The LcD textile collection by Luc Druez (available through Fameed Khalique) is a limited edition of ‘hijacked’ fabrics made from reclaimed technical fibres. These awe-inspiring materials are produced in small-scale specialist workshops in Belgium, France and Italy for use in private home decoration, haute couture and interior design. Their fantastical forms also lend themselves to wider creative use: in the hotel industry, for window dressing, restaurants, theatres, and for accessories, clothing, hats and bags. Paris-based Luc Druez’s work can be found on the catwalks of haute couture fashion shows (including Christian Dior, Chanel, Christian Lacroix, Yves Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton), in the theatre and opera, and in the projects of the greatest decorators such as Peter Marino and Andrée Putman. He calls the people who bring his textiles to life in transparent settings or in movement around the body the ‘stage managers’ in his work.
In an interior setting the translucent nature of the fabrics is a perfect partner where there is a light-source, natural or otherwise, or where there is a need for blinds, screens or dividers. They have the industry standards and specifications to also be used on walls or for seating in a commercial or private environment.
What is truly unique about the collection is that all the materials used to create the collection share a technical background in one way or another, ranging from fishing-rod string to PVC. Each salvaged material holds its own unique property that is fundamental to its end form.
• Fishing-rod string: creates a translucent, strong, washable yarn
• Polyurethane gum: cast on to a textured yarn this produces a leather look-alike with flame-resistant properties that can be shaped and moulded
• Electrician’s copper wire: oxidized in an infinite palette of colours, each one unique. The magnetic field of this metal is most in tune with the human body than any other precious metal
• Synthetic raffia: this mass-dyed filament yarn is highly UV-resistant and is fully washable
• PVC: transparent and available in unlimited colours, it is also naturally flame-resistant
• Cellophane: ultra light, transparent and light-reflecting
Born in Belgian Luc Druez studied music at the Brussels Conservatoire before an unfortunate lapse of memory during a concert caused him to abandon his career to look for another means of artistic expression. His grandfather, a tailor, inspired him to produce textile creations that would have a tangible existence, one that was more lasting than the memory of a concert performance. He has worked as a textiles research consultant for the past 15 years.
The first LcD collection was unveiled in Paris during Luc Druez’s solo exhibition in 1995 at the Marine Biras Textile Gallery. Since then, the LcD edition has been present at trade fairs in Belgium (Intérieur show, Courtrai), Paris (Maison & Objet), Milan (Salon del Mobile), London (100% Design) and Japan (Ichinomiya Foundation), in temporary exhibitions and as hangings at shows (Lille 2004 and Designers Days, to name just two). Luc Druez also works as a textile research consultant in many textile firms and in schools. His original pieces form part of public and private collections.
