TEXTILE DESIGNER'S FASHIONABLE BEGINNINGS
Please note- I closed my 25 year old bed linen business so will never have more of any of my fabrics. Once they are gone, they are gone! In order to offer the best prices, some are sold in larger quantities because one yard costs $4-5 to ship.
I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A THING FOR FABRIC AND IT HAS BEEN THE THREAD CONNECTING THE VARIOUS PATHS OF MY CAREER. THE MOST TANGIBLE BENEFIT OF MY FRENCH LITERATURE DEGREE WAS THAT IT PROVIDED AN EXCUSE TO HIGHTAIL IT TO PARIS AFTER COLLEGE. I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY TO LAND THE POSITION OF PARIS BUREAU CHIEF OF WWD AND W MAGAZINE. IT WAS A THRILLING LIFE SPENT OGLING UNBELIEVABLE DESIGN AND TEXTILES BEHIND THE SCENES AND ON THE RUNWAY. AND A LOT OF POSH SOIREES. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING MANY DESIGNERS AND GETTING TO KNOW SOME QUITE WELL, LIKE CHRISTIAN LACROIX AND KARL LAGERFELD. I LOVED BEING A JOURNALIST BUT WANTED A LOOK FROM THE OTHER SIDE SO I WENT TO WORK WITH KARL LAGERFELD IN THE HALLOWED CHANEL ATELIERS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WAS "A TRIP". IT WAS IN PARIS THAT I DISCOVERED THE PLEASURES OF DIGGING AROUND FLEA MARKETS.
FLASH FORWARD TO NYC WHERE I SPENT SEVERAL YEARS AS A FASHION EDITOR AND FREELANCE STYLIST, ALL THE WHILE CRAMMING MY FIFTH FLOOR WALK-UP WITH VINTAGE TEXTILES AND EPHEMERA. I BEGAN WITH SWEET 1930'S DITSY PRINTS AND ENDED WITH GORGEOUS 19TH C. FRENCH TEXTILES. NEEDING TO JUSTIFY MY FABRIC BINGES, I MADE UP SOME PILLOWS AND TOOK THEM TO ABC CARPET & HOME AND THEY PLACED AN ORDER. YIKES, I SUDDENLY HAD A BUSINESS AND A LOT OF SEWING AHEAD OF ME.
25 YEARS LATER, ELIZABETH ALLEN ATELIER HAS ENJOYED MANY YEARS OF SUCCESS AND RECOGNITION AS A HIGH END BED LINEN COLLECTION WITH MY UNIQUE FABRICS PRINTED IN INDIA AND LOVINGLY SEWN IN CA. NOW I HAVE DECIDED TO WIND DOWN AND MOVE ONE. THE FABRICS BY THE YARD ARE NOW 1/5 OF THE ORIGINAL PRICE.
AFTER SELLING LOADS OF MY TREASURED VINTAGE TEXTILE COLLECTION WHEN I FIRST STARTED ON ETSY, I HAVE NOT LISTED ANY IN A LONG TIME. I DO PLAN ON IT ONE OF THESE DAYS. IT WILL AGAIN BE WONDERFUL TO OPEN UP THE BINS AND REDISCOVER ALL THE PIECES I COLLECTED! SEEING THEM BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF WHEN AND WHERE I PICKED IT UP AND WHAT I HAD MADE WITH IT. THE COUNTLESS HOURS AT FLEA MARKETS AND WITH MY FRENCH TEXTILE DEALER. IT IS STILL DIFFICULT TO PART WITH THESE TREASURES AFTER THREE DECADES.
