Solaris, The Story Behind a Fabric Print
Each Maison Fauve collection is set apart from the rest with its own realm, its own dedicated aesthetic, a new story that I enjoy telling. The colour palette and prints are major elements in this narrative. They will be found not only on the fabrics but also on the pattern envelopes.
I’ve thought of the Fauve Romance collection as a road trip, a beautiful escape from our busy urban lives to the softness and lightness of the holidays.
Summer at Maison Fauve is colourful and bright, and I wanted the colours to be those of the sky that my heroine gazes at from behind the wheel of her convertible: the bluish halos of early mornings by the water, the vivid colours of a field of flowers that you see like a streak as you drive past it at speed, the soft pastels of the late afternoon when the sky turns the colour of vanilla as in an Impressionist painting, the orange-red and then the blaze of twilight as night falls.
I wanted dresses that were the colour of the weather, a silhouette that could be recognised at a glance, an inspiring palette whose tones could follow the desires of each of us, while keeping an overall coherence.
An exclusive print
I searched long and hard for the pattern that would encapsulate all this. I love abstract art for its work on colour, shape and light. It’s an extension of fauvism, but it’s far removed from reality. And ‘gradient art’ is a technique that goes even further, emphasising the transitions from one colour to another, from one tone to another. But it wasn’t easy to translate this into a pattern. I was lucky enough to meet a textile designer who came up with a design as beautiful as a painting, with its nuances, its blurred and haloed effects. And she did a fabulous job on the colour variations, using the Fauve Romance palette.
Inspirations
The Solaris print by Maison Fauve
Solaris viscose poplin
We offer our prints on a viscose poplin. It’s soft, supple and easy to sew. The pattern shows up beautifully on this light fabric with a lovely fall.
How to sew viscose poplin
I recommend that you use fine needles to sew viscose poplin, to avoid pulling threads and damaging your viscose fabric. To add hold to your work, use a fusible interfacing such as Vilene G710 for collars, button plackets and cuffs. And to add just a bit more definition to your neckline, use Vilene G785 for the facings.
Wash your viscose sewn garments in a laundry net at 30° max on a delicate programme.
Haberdashery for your Solaris poplin creations
We offer a range of sewing threads for this fabric:
- Black sewing thread is ideal for Halo Blue, and black and ultra violet are perfect for Obscure Violet.
- The ecru and romance pink thread is perfect for Solaris Pastel
- Ecru and romance pink, lagoon or smoky blue thread is ideal for sewing Solaris Confetti.
And we have a whole range of buttons, in a wide range of colours, to create pretty touches to your sewing:
- Glossy Wink buttons, adorable and slightly shiny with a golden heart.
- Matt Wink buttons, elegant with a satin finish
- Glitter buttons, with a golden outline in a wide range of colours
- Natural mother-of-pearl buttons, sleeker and perfect for a button-down shirt or blouse
The perfect patterns to sew with Solaris viscose poplin
Our poplin is perfect for sewing little tops, dresses, blouses and summer skirts.
A beautiful printed dress for summer
Cuba Libre Dress in Solaris Ultra Orange
I made the Cuba Libre dress in Solaris ultra-Orange poplin, for an ultra-vitamin version of this beautiful summer dress. And I chose the Solaris Confetti poplin for a long dress that gives an optical illusion, like a revisited floral fabric. This beautiful dress has butterfly sleeves and a panelled skirt: the silhouette lengthens and billows beautifully.
Cuba Libre Dress in Solaris Confetti
For the halo blue Solaris print, I chose the very summery Paola dress, with its thin straps, stunning back and flowing cut thanks to its panel construction. It’s a sundress that really allows this intricate print to shine through.
Paola Dress in Halo Blue Solaris
Combining the Transat dress with the Solaris print was an obvious choice. The Transat dress has a beautiful V-neckline front and back, with pleats on the shoulders, it ties at the waist and the front is embellished with a slit: a very easy-to-sew design that will instantly raise the temperature in this fabric.
Transat Dress in Solaris Violet Obscur
An irresistible little top
Daïquiri Blouse in Solaris Pastel
The softness of Solaris Pastel blends beautifully with the Daïquiri blouse, and its light colours don’t hide the distinctive cutwork of the sewing pattern. It’s a mermaid blouse that will look great worn over a pair of plain shorts.
Paola Top in Solaris Ultra Orange
The Paola top is a real gem, a small hand-sewn camisole that takes on a whole new dimension in the spectacular Ultra Orange solaris print. Perfect over jeans, it will spice up any outfit.
The Spritz tank top en Solaris Confetti
