Abstract
In 1536, two Piedmontese merchants set up workshops in Lyons, and Henri IV encourged further development later in the 16th century. The development of Lyons as a centre of the silk weaving industry was helped by the perfection of drawloom weaving technique there in 1605 by Claude Dangon. In the 17th century, the French silk industry could finally compete with the dominance of the Italian silk trade. The French silk industry was promoted in the mid-17th century under Louis XIV's minister Colbert. In 1667, he published an ordinance creating La Grande Fabrique, a corporation for craftsmen within the silk industry, and Lyons became the undisputed French silk capital. Under Louis X IV, France was becoming the dominant force in Europe in matters of fashion and style. The major innovation of weaving was the Jacquard head attachment, which provided a mechanical means of raising warp threads by a series of punched cards. The are nouveau style did not have much impact on French silk design at the end of the century. Silk manufacturers began to collaborate with haute-couture designers such as the House of Worth. This collaboration with the burgeoning Paris haute-couture industry continued into the 20th century and safeguarded the future production of silk textiles in France.
