Can you spare a couple of minutes?

Good. 

Then make a quick cup of tea, two sugars

for me, and pull up a chair.

 

Hard at work

 

I want to introduce you today to an amazing and very

creative French woman called Isabelle de Borchgrave.

She's a painter, designer and visual artist and follower of the

Nabis movement, a Parisian group of post-impressionist

artists and illustrators who became very influential within

the field of graphic art.

 

The detail is quite amazing

 

She set up her studio, La Tour de Bebelle, in her modest home

in Sablon back in the 1970's where she gave art and craft

lessons to local children.  A sort of Play School French style

with bags of flair, passion, warmth and pain au raisin too.
 

Elizabeth I court dress

 

During the course of her career Isabelle has travelled the world

discovering new cultures and drawing inspiration to

incorporate into her designs from everywhere she went.

 

It would never fit through my front door.

It was following a visit to New York in 1994 that she first came

up with the idea of paper costumes with a touch of trompe

l'oeil for good measure.  Unique.

 

Hard to believe it's not lace.

 

Four wonderful collections followed.  "Papiers a la Mode" looked

at three hundred years of fashion history from Elizabeth I to

Coco Chanel and all stops in between.

 

I would love to see this "in the flesh" so to speak.

 

"Mariano Fortury" was centered in 19th century Venice,

"I Medici" looks at Florentine ceremonial dress and "Ballets

Russes", as you might guess, is set in the world of ballet costume.



Lustre Nenuphar - she's so versatile.

 

Today her name is linked with fabrics, ceramics, soft furnishings,

party centre pieces and more besides but for me it has to be

her paperwork that does it every time.

 

See for yourself at:

http://www.isabelledeborchgrave.com

you won't be disappointed.

Foulard en Papier
This one's specially for you Ginger.