Art nouveau fabrics feature natural shapes and sweeping curves, often in muted or dark colors. Later reproductions mimicked wallpaper designs, while modern versions are bolder and more colorful. Historical fabrics did not have to represent the style in its entirety.
Art nouveau fabrics have characteristics that relate to other design qualities of the period, such as the use of natural forms and the inclusion of sweeping curves. These fabrics were generally muted enough to be attractive in clothing or upholstery, although some were quite bold. In terms of construction, art nouveau fabrics were made from many different materials depending on the intended final project. Newer fabrics in this style are often more colorful and can take advantage of current textile manufacturing techniques.
While there were many different fabrics used in the art nouveau period, these could be very different depending on the area, the specific time period, and even the manufacturer. The fabric used for clothing was generally not dissimilar to that for textiles in earlier years, as most of the advances in design took place in the construction of clothing. Upholstery fabric, however, often had the natural shapes and curved lines of art nouveau architecture.
The general characteristics of art nouveau fabrics often include natural shapes such as flowers. Vines and abstract curves were also very popular. In terms of color, the fabrics were often in muted or dark colors, such as olive or deep blue. Complex designs on the fabric can be printed or woven depending on the type of design. While these rules were certainly not absolute, they were common for fabric used for furniture and drapery.
Later, art nouveau fabrics often reproduced wallpaper designs or motifs more commonly used in architecture. The Liberty Ianthe design was a popular wallpaper in the 1900s, but it became a fabric in the 1960s. Colors in these later updates often remained muted, though variations on the original were common.
More recently made fabrics that make use of art nouveau sensibilities often mimic the patterns more commonly used for wallpaper in this period. The bolder and more colorful designs, sometimes with only the most popular art nouveau motifs, are very popular. These fabrics often have no relation to the characteristics of historical fabrics.
One of the most important differences between art nouveau fabrics that were contemporary with this style of architecture and those that were not is that the earlier type did not have to represent the style in its entirety. Today’s Art Nouveau fabrics must bear the iconic design of this style to be recognized as an homage, but earlier fabrics only had to have been created to coexist with the much more dramatic architecture. This has the interesting effect that more modern art nouveau textiles often look more like art nouveau pieces than actual antique fabrics.
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