Rocio Moreno, founder of Meridiana, a well known interior design firm in Spain, has been working and dealing with India for the past 14 years. Now presents a new collection of hangings and silk brocades produced on manual looms.
These weavers are unique, in that they continue to work the complex technique of brocade by hand, in the same way as they were produced in the XV and XVI centuries in Venice and other eastern countries. This type of silk cloth is loomed with a double-warp and a specially treated silk, creating its extraordinary beauty and lustrous satin finish.
In the XV and XVI centuries this fabric was woven for the Imperial Mogul court. All the court rituals, its economic structure, salaries and rewards were built up around the symbolism, cost and almost mystical stature of the silk. Today they continue weaving silks and tapestries for temples and palaces, like those of the Dalai Lama and the Nepalese royal family.
Part of the collection is presented mounted on stretchers as well as hangings. The fabrics can also be used as decorative elements or for haute couture.
"When I discovered these looms I became fascinated by the work and the quality and texture of the silks. Until then, they only produced traditional designs. I decided to design a totally new collection using Ottoman motifs, giving them a more contemporary form and colour. The result of this project was presented in Madrid from the 21st to the 30th of May 2008.
