Trendlet Alert: Wedding Textiles

Filed under: Fun Stuff, Parties & Entertaining, Design, etc, News & Trends

Forget white gowns and embroidered napkins -- we're talking about traditional ethnic wedding textiles that have made their way into modern decor.

Even if you don't have any weddings on your calendar this summer, they're hard to avoid: couples taking engagement photos in the park, Bridezilla shows taking over the TV -- there's even wedding coverage on your favorite sites! So let's take a look at a couple wedding traditions borrowed from other countries: Wedding textiles like Suzanis and Handira.

Its Roots: Believe it or not, the electric colored and patterned Suzanis were not invented by a team of clever designers who knew how much pizazz they'd add to a room. In fact they've been around since the 19th-century originally seen in central Asia, in what is now Uzbekistan. And before they were draped over sofas and repurposed as gorgeous rugs, they were used as wedding night bed sheets. Sure, satin sheets might be romantic, but these are far more gorgeous. We also love this gem of Suzani trivia -- each authentic one has an intentional mistake. Those were popped in by the bride-to-be sewing the textile as a reminder of human imperfection.

Meanwhile, the Handira -- more commonly known as Moroccan wedding blankets -- have a similar lovely story to go along with the their making. Because it took so long to sew together the final product -- the sequins! the tassles! -- the bride's family worked together on these, and used the time during the meditative process to dispense advice and ideas for a happy marriage. As a bonus, the care that went into weaving it is rumored to lend divine protection to the blanket (and owners!)

Seen Now: In Sex and the City 2, the gals travel to Morocco and indulge in tea on a Handira (wonder what kind of advice Samantha would give, should she find herself sewing one of those!). L'aviva home, the site started by former travel editor Laura Aviva, even has a section devoted to dowry, where you can get gorgeous vintage Suzanis and Handira. And last October Suzanis were even highlighted at a place with the most fantastic name -- the "Youth Creativity Palace" in Uzbekistan. Just a couple of months later iconic fashion designer Oscar de la Renta sent his pre-fall 2010 collection down the runway and delicious Suzani prints abounded on capes and skirts.

Loved By: Maryam in Marrakech! If you don't already follow Maryam's dreamy, gorgeous adventures in Marrakech you should log on for her poems, stories and photos of everything from flowers to parties (and oh yeah -- amazing Moroccan design!). She calls Handira "perhaps the world's most beautiful blankets. Really." She also provided the black Handira used by designer Kishani Perara in an LA bedroom. When it comes to Suzanis, you can also be sure that they're dearly beloved by just about every interior designer in our (stylish) book, but we'll have to throw extra credit to California decorator-turned-Obama White House designer Michael S. Smith, who has been using them as far back as 1998 (here's proof, from ELLE DECOR!). True, it's not the 19th century, but it's solid proof that this trend has serious legs. Lastly, one more humble Suzani lover -- myself! The first piece I bought for my new apartment was a World Market suzani rug.

...Want to see more? We'll have some great suzani picks from eBay over on The Inside Source. And check out our past collaborations with The Inside Source here.

Craving more eBay goodness?
The Stir has two home tours with eBay gems -- here and here!
The Frisky has the scoop on eBay-obsessed Lynn Yaeger
Learn about eBay's fair trade marketplace

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments