OUR FAVORITE ADORNMENTS FROM VACANZA
S. Harris Director of Trimmings Sharon Cash scrolled through the design ideas and concept boards sent over by Benjamin Johnston. She saw his trademark vibe of classic, curated, and cool, but there was something extra: old-world charm fused with contemporary flair. The pageantry and sophistication of Italy was in full celebration. Johnston’s Vacanza collection began unfurling.
Sharon's vision sparked. Her objective was to liberate a handful of designs Johnston created for the fabric collection into a selection of trimmings. She worked closely with Johnston to interpret the designs into three-dimensional fabric borders. Together they fashioned the patterns and colors for the grouping, which play on light, shadow, texture, and ancient architectural motifs. Symmetry plays a central theme, as do movement and motion.
Sharon embraced the elegant simplicity of the designs, relishing the opportunity to go bold and big. She remembers making the case for the wide, dramatic width for Filippo—which measures at an expansive 6.25 inches—and a more versatile footprint for both Franco and Francesco, in widths of 3" and 4", respectively. The result is a set of trimmings that can be used as a statement on a solid fabric or as a layer that plays with other pieces from the Vacanza collection.
It’s impossible to tour these trimmings and not remember the ornate friezes found throughout classical Italy. While the geometric lines and serpentine curves have ancient roots, the approach to color, composition, and texture is fresh and innovative. The reference to blue-jean denim in the brushed gold double cap rivet on Greek Key-inspired Francesco, for example, is an entirely new way to bring the ancient to the modern, a new path between Neo-classical and lived-in contemporary.
Like the Vacanza collection itself, these trimmings are an ode to Italian detail—an acknowledgement of how asymmetry and color movement can spur creativity, as well as serve as a tempting invitation to color outside the lines.
Francesco in Tramonto, pictured
In Francesco, concentric cords of lustrous embroidery fold upon themselves, undulating around off-set rivets over an asymmetric two-tone tape. We offer Francesco in four colorways, which correspond to the color palettes at the core of the Vacanza collection.
Franco in Nero, pictured
Franco is an embroidered geometric tape, a modern take on a classic dentil molding. Each of the four colors speaks to the collection as a whole, and each creates its own palette that refers to light and shadow, line and angle.
In Filippo, symmetrical swirls of embroidered colors create an ombre strip with a rich, crisp hand. This architectural border design feels familiar, yet distinctive—punctuated by the luxurious, extra-wide width. We love how this trim looks on furniture and pillows, almost as if someone turned on a light behind it.
Which Vacanza trim are you adding to your inspo board? We’d love to hear from you—tag us on social to join the conversation. #sharris
