Textile Tours of Paris With Rebecca Devaney
I spent a wonderful Friday morning in Paris wandering from one textile treasure to the next. My tour was led by Rebecca Devaney who established Textile Tours of Paris in 2019 to share her love of the rich heritage of textiles woven through the fabric of Paris. The tour gives access to places not accessible to the general public. Rebecca shared the fascinating stories of haberdasheries and milliners, feather-workers and embroiderers, royal customers and the working class women who made their exquisite gowns.
We discovered the celebrated merceries of Paris, brimming with the highest quality French ribbons, yarns, threads, beads, sequins, gems and buttons. A paradise for any textile enthusiast, these boutiques are a joy to visit. One of my fellow your participants cried with joy.
Many of the boutiques we visited during our walking tour have received the prestigious Enterprise du Patrimoine Vivant for their continued contribution to French culture and heritage. They are dedicated to creating the finest quality French threads, ribbons, notions and fabrics, preserving the crafts and savoir-faire that made Paris the birthplace of Haute Couture fashion long ago.
Rebecca is a friendly knowledgeable woman and a textile artist, researcher, and facilitator with a BA in Art and Design Education (2006) and an MFA in Textile Art and Artefact (2015) from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin.
In 2018, following her graduation from École Lesage, Paris, Rebecca worked as a professional haute couture embroiderer for Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Dior, Valentino, Givenchy, and Louis Vuitton. Her research into the origins, history and heritage of haute couture embroidery has been published and presented internationally.
Find our more here. https://www.textiletoursofparis.com/guided-tours
