The best ideas start with a book. The concept behind the toile Victor Glemaud designed for his new Schumacher collection, Cul-De-Sac, emerged from a biography the Haitian-American fashion designer was reading at the time: Black Spartacus by Sudhir Hazareesingh. In his 464-page portrait, Hazareesingh tells the epic tale of Toussaint Louverture, the former slave-turned-general who led the Haitian revolution—the only successful slave revolt in history.
The result of Glemaud’s reading is profound: He wrests the toile from the tradition of Haiti’s French colonizers, and poses a juxtaposition to the conventions of this scenic pattern. Glemaud supplants pastoral vignettes and gallivanting picnickers, and crafts his toile universe with a portrait of Louverture in uniform, Haiti’s local mountain ranges and palm trees native to the country’s topography, as well as Haiti’s national flower and bird, hibiscus and the Hispaniolan trogon.
In the world of Victor Glemaud, home and family are closely intertwined. Aside from the Toussaint Toile, all of his designs’ names—Julie, Fabienne, Virginia, Jesse, Keket, Evelyn— pay tribute to the strong women who raised him (his mother, his sister, his aunts and his best friend). “Home is such a sacred and special place, so it’s always been critical for me to have my own oasis where I can relax, recharge and hang out with my friends and family,” he says. From velvets and botanical prints to shibori and a modern statement panel set inspired by 1970s supergraphics, there’s something transportive in the collection for everyone.
SEE MORE FROM VICTOR GLEMAUD’S NEW COLLECTION AT FSCHUMACHER.COM