Pirate Silk

Textiles are one of Switzerland’s oldest industries, and one of the biggest names in Switzerland’s silk trade has been Abraham Ltd. Pirate Silk: The Fabric Designs of Abraham Ltd. draws from the vast archives that are held at the Swiss National Museum in Zürich to document the fascinating history of this influential enterprise. This revised edition of the second volume of the original Soie Pirate supplements beautiful illustrations of the designs, patterns, and samples of the fabrics produced by Abraham Ltd. with a previously unpublished introductory essay that provides background for the images. Not only does this volume contain an up-close look at Abraham Ltd.’s fabric, but it also includes photographs and sketches of the elegant dresses created from their fabrics—dresses from such couturiers as Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent. Pirate Silk displays Abraham Ltd.’s far-reaching and long-lasting influence upon the world of fashion and brings to life a lesser known chapter in the history of fashion.

Praise for the previous edition

“These volumes are an amazing representation of the work of this fantastic house, whose textiles will continue to inspire and excite for years to come.”—Duro Oluwo, Vogue