Bella Notte is mixing it up.
Its collections of cotton, linen, and silk, that is.
Its signature linen is adorned with delicate cotton lace for Frida, and a double row of linen gauze ruffles for Linen Whisper. The slightly heavier, eight-ounce midweight linen is embellished with relaxed raw edges on Austin and textured with abstract cotton embroidery for Ines.
“We’re trying to achieve a distinguishable handcrafted look that’s versatile enough to work across different styles and also give a tactile feel of texture as well,” says Heather Asker, Bella Notte’s merchandising and marketing manager.
Every textile used by Bella Notte absorbs hand-mixed custom dye colors differently, so styles combining fabrics have tonal variations. Paloma‘s silk charmeuse body is bordered by a silk velvet flange. Conversely, the silk velvet of Carmen is trimmed with a petite, raw-edged, charmeuse ruffle.
“It’s like someone who cares about what’s put on their body, with the look and feel of fabric and how they work together and the attention to details,” she says. “There are all these different aspects about themselves and they tend to care about their environment also.”
The organic cotton damask of Adele has silk velvet edges, as does Vienna, a classic chenille jacquard. Both the swirling baroque design of Adele, and renaissance motif of Vienna reveal themselves after being garment-dyed in richer hues. Harlow pillows in cotton velvet have a charmeuse gusset with a raw-edged, charmeuse, ribbon detail encircling the pillow’s four sides.
The handmade textiles for all 14 collections are created by a real person, not a robot or a machine. “We truly don’t feel we have competition on the market – no one does it way we do,” she says. “We bring something very unique to the market and it shows over time and testimonials from those who’ve purchased from us for 20-plus years.”
The four corners of the pieces in the Taline collection are accentuated with elongated tassels in silk charmeuse. Inspired by a vintage chinoiserie, Lynette features a two-tone floral embroidery on silk velvet. Lynette’s flowers are embroidered with cotton thread and appear either pale gold or silvery depending on the pigment of the dye color. Loulah is luxurious silk velvet with a double raw edged ruffle trim creating a winsome fringe.
“Certain fabrics mix textiles, like lines trimmed with satin or satin trimmed in silk – it gives dimension and depth to the look,” she says.
Bella Notte’s color palette ranges from Classic White to the deep navy of Midnight Blue. “The way it absorbs in all of our fabrics is striking – it’s rich, vibrant, and intense,” she says. “A lot more people are gravitating toward color and the blue works beautifully with Classic White.”
And the collections are moving out of the bedroom and into living areas of the home. “Collectors are beginning to use decorative pillows on sofas and reading chairs – and blankets are going to the sofa from the bed,” she says. “We’re loving to see how Bella Notte is moving throughout the home – one client has a baby blankest that she uses for her Shi Tzu.”
Now, that’s one lucky dog.
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