A weaving system that controls individual warp threads to create patterns, and a name for fabrics made with it.
A jacquard head sits above the loom and controls each warp end on its own: every end runs through a heddle tied by a cord to the head, so any end can be lifted for any pick. A dobby lifts whole harnesses, at most 28, and is limited to small geometric patterns and complex twills. Jacquard is therefore a way of weaving a figure, not a fabric in itself; the figure can cover the cloth or one section of it, in color, texture or both.
Woven in, the figure is part of the cloth, where a print is color applied to cloth already made. Jacquard knitting makes similar patterns on a knitting machine. The V&A holds woven jacquards from a 1958 furnishing fabric by Tibor Reich to a 2016 Simone Rocha dress in white and gold.
In job listings
Jacquard turns up in design and textile development roles. A senior designer of accessories and prints may be asked for experience of jacquard weaving and of developing jacquard processes with mills; a textile design assistant working on objects for the home, for a working knowledge of jacquard among woven and knitted fabrics. See current jacquard roles.
