World of Wearable Art 2014

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And the story behind it? I’ve heard about this competition a few years ago and was always curious to enter it. So in 2014 I decided to do it. I designed a beautiful garment of the East princess in my mind and bought some fresh water pearls for decorating it, just to finally realize that I misunderstood the conditions of the contest and had to send the pictures of the finished piece already, because I was a first year entrant, and I didn’t have another 2 months to do that, as I thought. So I had a choice – do I step back, because it was the last day to send the photos or I send just any photo of my finished pieces? I decided to send what I had – I chose the blue dress I made for ballerina and sent it. To my surprise it was accepted and I had to reproduce the dress to send it to New Zealand. Wish I could have seen my Princess of the East Wind performing on the stage, but New Zealand was just a little bit too far, but just a little bit Glad to be the finalist of the contest though.

4 full Moons

4 Full Moons - a skirt with the circumference of 4 circles.
nuno felt: silk, wool, fresh water pearls
natural dyes: weld, indigo, logwood

Through other’s lens–my felt and natural dyes

nuno felt dress as seen by photographer Viktorija Vaisvilaite

natural dyes: madder

Another shade of madder

nuno felt: silk & wool. natural dyes: madder

Little felt lace dress

nuno felt: silk, wool. natural dyes: madder

Bride and her cursed groom

Fairytale world again…

 

 

 

 

collaborative work: natural dye and eco print design by Irit Dulman, felt, natural dyeing, garment design by Vilte Kazlauskaite

Lifetime passion

"It's a lifestyle. It's a lifetime passion. An artist needs to be ambitious and passionate. You don't work nine to five. You breathe your art twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week." (E.Shafak)

collaboration of Vilte & Irit

Memories of Cyprus

That was Cyprus 2012. Sweet memories and wonderful ladies.

Belle Armoire

I think I have forgotten to show this feature on the blog. Lovely memories of the Summer too – a feature in Belle Armoire, Summer 2012, volume 12 issue 2, feat. in pg. 18-23.

Many thanks for Svetlana Batura, who made all photography for this article.

Prints

Collaboration with Irit Dulman.

Weld and madder

 

Felt is photogenic

by Yoram Roth

 

 

by Svetlana Batura

Project: Repurpose

Almost two years ago one of my clients was so excited contacting me, and she had an idea… She wanted me to repurpose her wedding dress that was sitting in the box for years. I think her excitement simply infected me and I said yes to her, let’s try this.

So the dress made its way to me over Atlantic. When I opened the big box, I had ambiguous feelings – fear to take the dress apart, excitement to repurpose it and…worry when I saw it was all synthetic and not silk as my client thought of it.

I don’t usually use anything synthetic in my pieces or projects, I don’t feel connected with the synthetics. And especially having to combine it with the natural materials… The other problem was that most of the fabric of the dress was not suitable for felting at all.

As the excitement and enthusiasm of the first moments faded away, I understood I could do nothing unless I build a connection with this fabric. I needed it to speak to me. There were dozen of times when I took it to my hands and then put it away. I took it apart, carded some fabric into fibers, and removed the embellishments to be felted on something I still didn’t know what. I was lucky to have such a wonderful client who understood my creative process and was ready to wait even for a year or more.

Concentrating my thoughts on my client, opened up my mind. Though the fabric was synthetic, it was a part of my clients image some years ago – I was sure this dress was soaking in most positive feelings, love and adoration during those times when my client was marrying a man she loved. It wasn’t just a piece of polyester to her. This was the point where the fabric could speak to me and I could listen. My work began.

It wasn’t all about felting, just a few pieces, it was more of interpretation in textiles. I applied several techniques and thought a lot about colors. I was sure the colors should be softening the feeling of synthetics and should be something that would look worth of a woman whatever her age would be. As the woman who decided to repurpose her wedding dress wants to cherish the things made of it for years or maybe a lifetime.

 

And…the best reward for this “communication” with the dress was my clients reaction – she loved every single piece. And I hope she is going to cherish it for years.

