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Greetings! 
L'imagination gouverne le monde
Napoléon
Imagination rules the world
September has come and gone like a whirlwind, with every day bringing another challenge in our quest to get closer to the overarching vision which was the inspiration for Swan Ways. After a month of hard but very rewarding work, I am happy to report on our progress:
First: notice the logo - the swan's paisley motif has more definition and depth, and we finally have a tag line that truly represents our vision: celebrate your inner empress, and our mission: "To enhance the lives of women with timeless styles inspired by a woman of legendary elegance and grace."
Second: A prototype of our inaugural private label scarf is under production in Lyon, France, and will be ready for formal unveiling this month.
Third: We will host a party to celebrate the formal launch of our Internet boutique and of our first private label scarf on October 29. If you are in the Washington, DC area, please come celebrate with us.
And fourth, some big news, but only for my loyal friends and subscribers for now: a selection of Swan Ways shawls in finally available for sale on our web site! Please visit Swan Ways' Internet boutique and let us know what you think of the design, product selection, and any other features. This will be extremely helpful as we fine-tune the page to be launched in style together with our private label on October 29. To thank our first 20 customers, any purchases will receive a discount of 15% at check out, as well as free shipping.
This issue's feature article is on silk from Lyon under the First Empire. Napoleon took a great interest in the city and its main industry, and under his rule Lyon became the silk capital of Europe. Next, we discuss the creative, commercial and technical aspects of producing our inaugural scarf, The Eagle.
As always, thank you so much for sending us your comments and suggestions. The September issue was particularly well received, and one representative message reads: "As much as I enjoy ALL your newsletters, this month's was special...I have been to the Hotel de Talleyrand and have the scarves from the Marshall project... Vivien is such a special person and it was a delight to read about her."
With warmest regards,
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Silk from Lyon under the First Empire
Napoleon's economic policies strongly promoted French industry, but none was dearer to his heart than the silk fabriques of Lyon. Having enjoyed preeminence throughout the eighteenth century as the center of French textile trade, Lyon's silk-weaving industry was severely damaged in the upheaval of the French Revolution. As demand for luxury goods plummeted, many of the fabriques closed and thousands of artisans were put out of work.
On his way back from the second Italian campaign in 1800, Napoleon made a brief stop in Lyon which marked the beginning of his long interest in the welfare of the city and its major industry. The first commissions for silk to refurbish official residences were made during the Consulate in 1802, and many others followed throughout the Empire. Napoleon saw the display of luxurious furnishings as a way "to honor the country we govern...Now that we have peace, we shall attend to the Arts."
To revive the silk industry in Lyon and to undermine the dominance of the British industrialized textile industry, Napoleon banned the import of muslin fabric, a favorite of fashionable Parisian women, and placed very large orders for silk from Lyon to refurnish the palaces ransacked during the Revolution. The city's prosperity rose in tandem with that of its silk merchants, and Lyon became not only a textile powerhouse, but a major element of the French economy during the Empire. The benefits extended beyond the city limits, as mulberry plantations, silkworm farms, and weaving mills sprang up in the surrounding Rhone valley.
Joseph-Marie Jacquard (1752 - 1834)
In 1801, Lyon inventor Joseph-Marie Jacquard developed a revolutionary silk loom. This machine was automated and operated 25 times faster than the old draw looms for creating intricate patterns and portraits in silk. Silk weavers, however, fearing replacement by the Jacquard loom, created a firestorm and Jacquard was forced to flee the city to escape violent rioting. Napoleon and Josephine visited Lyon in 1805 on their way to Milan where he was to receive the crown of Italy. The emperor inspected the Jacquard loom and was so impressed that he awarded Jacquard fifty francs for every loom equipped with the device, as well as a lifelong pension of 3,000 francs a year. Updated Jacquard looms are still in use today to produce tapestries, brocades, damasks, and other intricately woven silk fabrics.
Napoleon inspecting the Jacquard loom
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The Affaire Pernon and Silk Dyes
In 1805, Napoleon noticed that a green and poppy-red damask fabric with palm motifs that had been installed in his study by the Pernon firm a few months earlier had started to fade. He was very displeased, and admonished the firm that "foreigners who see modern furniture in such a state will have a very poor opinion of the Lyon works."
The incident made Napoleon decide to pay particular attention to research on dyes, and to establish a chair in chemistry in Lyon under the direction of Jean Michel Raymond. Following the continental blockade against Great Britain, he also offered a 25,000 franc prize for the discovery of a dye to produce Prussian blue, as indigo could no longer be imported from India. In 1811, Raymond succeeded in producing such a dye for silk, but not wool, achieving a color that was greatly admired for its brilliance. Other dyes were developed for crimson, pastels, and golden tones.
Imperial Fabrics and Motifs
Green damask and bee and swan motifs were ubiquitous in First Empire interiors, but there was also a great variety of other colors, fabrics, and motifs.  The color known as Empire green was used mostly in the emperor's studies and bedrooms, because it was thought that green was restful and preserved the eyes.
Other colors in the emperor's rooms included blue at Rambouillet and St. Cloud, crimson at Compiègne, green and yellow at the Elysée, and plum at Fontainebleau. Josephine's rooms did not show much green, as she favored colors of rare and subtle hues, such as blue and jonquil at Compiègne, lapis blue at Fontainebleau, and bois de citron with grey and silver linen borders in the music salon at the Tuileries. Her love of flowers was in evidence in a blue and silver brocade with myrtle and ivy she ordered in 1802 for the grand salon at St. Cloud, eventually placed in the empress' music room in the Tuileries.
