Toussaint toile by Glemaud x Schumacher
New York — Luxury textile manufacturer Schumacher recently announced a collaboration with Haitian American fashion designer Victor Glemaud called Cul-de-Sac, a 35-SKU collection of upholstery, textiles, trim and wallcoverings in 14 patterns and a variety of colorways. The collection draws inspiration from Glemaud’s Caribbean heritage and his family and is Glemaud’s first foray into the home market.
One upholstery fabric in the new collection — Toussaint toile — is evolving toile’s traditional take on history by paying homage to Toussaint Louverture, the leader of the only successful slave revolt that took place in Haiti in the early 19th century. Featuring historic scenes that celebrate Louverture, along with the country’s national bird, national flower, foliage and landscapes, this large-scale print on 53% linen for upholstery upends traditional toile with a Black national hero, much as historic toiles celebrated George Washington in the U.S. and Napoleon Bonaparte in France.
Glemaud’s creation is reminiscent of Sheila Bridge’s famous Harlem Toile, which shifted toiles’ narrative to something never seen before, a play on Black stereotypes within a traditional pattern.
nown for his colorful knitwear, Glemaud studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology and worked at Paco Rabanne and Tommy Hilfiger prior to launching his own firm. He was a finalist for the 2017 CDFA/Vogue Fashion Fund award.
The new collection is available to the trade through fschumacher.com and through Schumacher’s showrooms.
Jean Marie Layton is senior editor for upholstery at Furniture Today. A design and furniture aficionado, she has worked as a writer/editor in industry and non-profits, in academic administration and in retail furniture sales. She pursued a master’s degree in the history of design at Parsons/Cooper-Hewitt and has a BA in history from Mount Holyoke College and an MA in liberal arts from Stanford University. Reach out to Jean Marie with your story ideas, tips and more at [email protected]
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