Includes bibliographical references (p. [256]) and index.

A New Beginning (1910-23) -- Floral Art Deco (1919-31) -- Modernism and Geometry (1923-36) -- The Late Period (1931-45).

The 1920s and 1930s were a time of great social and cultural upheaval, as well as a period of immense creativity in all artistic fields. The decorative arts, given a fresh lease on life by the Paris International Exhibition of 1925, experienced a boom that was to shape the lifestyles of a generation, and French artists and designers found themselves at the very center of these developments. Whether following the elitist decorative trends of Ruhlmann and Sue, or the more egalitarian, functionalist movement led by Le Corbusier, the worlds of interior decoration and fashion went through radical changes that were both influenced by and reflected in the textiles of the day. This is an invitation to discover the spectacular world of French Art Deco textiles. Hundreds of full-color photographs bring to life the age when craftsmanship and industry worked side by side: Lyons silk and the first artificial fibers, carved wooden printing blocks and huge multiple-cylinder rotary presses, indigo and madder and aniline and alizarin dyes, tradition and progress. By turns sumptuous or minimalist, featuring extravagant floral patterns or simple arrangements of shapes and colors, timelessly classical or celebrating the most recent triumphs of contemporary life, these fabrics will provide endless inspiration to designers and collectors, and enthrall anyone eager to understand the role textiles played in the evolution of Art Deco.