October 25, 2015
Over the years, FJ Hakimian Gallery actively collaborated with textile artists and studios in various regions of Italy with rich history of textile weaving, including the areas near Como, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Luca, and Umbria. Many samples from these regions now fill the pages of the historical textile archive folders in my office.
The beautiful towns of the Lake Como area hold especially high reputation for woven textiles. Each region of Italy has its own signature style based on its decorative arts tradition with textile artists working in their respective indigenous styles. Textiles from the Lake Como area stand out because many artists from the area moved boldly into modern design and avant-garde textile art as early as the 1950s, putting Como at the forefront of modernism.
Here are some examples of the beautiful works created in the Como area in the 1970s and 1980s. They are poetic, organic, and strikingly modern.
From top: 1972, FILO19, 47x80cm (lana, cotone); 1982, FILO32, 102x132cm (lino, cotone, ciliegio); 1983, LIBRO DEL VENTO, 40x50cm, 10 fogli (lino.cotone, baccelli di robinia); 1986, LIBRO DEL TEMPO, 33x48cm, 8 fogli (Cotone, seta, lino, viscosa); 1988, FILO30, 60x50cm (seta, cotone, cristalli)
Much inspired by the modern design forerunners of the area, FJ Hakimian worked with select contemporary textile artists in Lake Como to produce beautifulsheer fabrics. We brought the Lake Como line to the US in 2010, which was met with great enthusiasm in the field of interior architecture. It has been a great success––we've had the opportunity to work with leading architects around the country to integrate these fabrics into important residential projects.
"FJ Hakimian has been a trusted vendor of The Wiseman Group for over 30 years. We are currently working on a very large project with Joseph Hakimian. This is the first time that we have created custom designed fabric with his weavers creating drapery with lines woven into the fabric perfectly aligning with the home's architectural elements. Joe and I share a love of all textiles and he has been a great mentor for carpets and now I am very excited to be part of creating beautiful custom fabric." -- Paul Wiseman, The Wiseman Group
Shown below are just some of the wide range of sheer Lake Como fabrics available through FJ Hakimian Gallery.
Although linen, cotton, and viscose form the base of most of our designs in this line, some are made of pure silk and there are even designs that incorporate metal wires, bringing highly artistic touch to the fabrics.
Our Lake Como fabrics are strictly for window treatment, and predominantly for residential. They bring out the best of the transformative effects of light––the plush and often luminescent surfaces deflect light softly and the sheer construction allows the light to pass through. The combination of linen, cotton, and viscose makes them suitable as drapes while giving them strength. These are proven, time-tested qualities prized for window drapes in Italy since the 1950s.
Information on custom sheer fabrics from Lack Como and many other innovative handwoven textiles from around the world are available here.
FJ Hakimian is the leading resource for custom, modern, vintage and antique carpets and textiles. Headquartered in New York City, FJ Hakimian connects weavers, textile artists, interior designers and architects throughout the world on a common thread that is the passion for quality hand-woven carpets, mats and textiles.
Come visit us at 145 East 57th Street 2nd Floor NYC or stay connected via social media:
- Visit our website for our New Arrivals as well as the historic collection.
- Visit our fabrics collection here.
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- Please contact <fjh@fjhakimian.com> for any questions.