Image credit: Photographer Sara Kerens, model Benedetta Barzini, Clothes Daniela Gregis.

We look back at an archive issue of Selvedge from spring 2015, Issue 64 Ageless. With articles on topics from lace and Toile du Jouy, to Napolean’s military style, quilts and a contemporary collection from fashion designer Daniela Gregis, we consider why some designs have an enduring appeal. All our back issues are currently available with a 50% discount, by entering the code STAYATHOME at checkout. This code will be active for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.

Image credit: Bridgeman Art Library.

Here’s Polly’s introduction to Issue 64: I am drawn to Georgian architecture: a flat fronted town house would be my dream. The elegant proportions and calm panelled interior speak to me of timeless beauty. I think the marriage of Georgian architecture and mid-century modern furniture is a harmonious one. These two periods have a distinctive aesthetic and an enduring appeal. What is it about some designs that transcend their time?

Yves Saint Laurent said, “Fashions fade, style is eternal” and this issue is dedicated to that excellent idea. We visit the Parco dei Principi Hotel in Sorrento, designed in the 60s by Gio Ponti. The geometric tiles and graceful furnishings were a fitting backdrop for the spring/summer collection of one of our favourite designers, Daniela Gregis. Daniela lives in Bergamo, an area severely affected by the virus, we are thinking about her and her team at this time.

Daniela's sympathetic shapes and sensitivity to cloth flattered our 71-year-old model Benedetta Barzini. We hope it will please Amanda Carr who shares her strong opinions on the limitations of “age appropriate” dressing in this issue and, more regularly, on The Women’s Room blog.

Image credit: Michele Martinoli.

Looking to interiors, 2015 marks the 200th anniversary of the death of Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf, founder of the factory that popularised Toile de Jouy. V&A curator Sarah Grant explains its ongoing appeal. It’s also the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo on the 18th June and Sarah Jane Downing looks at the military influence on fashion.

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