'"Haptic and Hue" /Guerlain Classic Elegance Draw Winners

Winners of the Guerlain Classic Elegance Draw, ta-da!

First prize: Four Guerlain 1ml decants and the atomizer set:
Peg An------

Second Prize and Third prize: four 1ml Guerlain decants:

Rosemarie Da-----

Debra G. Hu-----

Winners, please contact gwenATperfumnicheDOTcom to provide your shipping info.

The same Guerlain Classic Elegance Pack is available at perfumeniche from tomorrow—February 23d— on; price, $CDN 20 plus shipping for the four decants.

Few discoveries of the past year have proven more felicitous than "Haptic and Hue", the podcast by English journalist Jo Andrews,"a weaver of stories and cloth". Each of the three series introduces a corner of the rich, significant history of cloth, from designers to makers, from humble to couture, from ancient to contemporary times.

Jo Andrews

If you are a lover of textiles, it is a must-listen. Andrews explores the kingdom of cloth with language as deftly-handled as an old shuttle loom. Here is a frank discussion of the dark corners of the trade, of the fight to keep refined techniques alive, of alliances and networks stretching over a millenium. Commerce, art, statesmanship, romance: the essence of life itself, embedded in cloth.

When I write here about fabric quality, the role of dye, where to find exceptional fabrics—or even just decent ones–I am following a path Jo Andrews has trod for decades, and so generously shares for free.

In today's windows, pieces that deliver the pleasure inherent to cloth. Not all are hand-woven—some are produced on machine-driven looms—but for all, the quality of the material delivers the first word of Ms Andrews' title: haptic.

Ultrafine cashmere: I know of no more certain way to induce Scarf Purr. Tuck such a scarf in a pouch in your bag, or roll into its own pocket. (Shown, Eric Bompard cashmere voile stole in Cobalt.)

Silk: A silk jacquard from the house of Wolff et Descourtis is a lifetime investment. (Shown, "Little People" in blue.) A "Haptic and Hue" episode tells of the invention of the jacquard loom. It is one of my favourite weaves; if you collect Hermès, hang on to your jacquards, because they no longer use that weave for their famous silk prints.

Wool/silk: Janet Philips is a noted designer and handweaver introduced in "Haptic and Hue"; this is her "City Lights" scarf, a blend of 50% silk, 50% lambswool.

Textile design, silk: On my Someday List is this flashy, fabulous "Pushkin" shirt from English Eccentrics, because I still regret selling a similar one twenty years ago. Helen David is a magnificent textile designer.

But, as Jo Andrews reminds us, the humbler fabrics are deeply satisfying too, as in the quiet beauty of khadi shawl of handspun and handwoven cotton, from Etsy seller VastraIndia:

May Jo Andrews long weave fabric and words! She has placed joy in my heart, and yardage in my trunks. "Haptic and Hue" is education at its best, engrossing, expansive, generous. And it should come with a warning: you will be able to justify every addition to your collection as part of your learning experience.

You can support her work by making a small donation via the BuyMeaCoffee website. One small coffee for Jo, one mighty step for textiles.