Toile de Jouy: French Countryside to Contemporary Culture
From luxury brands and fast fashion to fine china, toile print has become a staple in both the worlds of design and fashion. The word “toile” is derived from the French word for linen, as modern repeated motifs originated as a printed fabric depicting provincial scenes and patterns. “Toile” is shortened from “toile de Jouy,” referring to the Jouy-en-Josas region in France where production originated. Although toile originated solely as a fabric design, it can now be found in diverse mediums such as fine china and wallpapers. The popularity of toile skyrocketed in 18th-century France as it diffused from a luxury good of royalty and aristocrats to one for the masses. Toile has made a significant impact in design and fashion in the centuries since, catering to a specific aesthetic appeal dictated by ideals of romanticism and images of nature and culture.
Traditionally, toile print depicts a romantic pastoral landscape, painted with dreamy hues of pink, red, and blue. The first toile prints focused on florals and geometric patterns; the latter with variations celebrating cultural stories and icons. Beyond conveying a picturesque aesthetic, toile has the storytelling ability to depict prevalent mythology and literature through its prints.
Printing Process
Printing toile in the 18th century was incredibly labor-intensive, making it a luxury good primarily purchased by aristocrats. Each pattern was hand-printed onto the fabric with a series of blocks or rollers, and each color of dye required its own bath for printing. The switch to using wooden blocks allowed for some fabrics to become less expensive than copperplate and copper roller-printed fabrics and thereby more accessible to the middle class.
Toile originated in Ireland in the 1700s but quickly spread to France. German industrialist Christophe-Philipe Oberkampf is widely regarded as responsible for the popularization and mass production of this dreamy fabric. Oberkampf was born into a family of fabric dyers and traveled across Europe to educate himself in the art of engraving and printing fabric. He found inspiration in Indian and English fabric and silks, establishing a fabric printing factory in order to replicate these designs in his works. In 1686, King Louis XIV banned the production and wearing of cotton to protect France’s domestic silk industries. As a result, Oberkampf established his first factory on the border of Switzerland and France before moving it to Jouy-en-Josas, France, in 1759. He worked to design the fabric alongside the designer Jean-Baptiste Huet, known for his paintings and engravings that focused on pastoral scenes of the Rococo style. Although modern interpretations and adaptations of toile print have diverged in this content, Huet’s pastoral design has prevailed as the prototypical toile print. In addition to his printing process, Oberkampf perfected his business model by hiring 1,000 workers at his factory at the height of toile’s popularity. Oberkampf also marketed toile to appeal to both the aristocracy and middle class, allowing him to diversify his consumer base. Notably, Marie Antoinette popularized the print during her reign in the late 1700s. In 1806, Emperor Napoleon visited Oberkampf’s factory and awarded him the légion d’honneur, the highest French order of merit.
Contemporary Culture
Toile has remained popular in the centuries since its creation, leaving a lasting legacy on the world. In the 18th century, toile fabrics were used primarily for curtains, chair upholstery, and canopy beds. With new technologies and more efficient forms of printing coinciding with the Industrial Revolution, toile became more common for interior decorations such as furniture and wallpapers.
Today, modern technology and digital printing have promoted the use of toile in limitless ways. Toile was re-popularized by notable 20th-century designers such as Christian Dior, Vivienne Westwood, and Jean Paul Gaultier. In 2016, Maria Grazia Chiuri became the creative director of Dior and designed a unique toile print that represents the fashion house’s history. This print has become iconic in Dior’s current image. Modern toile prints have diversified since cultural imagery started being depicted on the fabric. Modern prints often depict places like Brooklyn, New York, or stories like Alice in Wonderland. One notable adaptation of the traditional toile print into a modern context is by American designer Sheila Bridges in her digitally printed Harlem Toile de Jouy. Bridges conveys both aesthetic design and cultural references, illustrating African-American history and culture as repeating motifs in its prints. Though this collection began as wallpaper, the prints are now on fabrics, kitchenware, and clothing. Harlem Toile de Jouy has even joined the wallpaper collection at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Today, classicists, minimalists, and maximalists have all embraced toile patterns in their aesthetic designs.
Harlem Toile de Jouy
One notable adaptation of the traditional toile print into a modern context is by American designer Sheila Bridges in her digitally printed Harlem Toile de Jouy. Bridges conveys both aesthetic design and cultural references, illustrating African-American history and culture as repeating motifs in its prints. Though this collection began as wallpaper, the prints are now on fabrics, kitchenware, and clothing. Harlem Toile de Jouy has even joined the wallpaper collection at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Today, classicists, minimalists, and maximalists have all embraced toile patterns in their aesthetic designs.