New fabrics were also created, including brocades, velvet, gros de Tours, satins, moirés, anddamasks, many embellished with intricate embroidery with silk, chenille or gold thread. Flowers and botanical motifs were used  widely: roses, lilacs, daisies, and the imperial flower, fritillaries. The poppy, symbolizing sleep, decorated the emperor's and empress's bedrooms at the Tuileries. Oak, laurel, ivy, myrtle and vine leaves alternated with crowns, garlands, and wreaths. Palms, antique vases, cornucopias, stars, all were characteristic motifs of imperial silk fabrics.
Napoleon's policies and his determined efforts to revive France's textile industry succeeded in making Lyon Europe's foremost silk center. The city never forgot its debt to the emperor, and in 1815, when he returned from Elba, the population enthusiastically supported his bid to regain the throne. It was in Lyon, on March 11, 1815, that Napoleon issued a decree reinstating the tricolor. |
The Making of "The Eagle"
Named for the Napoleonic symbol par excellence, Swan Way's inaugural scarf is the culmination of my vision to express the epic grandeur of the First Empire as a poem in silk. Over two years in the making, it is inspired by my life-long passion for the history, arts and styles of the First Empire. One of the most opulent in the history of decorative arts, the Empire style has never gone out of fashion. It combines classic elegance with exquisite materials and workmanship, drawing its stylistic inspiration from Greco-Roman antiquity and symbolic references to Napoleon's reign.
Throughout his political career, Napoleon championed the distinctive style that became associated with his reign. The Empire style formed an integral part of his program to legitimize his reign and promote the arts and economy of France. A masterful image-builder, Napoleon appropriated emblems of power from antiquity, associating his rule with the great civilizations of the past and the earliest French kings.
In my concept for the scarf, I tried to capture the richness of the Empire style's iconography, drawing upon my private Napoleonic library and other sources, such as the New York Public Library's extensive collection of fashion plates from throughout the ages.
Deborah Schwartz | Once I selected the elements, I sketched a rough outline of the design. My friend Deborah Schwartz, a talented textile designer from New York, produced a more detailed, hand-painted version of the sketch, which has since then undergone numerous modifications and refinements to ensure that every element is historically accurate as well as beautifully rendered in its smallest details.
Design Elements
The scarf features some of the most prominent symbols used to represent the new political order and promote Napoleon's reign.
The centerpiece is a golden eagle, used in the standards of the Roman army as a symbol of power and independence. Napoleon adopted it to represent the new French Empire, and his regiment carried a bronze sculpture of the imperial eagle.
The royal blue background is dotted with golden bees, chosen by Napoleon as one of the imperial emblems. Golden bees were found in the tomb of King Childeric I, King of the Franks in the fifth century A.D., and by adopting this emblem Napoleon associated his rule with the earliest French kings.
The border is framed by laurel wreaths, a symbol of the god Apollo in Greek mythology, and a Roman symbol of military victory.
The corners display other major symbols of Napoleonic lore: the mythical Napoleon's hat, a pair of swans - a symbol of love and of the sun god Apollo, a favorite symbol of the empress Josephine and the inspiration for Swan Ways' name - the imperial crown, and a coin with the double profile of Napoleon and Josephine.
The sides feature three classes of the Légion d'Honneur, established by Napoleon to reward service to the nation, the top one being the replica of the extraordinary jewel designed by Biennais for the Emperor and the imperial family. The iconic imperial monogram, the upper case "N," takes center stage on the lower side.
The Production Stage
Once I was happy with the design, the next big step was the selection of a manufacturer for the scarf. One possibility was having the scarf manufactured in China, the country of choice for most silk scarves sold in museum shops. Although this would have lowered production costs by a factor of three or more, it did not take me long to decide to go for the best! Having lived for seven years in France, I feel great admiration for the French fine crafts tradition and for the devotion of French artisans to the best materials and the most exacting workmanship. I wanted to maintain and promote those standards with my inaugural scarf on such an iconic French theme!
Although I performed due diligence by obtaining quotes from other manufacturers, I admired the work performed by LR Paris on the commemorative scarf it produced to support the restoration of the Hôtel de Talleyrand. Vivien Woofter, the director of the project, introduced me to the
Charles Dolige | president of LR Paris USA, Charles Doligé, and our discussions about the finer points of producing the scarf convinced me that LR Paris was not just the best, but the only choice!
After several discussions over the concept and each of the elements, the complex process involved in producing a top quality silk scarf began. First, a graphic artist worked with the concept and the various elements to render them into a finished sketch for approval. Images flew back and forth by e-mail between Paris and Arlington, as we discussed every element and I was  asked to provide additional background and clarification. Here is an example of one toward the end of this stage.
Once the final design was approved, the next step was the production of a prototype in the luxurious silk fabric woven in LR Paris mills in Lyon, France. An engraver broke down the scarf design into the colors of the scarf (one screen per color (there are 13 different ones in The Eagle) before printing began. Printing takes place on 100-meter long tables, and colors are placed in sequence from the lightest to the darkest and from the smallest to the largest area of the scarf's design. Charles told me that this process took approximately 150 hours! The printed scarves will then be fixed, washed, ironed and cut out, scarf by scarf, in a process that takes over 700 hours - just rolling the hems by hand takes 45 minutes per scarf.
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