Textiles

Our Unique Approach

It's a Process

Linen is officially the world’s oldest textile. In every yard of fabric created and produced here at le gracieux, while there are protocols we follow, formulas that guide us, results that remind us….the yardage itself tells the story better than we ever could.

When industry experts ask about a certain approach, while we can explain our steps, often we finish the conversation with… ’it's a process’.

#1 Formulas

a yearly refresh in the color lab

It all starts with the groundcloth. Every year we test and confirm the new Flax/Hemp Linen we have coming in from our trusted vendors. This is work done through years of calculations, unique inks and pigments, books full of recorded formulations that are tested with every production. We all see color somewhat uniquely, so that adds to the mix…literally the ‘mix’.

#2 Printworks

It’s all in the tools, and all in the way the person handles the tools. Hand printing means lining up the large format screens to the rails, stops and repeat marks. The linen is stretched and evenly tacked to the table. The color lab has supplied the inks required for the order (+inventory) and the strike off has been approved….the order is ready for production. Steady is best, with an ongoing review, bringing all the color, whether by layers or a single draft (such as with our resist formulas) into the form and texture of the printed step of our textiles.

#3 Dye

The hand movement required to achieve our beloved resist dye fabrics has evolved and resulted in various outcomes which keeps this ancient technique ever changing….in only the most open minded kind of way. Our dye technicians move in three unique positions 1, 2 & 3. This is how we achieve the range of natural movement completely unique to each yard of fabric. Picture this, the dye techs move from side to side and flow in a wave at the center of each 24 yard table to assure the high/low saturation flows and also relays a story. Each pattern of le gracieux is treating uniquely in this way, from our small scale Le Petit Trellis to our large scale Mariano.

#4 Launder

The Dye techs hoist each completed table up to our drying racks for curing. Depending on the color saturation required for the production, the curing time is adjusted. Once ready for the next stage, it is carefully loaded into our industrial laundering machines where a specific wash cycle, carefully programmed, is selected. The industrial dryer follows. The yardage is now ready for the toning formula tests managed by our color labs.

#5 Tone

Our final step is toning our fabrics, both the resist and positive printings are toned at the finish, adding hue and depth. Our le jardin collection, for example, has a palette that begins with a distinct color and in our toning we manage a color shift from cool to warm that takes the original outcome from ‘Dawn’ to ‘Twilight’. A toner can sway a color to ‘hit the mark’ and also create that which has not been seen before.