Bouclé became popular in the late 1940’s when Eero Saarinen, an American architect and industrial designer was asked to design a chair for Florence Knoll, ‘one she could really curl up in’. His creation was the Saarinen’s Womb Chair which was produced in 1948 and was upholstered in Knoll’s Classic Bouclé. Bouclé had arrived!
The fabric was adopted by most of the notable luxury fashion houses and in 1954 we saw Bouclé make its appearance on the Chanel catwalk as it was being worn by the models wearing the iconic Coco Chanel jacket and skirt. The suit later became very desirable after Jackie O was famously photographed wearing it. Bouclé not only became desirable in fashion but it was also used within the world of interiors and one contemporary designer in particular Tom Dixon, has a whole collection dedicated to Bouclé!
The origin of the word Bouclé is derived from the French word meaning ringed or curled and this is the true characteristic of this soft, sumptuous fabric. It is usually woven from wool or mohair but is also produced using merino, alpaca, silk, linen, rayon and cotton.
It offers a huge range of benefits and is particularly suitable for soft seating, especially curved chairs as the fabric moulds to the frame beautifully. Bouclé can also be used for curtains as it is heavy enough and its texture adds a warm dimension to any room. It is also perfect for throws and cushions as it is very soft to the touch.
Our Kashmir collection looks to the heritage of Bouclé with a modern touch. Images illustrate Kashmir fabrics KS1622, KS1601, KS1602 and KS1625.