About Leavers Lace
Leavers lace is among the most highly valued forms of lace, woven on traditional machines first developed in England more than 200 years ago.
Thousands of fine threads are set on the loom and woven slowly over time, creating a delicate beauty and dimensional depth reminiscent of handmade lace. Unlike conventional lace produced rapidly in large quantities, Leavers lace has remarkable definition in its motifs, layers of thread, and depth of shadow. Celebrated as the Queen of Lace, it has long been used by haute couture maisons and the world's finest fashion houses.
Its rarity lies not only in the finished lace, but also in the machines that create it. New Leavers lace machines are no longer manufactured, and only an estimated 150 to 200 remain in operation worldwide. Some were built nearly a century ago and continue to be used through the repairs and meticulous adjustments of skilled technicians.
LUSUP uses Leavers lace made by Sakae Lace, a Japanese company headquartered in Hyogo Prefecture. Sakae Lace owns 87 of the world's remaining Leavers lace machines and holds the leading global share of Leavers lace production.
Thousands of bobbins are mounted on a single machine. Fine threads drawn from them cross in intricate patterns as the lace is woven slowly. Preparing the threads and setting the loom itself requires extensive handwork and highly developed skill.
Leavers lace is far more than ornament added for a beautiful motif. It is created through irreplaceable machines, the expertise required to operate them, and a tradition of craftsmanship passed down over generations. Together, these make it a material that cannot easily be reproduced today.
At LUSUP, Leavers lace is used not simply to add splendor to black silk, but as a material that gives the piece another expression.
From a distance, a serene black. Up close, patterns and shadows traced by fine threads emerge.
Not beauty intended for display, but delicacy and rarity known only to the wearer.
That is why LUSUP chooses Leavers lace.
