• Origin: France • Maker: Lizzie Derriey Design Studio • Date: 1960’s • Medium: Gouache on paper (noted “Aquarelle” on sheet) • Overall Size: 20 x 26 inches • Design Size: approximately 12 x 9 inches • Condition: Good vintage condition with light signs of time and handling ~ some waviness to the paper and minor edge wear from studio use, with tape marks visible to the reverse where the design was mounted. Please use the zoom feature on the photographs to see the exact condition!~ • Unframed
This is an original vintage French textile design pattern painted in gouache ~ a beautifully layered, painterly composition in soft washes of green, blue and hints of yellow. The design has a very fluid, almost watercolor-like quality, with subtle textures, overlaid marks and delicate geometric and floral elements emerging through the layers.
This piece comes from the Lizzie Derriey Design Studio in Paris, located on the Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré ~ one of the most important fashion and design streets in the world. The studio operated from 1928 through the late 20th century and produced original hand painted textile and wallpaper designs for leading fashion houses including Givenchy, Oscar de la Renta and Ralph Lauren. Each work was created entirely by hand by studio artists as part of the design process, making every example completely unique.
The handwritten notation “Atelier Lizzie Derriey (Paris) Création de dessins textiles” confirms its origin as a working studio design, and the word “Aquarelle” highlights the softer, more fluid painting technique used here. Designs like this show the more experimental and expressive side of the studio’s work, where color and texture play a leading role.
The Derriey archive was rediscovered in the south of France in the early 2000’s, and since then these works have become increasingly collectible as rare examples of French textile design history.
I love how calm and atmospheric this one feels ~ it has a wonderful balance of structure and softness, and would look incredible framed as wall art handmade, especially in a more serene or layered interior.
I have several more from this studio ~ each one completely different and equally special. To view them just search my store for " Lizzie " ~
As always, I love the idea of preserving and reusing these pieces ~ giving them a new life in today’s interiors in a thoughtful, ecofriendly way. This is truly an antique of the future, something to enjoy now and pass down for generations.