Matelasse, pronounced Mat-La-Say, (we struggled with this one a fair bit to start) is one of our very favourite fabrics in our home collection. Closely resembling French quilting and with a name derived from the French term “matelasser” (meaning “to quilt”), legend has it that matelasse was created by an Englishman, Robert Elsden, as a domestic alternative to the foreign import.
Matelasse is made on jacquard looms (though ours is made of cotton), with four sets of yarn, including two sets of regular warp and weft yarns, and two sets of crepe or coarse cotton yarn. This second set of yarns shrinks when the fabric is finished, giving the material a slightly puckered look. All the comfort of padding without its actual bulk, matelasse’s popularity comes from its imitation of all the best qualities of quilted fabric.
We sat down with our Head of Sourcing, Rajiv Purohit, to discuss matelasse’s place in our collection. “At Nicobar, we love fabrics that have a hi-lo in design. We want to develop the texture in these materials, through colour, wash or stitching, to give them a two-dimensional feel. Matelasse is a blank canvas, a durable fabric that shows details in a very graphic manner.”
We’ve used matelasse in our home collection, as the fabric of our Colombo and Frangipani bedcovers and duvets. Cozy and comforting, we believe these are a bedding must-have. Ours come in a textured white, embroidered with some of our favourite motifs lending Nicobar’s signature lightness. Elles and palm trees evoke island living, and flashes of fuchsia frangipani carry all the freshness of an ocean breeze.
Nicobar situates itself at the confluence of East and West, and our matelasse covers and duvets retain the luxury of a classic French weaving technique enhanced with Indian design elements. “This is our interpretation of quilting,” Rajiv says, “and it’s a great foundation for your bed. It’s beautiful: pristine white and intricate, and you can add flashes of colour, whether it’s on the cover itself, like the frangi flower, or with our matching cushion covers. If you want your bedroom to feel luxurious, this is the first thing you should invest in.”
