When you're looking for beautiful bespoke linens for your interior design projects where do you go? On a trip recently to London I decided to go and check out a little secret on Motcomb Street that I discovered whilst working at Helen Green. Having not been there for a while I walked straight past it. What I had known as L&B London has been taken over by Vis a Vis. It has still got all of the same beautiful hand embroidered linens that I remember but it has taken on more and incorporated so many exquisite home accessories, bespoke beds, stunning leather cushions and more. It was a great new discovery and I was very excited when talking to the Vis a Vis team that I would be able to share with you the re-branding from L&B London to Vis a Vis while it is actually happening.

I have managed to secure an interview with Vis a Vis in order to learn a little more behind who the company is and how they manage to create such beautiful, hand-crafted, quality products.

History of Vis a Vis

VIS-A-VIS Paris is a French company specialising in bespoke linen. Founded in 1989, it was taken over by Veronique and Amaury Taittinger in 2012. In 2015, the company merged with the well-established L&B Home Boutique in Belgravia. The impressive showroom space was designed by the famous French architect J.M.Willmotte and is the perfect setting for showcasing luxury linens.

When did Vis a Vis take over L&B London?

Veronique and Amaury Taittinger bought L&B in September 2015.

Is there anything new we can look forward to seeing as a result of this new ownership?

Having merged with L&B, Vis a Vis not only has a wider range of bedlinen designs and styles, luxury home accessories, but we are now exclusive agents for Elite Beds; a Swiss manufacturer of beds and mattresses. They are all beautifully handcrafted and can be made to a client’s exact specification.

Where are the Vis a Vis linens designed?

We have two workshops, one is based in Ville Franche just outside Lyon and the other is in Madagascar. We also have a boutique in Paris, in the luxury district of rue du Fauboug St Honore. This is where Veronique Taittinger personally designs the linens before they are hand embroidered.

How are these designs transferred to the fabrics?

The hand embroidered pieces are designed in our Paris studio, where all the designs are first hand-drawn for the client to see, for the client’s approval. Once a design has been approved, the team will carefully draw this out on to tracing paper to the exact size of the linen. This line drawing is then sent to Madagascar along with a set of instructions for the craftspeople to embroider. The instructions that are sent along with the designs must be accurate as they are followed meticulously. The designs are created by laying tracing paper on top of the linen, where the design is traced on to the linen before the embroidery starts. This whole process will take about 8 weeks from design to completion. We have had the workshop in Madagascar for 25 years, and we employ only the very skilled craftspeople to execute the fine art of hand-embroidery.

You provide a bespoke service, how do you work with your clients to achieve unique linens?

There are a number of ways that we work with our clients to create bespoke pieces. We have a wide range of beautiful linens and thread counts to choose from; cotton sateen, cotton percale, and cotton raso as well as a beautiful stonewashed linen. Our standard designs can be made to any bespoke size and colour of thread or bias. However, if the client would like to create a completely bespoke design that is not part of our standard range, we can produce this. We would discuss the design the client has in mind, have a drawing made and a sample created at the factory to be signed off to start production. We have a small team in both Ville Fanche and Paris, 6 in each studio, they are extremely talented and work efficiently to produce a high quality product. Monogramming also makes the linen/design unique to the client.

If at any point a client would like to re-order a set of linen for a different or the same home, we can certainly do this. We keep a record of all designs and client’s exact bespoke requirements on our system and at the factory to ensure that the exact pieces are re-produced. Alternatively, if a client was to create a brand new design with us then we would encourage a trip to France to see our factory and their designs being made. It is a fascinating process!

What do you find are the most popular products for your monogram service?

Our most popular products are items that are easily made for gifts. We have a great design for our Cosmetic bag in two different sizes that can be monogrammed with initials or full names. Towels and bath robes are another popular product for monogramming. These are great as gifts but we also can embroider our bedlinen which prove to be very popular for wedding presents. Due to our bespoke nature, we also create personalised baby sheets for cribs, and towels for newborns.

What else can we find to buy if we come to visit your showroom in Motcomb Steet?

As a home boutique we offer a wide array of products. Not only the beds and bedlinen but we also offer accessories for the home such as cashmere throws and pillows, cashmere travel sets, woven leather cushions, bedspreads, table dressing items such as table cloths and place mats, and also photograph frames, ceramics, and often unique sculptural pieces.