Lyonnais silks «ad uttimo gusto»: the trade in fashionable waistcoats between France and Italy in the second half of the 18th century
From Firenze University Press Book: Fashion as an economic engine: process and product innovation, commercial strategies, consumer behavior
Moïra Dato, European University Institute
Pascale Gorguet-Ballesteros, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris
The European production of silk threads and fabrics has been an industry in constant evolution, following and adapting to the ever-changing landscape of European politics and economy. The first silk weaving looms were introduced in Europe between the 8th and 9th centuries by Arabic or Byzantine craftsmen, in Sicily, Calabria or Puglia (Crippa 2000, 8). Production progressively spread to the rest of the Italian peninsula and to other parts of Europe, such as England, France and Spain. Italian weaving centres, however, dominated this production, especially with their luxury fabrics such as figured velvets and damasks (Tognetti 2007, 143- 4).
Looms were active in Tours as early as the 15th century, but it was not until the second half of the 17th century that France experienced a significant development in its production of silk fabrics with the manufactures of Lyon. Looms had been established in the city of Lyon in the previous century. Francis I granted two merchants from Piedmont permission to set up looms in the city in 1536 (Godart 1899, 15–6; Barbier 2019, 252–54). In 1667, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV’s Minister of Finance and Trade, reformed the guild regulations on production, implementing a greater division of labour and higher standards of quality (Godart 1899, 83–5). In parallel, the Lyonnais merchant manufacturers (marchands fabricants) initiated a system of seasonal fashion changes: on a regular basis, new patterns were made available on the market for sartorial silks. These regular, quick innovations in fashion stimulated consumption while also making it more difficult for competitors to keep up with the pace of change (Poni 1997).
Through these different strategies, Lyonnais manufacturing, called the Grande Fabrique, experienced a significant development, eventually taking the lead in the European production of luxury, fashionable silks. The Lyonnais manufacture of silks took place within the framework of the guild of the Maîtres marchands et maîtres ouvriers fabricants en étoffes d’or, d’argent et de soie (Godart 1899). The merchant manufacturers managed the entire chain of production, from buying the silks threads, distributing them to master weavers (maîtres ouvriers), and selling the finished product. They also commissioned designs, put out dyeing and finishing processes, thus acting as the connection between the many different artisans in the industry. Because only master weavers could become merchants, as per the guild’s regulations, these tradesmen possessed the technical knowledge of weaving; some merchants were also designers (Miller 2014a, 34–6). The designers, who could also work as employees of a firm of as freelance artists, were in charge of creating the patterns for silks. Because of the Lyonnais strategy centred around the regular changes in patterns, their work was central to the Grande Fabrique (Miller 1988, 55; Poni 1997, 41).
Lyonnais merchant manufacturers sold their silks by various means. They could deal with consumers directly, selling their fabrics in their premises. They sold most of their production, however, through intermediaries. Indeed, most Lyonnais silks were sent beyond the city’s walls. Lyonnais merchants supplied many French cities, Paris being most important (Miller 2014b, 88). They also sent fabrics abroad, and intermediaries were essential to conduct this long-distance trade. Lyonnais silks were sold to consumers through retailers, such as mercers or milliners. Finally, Lyon also had agents or commissionaires, who presented new production to clients (both consumers and retailers), conducted sales, gathered due payments, and in more general terms dealt with the long-distance businesses of the Lyonnais (Miller 2014b, 89–90; Peyrot 1973, 36–37). During the 18th century, Lyonnais silks were indeed exported to many countries in Europe and beyond (Le Gouic, 276; Bogomonolova, 247). The different regions of the Italian peninsula were also avid clients. Furthermore, many Italian weaving centres were still active manufacturers of silk fabrics, competing actively with the Grande Fabrique. Italy was also the main European producer of finished and semifinished silk threads, and therefore one of the main suppliers of the Lyonnais manufactures, making their relationship all the more dynamic and symbiotic (Tolaini and Battistini 2010, 203–5).
The Lyonnais merchant manufacturers distributed their silks through a large number of retailers scattered throughout the peninsula, being in contact with mercers based in Alessandria, Cagliari, Genoa, Livorno, Lucca, Mantua, Milan, Modena, Naples, Palermo, Rome, Turin and Venice, while the firm Sonnerat et cie traded with Alessandria, Cagliari, Genoa, Mantua, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Parma, Rome, Turin and Venice. This network of intermediaries was essential to ensure the success of their business. To multiply connections was a way to reach a broader range of clients, as well as to spread risks, bankruptcies being common in this trade (Miller 1998, 150).
Lyon sent to Italy a wide range of silks: taffeta, satin, lustrine, watered silk, droguet, gourgouran, cannelé, lamé, striped, chiné, gros de Tours, gros de Naples, silks with gold and silver… in a myriad of colours. They were sent as lengths in varying numbers of ells, the unit to measure textiles’ length in France. The fabric was cut and transformed at a later stage according to its intended use by a specialised craftsman: a tailor or dressmaker made up clothes; an upholsterer made furnishings. Traditionally, members of the Grande Fabrique were not to make any garments from their silks, guild regulations keeping this prerogative for tailors (Roche 2007, 282).
DOI: 10.36253/978–88–5518–565–3.12
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