Is this Raffia embroidery on Malcolm Starr?

[secondlooks]

Embroidery really looks like Raffia

This is the dress.

 

[phedre]

Yes, it's raffia, but I can't tell from the photo if its real or synthetic.

 

[dorotheascloset]

Wow, thats incredible! It almost looks too glossy to be real raffia, would it be that sort of spun nylon that looks and almost feels like raffia (which has a name I'm blanking on....grrrr)

Ang

 

[MyVintageCocktail]

That dress is just stunning!!!!

Looks like raffia to me, too, but no clue if real or faux.

 

[cmpollack]

Is the dress very stiff?

Every purse I've got with raffia embroidery is quite stiff, to provide ample support for the raffia...

I wonder if Ang isn't right, that its something that resembles raffia but is a more flexible/softer material?

 

[nostalgic*collections]

I'm in love with that dress!!

Are you a collector or a seller or both??

Thanks for sharing that gem.

Vicki

 

[dorotheascloset]

Cello!

Thats what I was thinking of, lots of hats and woven bags from the 60s are made of it...looks like straw/raffia but is manmade.

Ang

 

[BijouVintage]

yeah, looks like cello to me as well, it would be more flexible than raffia

 

[secondlooks]

No, the dress is not stiff, sounds like Cello is what it is then, thanks all! I was lucky to find 3 MS's recently, all heavily embellished with rhinestones, sequins, beading,etc.
VICKI: I collect and sell on ebay, would love to have my own website tho

 

[vertugarde]

Raffia is a palm leaf and I know its use on hats , baskets/purses, cloths but used as embroidery on a dress? The embroidery on this dress looks like silk or synthetic embroidery yarn. It would be easy to distinguish between this and raffia. I'm not familiar with Cello is this a US yarn?

 

[Patentleathershoes]

So is cello what is on those 60s handbags that look like raffia but aren't?

 

[MyVintageCocktail]

I think so, Chris, and it's ubuiquitous on 60's hats--they look like woven raffia or straw, but are cello. I assume that "cello" is derived from cellophane???