1994 Haute Couture Embroidery: The Art of Lesage

1994 oversize hardcover book with dust jacket Haute Couture Embroidery: The Art of Lesage by Palmer White. 172 pages and over 3 pounds. In very good condition; slight edge wear with tiny tears on the jacket, but the book is excellent. Gorgeous closeup photos of fine embroidery work.

“Very thorough text and photographic record of the work of the acknowledged source of the most beautiful fashion embroidery in history. Lesage has long been known for its opulent designs but some of us spring chickens have a surprise in store, and when you open this book your jaw will truly drop. Sample pieces, appliques, closeups of detail work, fringed trims, whole garments, movie stills, accessories, and designer sketches, and all of it pure inspiration for we creative types who make fashion. For sheer invention and brilliancy of design, flip through the photos and allow them to breathe color and texture into your work. If you’re a fashion junkie or student, settle into a comfy chair and read the text for an in-depth look at the history of the premier embroidery firm in the world. Despite the industrial revolution and now the information age, it’s all still done by hand with simple tools, and some of the examples have numbers representing the hours of work required, which will shock the faint of heart. But if you’re contemplating using feathers, beads, sequins, silk ribbon, cording, floss, bullion, fine metallic threads, jewels or rhinestomes in a new and inventive way and just need a jump-start, it’s in this book. The price is well worth the images (as many as 6 on a page) and it would make a nifty coffee table book as well.”