Another sense of wedding

nuno felt dress: wool and silk

Another sense of fashion. Beige

nuno felt dress: wool, silk. Natural dyes: walnut

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

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

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.

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.

Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty

Take me down
To the paradise city
Where the grass is green
And the girls are pretty
Take me home

(Guns 'n' Roses - Paradise City)

I love unusual custom orders. I once loved a boy who loved Guns 'n' Roses. But it's not about that boy nor it is about puting my dress on Axl Rose :) It's about one talented woman who miraculously found me in the ocean of virtual world and even more miraculously decided she wanted me to design a dress for her - a dress for performance in the concert where she would be singing a song Paradise City by Guns 'n' Roses!
I always feel so thankful for my customers for all creative orders they give me! So here she goes..."and the girls are pretty".

Nuno felt outfit - Guns 'n' Roses