Vintage Tapestry Fashions

When you say or hear the word 'tapestry', I'm sure a wall hanging of sorts comes to mind but tapestry fabric has been worn as clothing as far back as the middle ages in the era of castles and chivalry.  Tapestry in layman's terms is an intricate loom woven textile art that has been around for centuries, even dating back as far as the 3rd century BC as Greek tapestries have been discovered and preserved in desert of Tarim Basen.  The usual medium of choice for weaving tapestry is cotton or linen, but for more fancier fare, silk, gold & silver are often used.  It's amazing to look back now with wonder an awe as to how delicate the whole process was with the detailed art work performed with basic means in comparison to what is produced today with technology.  In February of this year, during Milan Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2011, designer Veronica Etro went Medieval bringing a primitive vibe to tapestry styles...

There's such an absolute rich history behind the fabric that is tapestry and every once in a great while here at Retro Threadz, we are lucky enough to acquire a rare tapestry find.  Stop by the shop to see our new listings this week!  Featured as of yesterday, we are excited to add this 'Vintage 60's Tapestry Go-Go Boots & Handbag set to our collection!

: fashionwindows.net, Retro Threadz  

Designer Dish on Salvatore Ferragamo

Although he's been gone for over a half a century, Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo will always be known for his outrageous shoe designs, as pictured here with this pair of 1938, stacked, multi color platform sandals that were actually about forty years ahead of their time being that they could have easily be mistaken for styles we've seen worn circa 1970.

At the height of his career, his shoe designs were worn by Hollywood royalty such as Audrey Hepburn and he was considered to be the 'shoemaker to the stars'.  What set him apart from the many other up and coming designer competitors was his ability to custom make a shoe that felt just as good as it looked on the wearer.  He could fashion a shoe to fit any foot, just as well as a tailor could custom a suit.

Ferragamo or rather, the design house of the late Ferragamo has always been considered a family ran business being that it has been handed down from generation to generation and although shoes, belts and bags have always been at the forefront of the store front, around 1980 they began incorporating clothing into their mix of merchandise with their reputable designer label however, shoes will always be their mainstay.  Recently they showcased their 'Women's Resort 2012 Collection' featuring new designs of shoes and bags with a 'geared toward going on a vay kay' vibe & it was said that some notable ladies of Tinseltown made an appearance at the event such as Eva Mendez & Minka Kelly to stake dibs on their select fave pieces...

Given the past rich history of the Ferragamo line of extraordinary shoe designs, I am personally not very hooked on the Resort Collection.  I feel it's a bit muted/tame in comparison to what I've seen from decades ago which is now considered 'Vintage Ferragamo'....

Check back often as Retro Threadz has been known to find Ferragamo's every now and then! 


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