After being inspired as of late by lace trims, CLOTH decided to take a leisurely Sunday afternoon to attend the Honolulu Academy of Arts current textile exhibit ‘Men in Lace’. It is extraordinary just how much we take the dainty textile for granted in today’s society as the attention to detail, agile needlework, and profound dedication have been replaced in most cases with modern day machinery. Walking through turn of the century lace samples, the craftsmanship astounded those in attendance and brought forth why lace has once again found it’s way back into contemporary culture and modern design.

With the rise of more designers finding revelation in lace, there is no question that the richness, fluidity, and delicate interplay between ornamentation and structure have given lace a revival. With new techniques and materials, lace continues to transform and surpass the times making it one of the most fascinating materials known to man.

Style.com recently sat down with Erdem Moralioglu to discuss his love of lace. . . “I think people are searching for things that have quite a human hand to them. It has such a handmade feel. There’s an attraction to owning something one of a kind—I think, as a fabric, lace has that.” -Erdem Moralioglu read full story

Men In Lace
Honolulu Academy of Arts, The Textile Gallery (22) ||| May 20-October 10, 2010

Lace may be strictly for women today, but 400 years ago, it was a manly accessory. Men in Lace, showcasing selections from the Academy’s exquisite lace collection, reveals how the textile was once the ultimate status symbol in Europe.

Men, as the holders of power and wealth, were consummate lace connoisseurs who drove a continent-wide industry. At one point, there was a domestic-help shortage because so many people were pressed into lacemaking. It’s a fascinating story, told through intricate lace fragments along with paintings, drawings and prints that highlight this extravagant accessory of fashionable European dress.

Italy and Flanders were the major centers for the early development of lace. Desired by kings and courtiers, the aristocracy and the clergy, lace was a symbol of wealth. In France, the elite spent such vast amounts of money on Italian lace that Colbert, the great French Minister under Louis XIV, forbade its use. Consequently, Colbert induced Venetian and Flemish lace makers to establish lace schools near Alençon in 1665. The textile was the perfect style accent during this period of frivolous, rich, and refined living.

The exhibition traces the evolution of lace in men’s collars, cuffs, ruffs, bibs, cravats, fichus, flounces, shoe roses, bootlaces and garters.—Sara Oka, Collection Manager of Textiles

Inside the Men in Lace Gallery

Make your own Lace at the Academy

Hands on Lace at the Academy