Diamanté Highlights
Diamante is described as fabric covered with glittering ornaments such as sequins or rhinestones. Originally, rhinestones were rock crystals gathered from the river Rhine. The availability was greatly increased when around 1775 a jeweller called Strasse had the idea to imitate diamonds by coating the lower side of glass with metal powder. Hence, rhinestones are called Strasse in many European languages.
In 1955, the Aurora Borealis, a thin, vacuum-sputtered metallic coating applied to crystal stones to produce an iridescent effect, was introduced. Aurora Borealis tends to reflect whatever colour is worn near it, and it is named after the Aurora Borealis atmospheric phenomenon, which we now know as the “Northern Lights”
Typically, crystal rhinestones have been used on theatrical costumes, everyday clothing and jewellery, and are produced mainly by Svarovski in Austria and in the Czech Republic under the name of Preciosa, and a few other glassworks in northern Bohemia.
Some of the most amazing fashion statements have been made in the name of Diamante, if you think of Elvis, many of his signature jumpsuits were hugely adorned with rhinestones, and country music has become synonymous with the wearing of rhinestone. There was even the famous song by Glen Campbell, Rhinestone Cowboy.
Most designers today will include Diamante on some of their collections. Patrice Catanzaro has included small amounts of this decoration in his lingerie line. Splashes of sparkle on bra straps, lines of diamante highlights on pants all make the item a little more Hollywood!!
- http://www.libertinesque.com/patrice-catanzaro-fetish-women-clothes/patrice-catanzaro-fetish-sexy-lingerie/lovely-black-heart-bra-by-patrice-catanzaro.html
- http://www.libertinesque.com/patrice-catanzaro-fetish-women-clothes/patrice-catanzaro-fetish-sexy-lingerie/coralie-black-thong-by-patrice-catanzaro.html
The interest in Diamante, and the attraction that designers have for it, means that the sparkly little devils will be around for many years to come.