I just checked out the new collection Bagatelle from Manuel Canovas—one of the best in years. Manuel Canovas has always been synonymous with exuberant colors and large patterns. The charming Spainiard himself in no longer involved with the company, (that’s another story), but Cowtan and Tout bought the company and kept his signature style. The French word Bagatelle actually means a trifle, not too serious, like a light hearted dance. These trifles have stylized patterns made of intricate embroidery in ethnic traces of Mexican, French, and Spanish. The whole collection is available to the trade at Culp Associates in the Dallas Design Center.
