Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Travel Snapshots: Silk Shop in Lyon, France

When we only had a few hours to get souvenirs for our wives, our guide took my boss and me to an old-style silk shop west of the Saone in the older part of Lyon.

I couldn't fork over the 70 euros for the authentic, hand-loomed scarf I wanted, but I did get a cultural experience out of it. Check out the video here, and photos are below:


Marketing ploy or true story? This guy said silk has been in his family for generations.

Weights hanging below to balance the loom.

Who knows how much spin we were getting from him, but the shop owner says he makes scarves for famous brands like Hermes.

Looking out from workshop to the sales floor.

Spools are to the weaver what paint is to the painter.

1 comment:

Becky said...

The Hermes usine is located right outside of Lyon. When I was a design student I went inside of it, to the areas not accessible to the public, and have seen how their silk products are produced. They do commission local artisans to produce certain items and the best ones are known to be in Lyon.

Next time be sure to visit the Musee des Tissus on Rue de Charite and the Musee des Canuts in La Croix Rousse (just a few minutes from my own home) and you will truly appreciate the rich textile history that is unique to Lyon.