Recently in “Vintage Textiles”

Japanese silk textile trimmed in black mink.

Giant python skin purse.

Connecticut handbag designer Joy Liotta Horvath is a serious "accessorator!!" She has designed a collection of unique and stunning "custom couture" handbags, using vintage frames, unusual textiles, and novelty leathers. Her company Gioia Handbags, celebrates "the marriage of handbag artistry and the tradition of creative handiwork."  

These wonderful "new-vintage" pieces of furniture are from Blue Ocean Traders in Louisville, Kentucky. Combing reproduction antique frames with vintage linen grain sacks, from Eastern Europe, gives each piece a unique history with a modern twist. Historically, the sacks were one-off patterns; woven into the linen was either the farmer's name, initials, a specific stripe, or linen pattern. The purpose of these markings was to identify each farm, so that the sacks got returned to the correct farmer after they had been emptied. In their travels, Blue Ocean's designers put together a collection of these sacks, creating this selection of vintage-inspired furniture, each with bespoke upholstery.

As anyone who knows me knows.....I live for pillows!!!! Pillows have always been my absolutely favorite accessory. My bed overflows with them and my living room is a temple to them! There can never be too many of them!  

A number of decades ago I begged to be the pillow buyer at Bloomingdales but, that was never to be! A million years have now passed and I have finally created my own collection of pillows!!! I spent two years putting together a brightly colored and highly patterned selection of vintage Indian textiles & quilts and have made pillows from these unique pieces of cloth.

This past weekend I showed my pillows at the East Hampton Antique Show, where they seem to be very well received!  But, what made it even more exciting for me was to have the opportunity  to show them to Barbara D'Arcy, a legend in the interior design world.  Ms. D'Arcy was the high priestess of the home department of Bloomingdales in the 60's, 70's, and 80's.  She invented the "model room" and made the store the "temple" of interior design that it was.  And guess what......she loved my pillows!!!! I could have had no better affirmation than her delight in my colors and patterns.......after all, it is she who was my idol!!!!! So thank you Ms. D'Arcy....I can't tell you how long i have waited for your praise!!!

Available at j.roaman