Fashion, consumer culture, and class struggle: A Marxist reading of Toile de Jouy

From Firenze University Press Journal: Fashion Highlight

Shajwan Fatah, Charmo University

One must be able to read into the future to know which type will supplant that which is already in place because everywhere, there is a type that is more sought after than the others and this will always be the case. The most skilled is also the man who knows when to stop in time in order to have the fewest leftovers when that type ceases to please…

Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf (Gril-Mariotte, 2009)

Historically, fashion has served as a mechanism through which the upper class has engaged in consumption practices. In contemporary society, particularly within the realm of modern fashion, this phenomenon extends beyond aristocratic circles, attracting individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, races, cultures, and genders. However, this widespread consumption often overlooks considerations of authenticity regarding the goods and the labor invested in their production. Therefore, in this study, my focus will be on Toile de Jouy as a product, tracing from the Enlightenment era to the present day. I will investigate the hidden premises of the work as I show the integration of the labor, the essence of the product, and cultural consumption of this design pattern, which is often used for various interior decoration, clothes, and ornaments.Semiotically, Toile de Jouy may refer to various connotations depending on different contexts: on the one hand, it appears as a decorative fashion pattern; on the other hand, from deeper layers, it reveals the essence of labor. Etymologically, the term ‘toile’ finds its roots in the French language, where it denotes the meaning of ‘fabric’. Consequently, Toile de Jouy signifies textile, often cotton in composition, originating in the town of Jouy-en-Josas in France. This town is situated in the southwestern periphery of Paris, merely four miles distant from Versailles. Other French towns also engaged in the production of analogous textiles, such as ‘Toile de Nantes’ and ‘Toile d’Orange.’ However, from a historical perspective, ‘Toile de Jouy’ is specifically indicative of printed fabrics crafted by the French-German industrialist, Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf, in Jouy-en-Josas during the period spanning from 1760 to 1843. Distinguishing authentic de Jouy textiles from those produced by alternative manufacturers necessitates the identification of a distinctive printer’s mark. This identification practice was obligatory throughout the manufacturing process due to the proliferation of numerous companies that created similar toile styles both before and after the existence of the Oberkampf Manufactory (Sporn, 2023). It’s essential to state that before that time, during the late 16th century, India held the distinction of being the world’s leading producer of cotton textiles. They employed highly intricate printing techniques, utilizing vibrant and richly colored dyes. The importation of these colorful cotton chintz fabrics from India was perceived as a threat to the livelihood of French wool and silk weavers. Consequently, they lobbied the government to enact legislation prohibiting the importation and use of these textiles. Although this ban was officially enforced in 1686, it was consistently disregarded by individuals who prioritized fashion over the law. It wasn’t until 1759 that the ban was lifted, as French manufacturers had at last acquired the knowledge to produce their own colorful and durable variations of printed Indian cotton. Sporn (2023) states that Oberkampf hired a painter — Jean-Baptiste Huet — to create designs celebrating the factory’s recognition as a ‘Manufacture Royale’. Huet later became the factory’s chief designer, known for integrating scenes into copperplate-printed textiles. The rise of copperplate printing in the 1750s is credited to Francis Nixon and Theophilus Thompson in Ireland, but Oberkampf introduced it to France, contributing to the Rococo style of de Jouy prints. Copperplate prints involved etching designs onto copper squares and were ideal for detailed and narrative motifs. This technique allowed for mass production and conveying political messages through textiles. Critics shed light on Toile de Jouy as a unique work of design, for instance, Gril-Mariotte and Warner (2009) focus on the origin of the fabric — they state that the Jouy factory established in 1760, aimed to manufacture printed cotton under the leadership of Oberkampf, who sought to address the demand for skilled textile-printing artisans. The facility experienced swift growth due to its product excellence and continuous innovation in design (p. 162). Then the critics shed light on the value of the work saying that: the surviving drawings and printed fabrics from that era illustrate how Oberkampf ’s designers ingeniously translated contemporary events and trends into textiles intended for interior decoration. These interpreta-tions of current events aimed to appeal to a broad audience. This cultured, if not prosperous clientele, typically made their purchases at boutiques in the Palais-Royal or in the shops of major provincial cities (p. 163).Besides Gril-Mariotte and Warner, Fikioris (1970) claims that the printed cotton manufactured at the Oberkampf factory accurately mirrored the evolving preferences of the French populace during the latter part of the 18th century. This transformation is evident in the thematic choices made by their principal textile designer, Huet, who was affiliated with the company from 1783 until his passing in 1811. Initially, he depicted a range of subjects including historical narratives, sophisticated political allegories, as well as vibrant scenes of everyday life and idyllic pastoral settings. However, from around the mid-1790s onwards, he shifted towards a stricter, more academically inclined neoclassical style of ornamentation that was fashionable during that era.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/fh-2676

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