Furry trends in couture and feltmaking

It seems that furry looks have never been that much in fashion as this Fall. I’ve already talked about this trend last year, mentioning collection of Chanel. But it seems that the furry trend reached its peak just this Fall – when you look at the styles showed in so many fashion magazines, when you look at what many shops have to offer this Fall – there’s so much of furry looks. And when you look at the runway for this Fall, for example Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, you see very soft furry collections. Just one idea keeps turning on my mind when looking at it – she could have that much successfully used felt from alpaca rather than fur and would have got very similar looks, just more eco-friendly and cruelty free. And that’s why I feel even more proud for Josephus Thimister, who let this furry trend appear on the runway using the craft of felt making (my felt pieces for Josephus Thimister Fall/Winter 2011-2012 collection could be seen here).

my nuno felt coat with alpaca fleece

 

alpaca fleece in nuno felt

Photography

Whatever is your art or craft media, you will always turn to photography as the means to reflect your work to the world or even create a continuation of the thought of your work. That’s why I always considered it to be a very important aspect in one’s artistic life.

Not all of us of course have a professional photographer, professional equipment and studio, not to mention a few super models at hand to always present one’s work in the best manner. At least I don’t – just an improvised environment in an apartment, a tripod and remote control in my own hands and the same face all the time of which I really get bored and wished I had a couple of best friends – models nearby from time to time.  Anyway, on the other hand it’s sometimes the easiest option when you do everything by yourself. It’s just the maker who can really express what he meant with his work (or a real soul mate photographer who feels and sees the world the way you do and knows every corner of your soul, thus – your work too… But tell me how often do you meet such?  But… I am still dreaming of the photo shoots with some photographers I feel close to my soul and to have women I adore as my models… It’s nice to imagine).

I always regret when I don’t have enough time to picture all the work I do as I consider it to be a final act of my creation that materializes the image living in my mind. Or I’d better say – a final act that requires my own input as the very final act is the reaction of observers that the piece stimulates…

 

 

wedding dress (wool & silk)

 

   wool, silk & flax, eco dyed with vegetable plant dyes

“bored with seeing collections that have no soul, no feeling, no seduction”

Some of you were quite curious to know more about Josephus Thimister, the designer with whom I had honor to collaborate for his AW 2011/12 collection this year. I found some quotes on the internet I would like to share for others would get at least a little sense of uniqueness of Josephus, and some photos from his last year collection, some looks I just love.

                

“So what made you decide to start over?
Actually, it happened quite naturally. My intuition told me so. When I observed the fashion world over the last eight years, I saw a declining story. But recently I started to make clothes for my own pleasure, to show that I still have things to say and share. With experience, you know what to do and what not to do, and at the same time you’re much more free creatively. I am stronger now than I was ten years ago. And I was bored with seeing collections that have no soul, no feeling, no seduction—just a product on a hanger. I am not a bling-bling person.”
Read more: Josephus Thimister Haute Couture S/S 10 Paris - Page 7 - the Fashion Spot http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f60/josephus-thimister-haute-couture-s-s-10-paris-95032-7.html#ixzz1Haq68bLD

                 

“and that's the beauty of Thimister. nothing is ever without meaning....nothing is ever shocking for the sake of shocking. everything is so bound together with utter poetry”.
Read more: Josephus Thimister Haute Couture S/S 10 Paris - Page 8 - the Fashion Spot http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f60/josephus-thimister-haute-couture-s-s-10-paris-95032-8.html#ixzz1HarjzI3h

                   

THIMISTER
The origins of Josephus Thimister are eclectic: he is Russian, French, Belgian, Orthodoxe, Catholic, Jewish... A mix that he bluntly calls "garbage". After passing through Karl Lagerfeld and the fashion house of Jean Patou, he worked as a decorator before being named artistic director of the very prestigious fashion house Balenciaga. During these 5 and a half years, he gave Balenciaga a breath of fresh air, then he created his own Parisien label in 1997, under which he has since presented his Haute Couture and ready-to-wear collections. At the same time, he became art director for the Italian brand Genny, and from 2005 to 2007 for Charles Jourdan. He has also worked for a number of ready-to-wear brands as well as being a consultant. The creations of Thimester posess a certain lightness and poetry which creates an elegance devoid of any vanity. Thimester seems to rejuvinate the traditional Haute Couture, notably by using unconventional materials.

photos from: 2e-bureau.com and Fashionologie

P.S.: Some internet sites offering THIMISTER: Barneys New York, Boutique Roma, Anastasia Boutique, Case Study Space, Antonioli