“Threads of Paris: Rebecca Devaney’s Textile Journey”

Step into the enchanting world of Parisian textiles with Rebecca Devaney, a master seamstress whose needle has graced the ateliers of legendary couture houses, including Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. In this exquisite new series on Joie de Vivre TV, Rebecca invites viewers behind the velvet curtain of haute couture craftsmanship and into the treasure-filled lanes of the Saint-Ouen flea market.

Each episode finds Rebecca wandering through her beloved marché aux puces, where she introduces us to the passionate vendors who have become her trusted sources for rare fabrics, vintage trims, antique laces, and one-of-a-kind textiles. With an expert’s eye honed through years in the world’s most prestigious fashion houses, Rebecca reveals what makes each piece special—from the weight of a silk to the story woven into a vintage embroidery.

But this series is more than a shopping expedition. Rebecca shares her extraordinary embroidery skills, demonstrating techniques passed down through generations of French artisans. Viewers will discover the secrets of her renowned embroidery boxes, learn the art of selecting quality materials, and gain insider knowledge from Rebecca’s textile tours that have made her a sought-after guide in Paris.

Rebecca Devaney is a textile artist, researcher, and teacher with a BA in Art and Design Education (2006) and an MFA in Textile Art and Artefact (2015) from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. In 2015 she received the prestigious Thomas Dammann Junior Memorial Trust Award to research hand embroidery in Mexico, and the resulting exhibition, Bordados, a collection of photographs, interviews, and textiles, has been presented internationally.

Following her graduation from the prestigious École Lesage, Paris in 2018, Rebecca worked as a professional haute couture embroiderer for Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Dior, Valentino, Givenchy, and Louis Vuitton. Her research into the origins, history, and heritage of haute couture embroidery has featured in Selvedge Magazine, Surface Design Journal, The Stitcher’s Journal, The Maker’s Atelier, and books including Embellishment and RÉBÉ. 

In 2019, Rebecca established Textile Tours of Paris to share her love of the rich heritage of craft, textiles, and fashion woven into the fabric of Paris. Since 2020, Rebecca has been teaching online courses in embroidery and the history of luxury French textiles. Samplers of Seduction was launched in 2022, a collection of beautiful embroidery kits inspired by – patterns and designs hidden in the libraries and museums of Paris. In 2023, Rebecca and Jo Andrews began publishing Textile Travels, a series of guides for the intrepid textile traveller that include Paris, London, Dublin, Lyon, and with more to come.

www.textiletoursofparis.com

Awards