace also brought wealth to Belgium and Italy and became one of their important industries. As a result, the two major lace production centers in Europe at that time were established.
Banned by the king
In 1533, Catherine de Medici from Italy’s Medici family married King Henry II of France and brought lace craftsmanship to France. Since then, the French court has opened the era of lace. Intricate lace gradually appeared in the clothing of portraits of court figures. But buying lace requires a lot of money. King Louis XIII of France promulgated the “Forbidden Luxury Order” after he came to power. On April 3, 1636, it was completely forbidden to wear lace.
Shortly thereafter, the United Kingdom also issued a decree prohibiting the import of lace. At that time, Britain was also influenced by the European continent, and lace began to be popular in the court, but the linen produced in Britain was rough in texture, and the woven lace was far from that of Belgium. In 1662 an act was passed banning the importation of all foreign lace.
But these practices made lace more precious, mysterious and attractive. At one time, lace was comparable to hard currency, and some people took the risk of smuggling it from abroad. The smuggling of lace from Brussels, Belgium, was once very rampant in the UK, and the lace was named “Point d’Angleterre” (British Point). So far, Brussels lace is still wrongly called “British Point” in French.
After King Louis XIV of France came to power, lace ushered in a new opportunity for development. Unlike his father, Louis XIV’s style was flamboyant and extravagant. In the portraits of Louis XIV, large and complex lace collars, sleeves, and shirts can often be seen. Lace flourished again in France. The lace produced in France is needle embroidery lace, which was born out of the embroidery process. Because of the delicate stitches, novel and clear patterns, and the development of symmetrical patterns with French beauty, it soon became popular in the French court. Under the leadership of the French royal family, France has become a new European lace production center.
The most famous “lace control” in the European royal family is Queen Elizabeth I of England. She has a slender neck. For decoration, she wears a lace collar made of lace in public. The luxurious large lace surrounds Elizabeth I’s face, which looks noble And luxury has led a new fashion trend in Britain and Europe, and everyone is vying to wear ruff collar. At that time, European men, especially the gentlemen, were also keen to wear lace clothing. At that time, wearing lace was a manifestation of wealth and taste. The famous British writer Samuel Johnson in the 18th century once said: “Greek is like lace, everyone wears it. You should accumulate as much as possible.”
Enter people’s life
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In the 19th century, lace continued to be widely used in clothing production, and the demand was huge, and the traditional handicraft industry could not meet the huge demand for lace. The Englishman Robert Foster first made lace with a machine in Nottingham. Since then, lace manufacturing has entered the era of machine production. Machines replaced female workers and mass production of lace began. Driven by the development of technology, the production of lace has greatly increased, and lace has officially entered the homes of ordinary people. Lace is not only used in clothing, but also in a wider range of textiles. Nottingham, England has also become a new center of European lace manufacturing, opening a history of nearly two centuries of lace production. |
| Nottingham, England has also become a new center of European lace manufacturing, opening a history of nearly two centuries of lace production. Today, the production method of lace has undergone great changes. In addition to traditional twisting, weaving, embroidery and other crafts, machine manufacturing and chemical manufacturing are common. Lace is no longer a luxury item for princes and nobles, but a daily material within reach of everyone. Many women have a piece of clothing with lace elements in their closets. Among fast-moving consumer brands, lace highlights the cuteness of women. , Sexy and sweet, high-end lace is a symbol of luxury, retro and exquisite in the wedding dresses and dresses of big brands. |
