The 2020 Mulhouse Christmas Fabric "Resilience" Designed by Marie-Jo Gebel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itF3fz2SCJ4

For me, Christmas is all year round,” admits Mulhouse textile designer Marie-Jo Gebel. The pattern of the new fabric is designed as soon as the previous decorations are taken down, to stay in the spirit. “Resilience” is the name of the new Mulhouse fabric (attributed by Mayor Michèle Lutz in full confinement). This year again, the fabric remained hidden for months before being unveiled. Rolls of the fabric have been printed, and the PVC decorations, laser-cut on the same theme, will be decorating the facade of the town hall.

As early as January, the designer visited the archives of the Fabric Printing Museum, already with an idea in mind, to make her choice among the collections. “I wanted something very generous and warm, with a much bigger connection: something between Russian flowers and the Napoleon III, Second Empire style”. In the end, the large bouquet in the middle measures 64 cm, as opposed to the usual 20 to 25 cm. She made her choice of a design from 1887 – 1888, when it was the fashion for rose gardens and large bouquets. “The caning in the background gives the fabric a contemporary feel, just like the small Japanese-style geometric tube that connects them together ”.

The stylist has "completely recreated a design from eight documents", which is a lot. “I made roses this year, for love, for sharing”, without knowing that two months later, the coronavirus epidemic would take over to such an extent that we would see two lockdowns of the population. There was another, more technical challenge: the choice of sixteen colours in all (including four halftones for which four cylinders were punched differently). A small artist's requirement that costs more to manufacture this “high-end fabric”, but which the town hall has agreed to finance.

The Mulhouse tourist office will sell the fabric by the meter as well as linens with the 2020 Christmas fabric (including tablecloths and table runners). These items are available in Mulhouse, Place de la Réunion as well as online.

In addition to this, the designer is launching an additional collection with other items that are sold in her Label Histoire store, 9 rue Henriette in Mulhouse. Articles in velvet or cashmere and silk, stoles, umbrellas, small backpacks, place mats ... "Very soft so that, whatever happens, the magic of Christmas operates anyway."

A video of the designer discussing her design and her creative process can be seen here