PRODUCTS MAISON MAGAZINE STORE LOCATIONS MY SELECTION GLOSSARY OF TEXTILE DECORATION A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ABACA Vegetal fibre from banana-tree's leaves. Also called: Manilla's hemp - tagal AGAVE This vegetal fibre derivated from the Agave tree is at once very robust and natural-looking. It is mostly used for decoration purposes, especially flooring (braided rugs, wall to wall carpets). Other names: see also Sisal and Coco entries. ALBUM  FRAMES PICTURE Photo albums or frames coated with Pierre Frey’s iconic fabrics. To discover our full range, click on Accessories. ALCANTARA® Suede-looking plain fabric, made with a special microfibre. Its combines a soft feel with easy-maintenance qualities, as it is stain-proof, machine-washable and dry-cleanable. It is available in 3 versions in our Pierre Frey Collection range: BOUSSAC O7700 Non canvas, O7701 Double-coated or O7710 laminated paper. 148cms width. 40 colours available for seats, curtains or hanging curtains. Other names: see Imitation Suede entry. See a product ALL-OVER A term describing a design whose patterns cover the whole surface of a fabric. See a product ALPACA A species of camelid resembling a small llama in appearance, which grazes on the level heights of the Andes in Southern America. Wool made from alpaca hair is soft, silky, shiny and delicate. This fabric can either be woven with pure alpaca hair, or mixed fibres (it is legally compulsory to specify the exact percentage of each fibre used as to avoid unfair trade names). Alpaca fabric is very durable, with a shiny and neat finish. ANGORA Refers to the downy coat produced by the Angora rabbit, a breed originating from Turkey and Asia Minor. It is now bred on farms in France or Italy. The Angora fibre produced with Angora Rabbitt hair is lustrous and warm and soft. It is distinct from Mohair, which comes from the Angora Goat. Both fibres are on a par in terms of quality: Vemvet Teddy Mohair F2500 See a product ANTI-PILLING Refers to a special process to avoid bobbles, or to a fabric that underwent such a process. At Pierre Frey, our engineers make sure our fabrics meet the highest antipilling standards, especially the ones used for seating. ANTIBACTERIAL Refers to a special anti-bacterial-treatment originally devised for medical fabrics, and now frequently used for garments and furniture. ANTISTRESS FABRICS Refers to a piece of fabric that conducts and eleminates static electricity due to the carbon fibre woven into it. APPLIQUE Refers to a patch of pattern applied onto a fabric through different techniques (embroidered or sewn end to end) especially on linen. It may also be used as a trim to adorn curtains or tablecloths, or to vamp up a bedspread. ART DECO see Style entry See a product ART DÉCO STYLE (1910-1940) It appears around 1910 in reaction to Art Nouveau, and soon makes it obsolete. The curves and pastel colours give way to clean lines, bright colours and geometrical patterns. The Wiener Werkstätte is founded in 1903 by Koloman Moser and Josef Hoffman. This style reaches its crowning point during the International Fair of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts of Paris in 1925. The fundamentals of this style are as follows: organic elements such as flowers and leaves become very geometrical, the focus is on the overall shape of a piece of furniture, and also on volumes, in stark contrast with Art Nouveau. Art has a heavy influence on textile design (especially Fauve and Futurist painters). Two types are Art Déco style can be identified: Floral Art Déco / Flowers become the central element of various creations. Whether stylized, round or in volume. The Rose design created by Iribe for Bianchini Ferrier stands as the most perfect example of Floral Art Déco. Geometric Art Déco: initially, a stylized flower was the centre of the composition, but slowly, the flower becomes strictly geometric, bordering on abstraction. See a product See a selection ART NOUVEAU see Style entry ART NOUVEAU STYLE The main sources of inspiration are nature and Japan. W. Morris is one of the pioneers of the Arts and Crafts style, as it is known in England. In France, Hector Guimars is probably its most emblematic figure. His own style, based on wawy shapes, simplified design that was later to be known as Style Nouille (Noodle style) and variations upon a floral theme. See a selection ARTIFICIAL Artificial fibres, especially since WWII, are made with chemically altered natural fibres: viscose, spun viscose, bemberg, cupro. Mixed with cotton, they have a silky look. Artificial fibres belong to the Chemical Fibre category, which features artificial fibres and synthetic fibres. See a product ARTS see Style entry ARTS STYLE This term refers to the creations by Pierre Frey, who drew his inspiration from architecture and fine arts, regardless of eras. See a product See a selection ASTRAKHAN Refers to a city in Russia located at the mouth of the River Volga, to the curly, wavy wool of young lambs from Astrakhan, and to the fabric with a curly looped pile made to resemble this fur, obtained by knitting or weaving. Check out the Astrakan fabric, available in 5 colours, from the Pierre Frey Collection. See a product AUBUSSON A city of central France, in the Creuse department, famous for the tapestry and carpet workshops that have been around since the XVIth century, and supplied the French kings. This pileless, densely patterned (flowers, leaves, vivid colours) carpet is typical of the Flat Point technique, as opposed to the Savonnerie-Point technique. Carpets are usually framed with wide borders. The Aubusson style reached its pinnacle in the XVIIth century. The Braquenié archives at Pierre Frey will allow you to order re-editions of original Aubusson carpets, or customized new versions in the colours and textures of your choice. AXMINSTER A type of woven carpet, named after the city of Axminster (Devon, England) where it was originally produced. Axminster rugs and wall-to-wall carpets by Pierre Frey are hard-wearing, and designed for intensive use, yet they allow many varying patterns and colours, and are up to the standards of the most demanding of customers. They are a common sight in many stately homes, embassies or state palaces. See also Wilton and Tuft. 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