in defense of maximalism: prints please!
how 18th century tapestries inspired Rose Room Collection's foliage-filled verdure print
Have you ever been haunted by a print? I have, many times.
There was that geometric Prada print, lifting references from mid-century designs and reinforcing Miuccia’s own fascination with ugliness. “If I have done anything, it was making ugly cool. Ugly is attractive, ugly is exciting,” she has said.
A cacophony of delphiniums and kniphofias at Dries, created from photographs he took of the flowers from his magical garden in the countryside outside of Antwerp. (Two asides: 1) Have you seen these photographs of his house and garden? BEYOND. 2) Does anyone know why Anna won’t wear Dries? If you do, please give us the tea!).
Over the summer, I went to a dear friend’s wedding in Venice where a moody, lush print - an iteration of an 18th century verdure tapestry - made a potent case for maximalism. From the tablecloths lined with thick piping to the scalloped curtains draping the walls, a stunning, visceral universe emerged. Though, in many ways, we’re in the age of minimalism in fashion, in our homes and on our tables, I’ve always gravitated towards the opposite. There’s a magic to world building, of enveloping your guests within a layered, ethereal thought; a Houdini trick in textiles.
The wedding was, after all, an exercise in fabulous taste, since it was the nuptials of one of the founders of
, one of my favorite IYKYK brands, that designs house dresses, opera coats and palazzo pants in liquid soft fabrics like silk charmeuse and dutchess satin. Many of the pieces are made to order to reduce consumption, and all are crafted locally in New York City.
This fall, Rose Room debuted its Collection IV, and, to my delight, the Verdure print reemerged in the form of a long, elegant shirtdress , a belted robe and trouser combo (their signature silhouette), and a printed silk tie-back dress.
I’ve always been fascinated by the process of creating custom prints, so I asked Louise Denny and Ally Lewis, Rose Room’s cofounders, to walk us through their process.
“My love of [verdure tapestries] was renewed when I went to interior design school at NYSID during the pandemic,” Ally told me. “It’s a type of tapestry that puts lush foliage and stylized landscapes as the focal point, rather than an afterthought. They originated in 16th-century Flemish design but quickly spread to nearby Aubusson and Lille workshops in France, where weavers would work from scale drawings or engravings to create these masterpieces.”
Ally and Louise compiled a multitude of inspiration images, from Alessandro Magnasco’s 17th century painting “Il Grande Basco” at the Gallerie Accademia in Venice, to tapestries and frescos from the Palazzo Colonna in Rome. In order to turn the reference images into something wearable, Ally and Louise worked with an interiors print artist from Rhode Island to create the muted, tonal design they were looking for. It took over a dozen revisions to nail. “This particular print was complicated to get just right,” Ally said. “I obsess over our prints!”
Once the print was completed, the founders focused on translating it into a cohesive collection.
“We always start with our core silhouettes (like the Short Robe and Trouser) and think about which prints and colors would suit them best for the season. In tandem we discuss fabrication — type, weight, drape — and order “strike offs” aka sample swatches of the print in the fabrics we are imagining,” Louise said. “From there, it’s a puzzle to merchandise the collection, balancing a mix of shapes, fabric weights, styles, colors and prices to create our final assortment. We try to be very intentional about which samples we make, to reduce sampling overages and waste.”
Finally, they used the modern technique of digital printing on silk charmeuse, silk twill and silk-cotton to create the samples. “I make the pieces for myself first, and make sure they are super wearable, comfortable, versatile and easily dressed up,” Ally said.
And lucky for us, they’ve made it easy for us to dress our tables as we’d dress ourselves. The Verdure print also comes in a tablecloth, cocktail and dinner napkins.
Prints Please!
A few other dreamy textile pieces on my wishlist:
Vintage Dries Dresses - This silk and sequin number for New Year’s dinner at Estelle Manor. A semi-sheer bias cut for Sunday roast, perhaps paired with this Khaite jacket or this chocolate leather bomber, and square toed boots.
Etro Jacquard Cardigan - throw this over literally anything (pajamas, jeans, etc) for a cozy outfit upgrade at the cabin (ideally, this is your cabin). It’ll be your chicest ally.
Khaite Floral Dress - A rare one that works both barefoot at Cheval Blanc, asking for a table with “toes in sand,” or with a thong heel and cropped fur. Ohh for the latter, this too!
La Double J Hendrix Jacquard Pants and La Scala Top - This whole look for a fabulous holiday soiree in Milan’s swinging Brera district. It’s cute as a minidress too.
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From the archive…
Oh my that table and that cake! I live in Venice and it made me swoon.
Ahh Noorah, you've done it again. You influenced me on the tie-back dress; that print is STUNNING. I'm forever a maximalist and thank you for the introduction to Rose Room.