International studio (27.1905/1906(1906))

Designing for Silks


SHADED SKETCH, ADAMS STYLE

MISS SIMONSON

patterns and new fabrics,
and the chance and in-
centive for good design-
ing is constant. There is,
perhaps, a more remark-
able opportunity for the
invention of new weaves
than of new designs. The
shuttle is an old dog that
can now and then be
taught a new trick. For
the designer the limits,
with the growing em-
phasis on faithfulness to
period, may be more
sharply laid down. Yet,
if, like the scholar, his
days among the dead are
passed, like him, too, he
has all the best of the
world’s endeavour and
inspiration for his mate-
rial, all the history of art
for pasture.
In short, the designer
for silks, as Artemas Ward
said about the baby, cer-
tainly is a designer. He
cannot be toowellground-
ed in the history of Orna-
ment, too facile and
happy of invention, too
sure of hand. Though

ful of new creations. The designer, who could, if
she chose, show the things that are to be, guards
them with the devotion of the Sibyl; the man who
experiments at a salary of the second magnitude
on any loom that chances to fall idle is the Man with
the Iron Mask. The only melting of this reserve
is the liquefaction of my lady’s clothes, the only
breach in the wall of exclusion is made by the need
of a new tapestry for the drawing-room—the one
path of initiation is that of the shopper.
This is not a state of affairs to be regretted. It
resultsfromthe competition of caterers to thechoicer
and more discriminating purses. The dry goods
house or department störe that has a market for
the finer goods wants all or nothing. It buys the
entire product with scraps and samples. It must
liave what no one eise has or has hach And so the
better mills are constantly at work devising new


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