The Gilded Clutch

The Story

We found this brocade silk at an antiques dealer in Florence — folded inside a leather portfolio alongside hand-drawn textile designs from the 1950s. The dealer believed it was a sample from one of the silk mills near Lake Como, produced as part of a furnishing commission that was never completed. The gold and bronze threads catch the light in a way that feels almost liquid. It spent decades in the dark of that portfolio, and its colours are as vivid as the day it was woven. Sometimes the most extraordinary things are the ones that were never used.

The Fabric

A heavyweight brocade with a botanical pattern woven in metallic gold and bronze threads against a deep midnight-blue ground. The weave is dense and structured — you can feel the raised pattern under your fingertips like reading Braille. When the light shifts, the flowers seem to move: sometimes shimmering gold, sometimes warm bronze, sometimes a nearly copper tone that appears from nowhere. The silk has the dry, crisp hand-feel of an unworn fabric — no softening from use, no signs of age. It is, quite simply, as perfect as the day it left the loom.

The Making

Hand-stitched over ten hours with silk thread that matches the midnight-blue ground. The interior is lined in champagne-coloured silk charmeuse — cool and smooth to the touch, a quiet luxury every time you open the clutch. The closure is a hidden magnetic snap, invisible from the outside, allowing the brocade to speak uninterrupted. Edges are finished by hand with a rolled technique that gives a clean, sculptural line. No visible hardware — the fabric is everything.

Dimensions

28cm × 16cm × 4cm

Care

Brocade silk is a treasure — treat it as one. Store in the provided dust bag when not in use. Avoid contact with water and perfume directly on the fabric. The metallic threads are robust but can snag — handle with awareness, not anxiety. If the silk needs freshening, a professional textile conservator is recommended over a standard dry cleaner. The charmeuse lining can be gently wiped with a dry microfibre cloth.