An ancient art. A timeless beauty.

  Venise (Guipure) represents an historical textile art that has been the adornment of royalty since the Middle Ages. At that time, it was made by pain-staking hand labor…heavily stitched embroidery on a silk base cloth. The stitching had to be so perfect and dense that it could withstand an acid bath that literally melted away the silk base cloth, leaving the perfectly intricate design of the embroidery stitches. Venise was the luxurious adornment of queens, kings, princesses, princes, emperors, lords, popes and bishops and was totally unaffordable to mere commoners. You can see examples of its beauty in treasured paintings and portraits in museums throughout the world.

 

  During the 19th century, machinery was invented in Plauen, Germany that was capable of replacing the time-consuming hand labor and Venises became available to anyone who treasured beauty and fine craftsmanship. As the 20th century dawned, machine-made Venise was a widely hailed technological marvel, with the Plauen machine winning the Grand Prix at the 1900 Paris World Exhibition. Today the stitching is produced on a non-woven base fabric which is later dissolved in boiling water, instead of acid (much more environmentally friendly). To this day, Venise/Guipure is a treasured luxury in couture and special occasion apparel. It remains among the most expensive fashion details available and requires true skill and artistry to create the final fashion product. At Veréna Designs, we are committed to beauty and luxury…our designs envision you in beauty and comfort. You are special and deserve the luxury and beauty of Venise.