New Ribbon Scarves

introducing our elusive new creation….drum roll please!

the Ribbon Scarf

The Sublime Felt of Latifa Medjdoub

(how brilliant is that: flipping the image like that!?!)

I had the extraordinary experience of meeting Latifa at the American Craft Council Show in Baltimore last year (which might be going on or just finishing up as I write this).  A bit overwhelmed by the whole experience, it was hard to process the sheer volume of amazing artisans there though I had the good fortune to see some of her work up close and even to touch!  Her work is remarkable in its sculptural use of form and irreverent use of other mediums.  I still marvel at the sliver of silver puff paint she put on the collar of one of her felt garments and what an exciting element it added to the piece: a simple gesture like an afterthought that looked so perfectly in place, elevating the whole piece to another realm.

As I was tripping through the net tonight, I came across her website.  It is a theater in and of itself, that weave its own mystique.  You can visit it here.  

(now I feel so inspired to keep soldiering on….be sure to visit Latifa’s blog too!)

Here are a few examples of her deft and daring use of felted wool:

 

From Latifa’s Artful Home profile:

“I feel that textiles offer both a diversity of technical approaches and a wide range of artistic, emotional, and stylistic possibilities, and these elements together provide nearly limitless avenues for self-expression. The result is that every textile that passes through my atelier exists as an artistic response to the social, political, and environmental issues that move me.”

Latifa Medjdoub’s one-of-a-kind and limited edition wearable pieces combine knitting, weaving, dying, and felting. Educated as a textile designer in Roubaix, France, and experienced as a designer of costumes for both the Operas of Europe and Parisian haute couture, Medjdoub has both a strong technical grounding and refined artistic sensibility. Her use of unique sculptural forms and unexpected shapes reflects the dimensions and tensions inherent in the human relationship with the natural world. Latifa Medjdoub creates wearable textiles that are stunningly original, sculpturally surprising, and beautifully made.

From the West Bay Opera Site:

Latifa Medjdoub is the costume designer for La bohème. Ms. Medjdoub studied at the Superior School of Applied Art of Roubaix, France, where she earned both a BA and a MFA degree in textile design. During this period, Ms. Medjdoub presented her first public exhibition in 1994 at Roubaix’s Museum of Art and Textiles. Ms. Medjdoub’s first experience with costume design came in 1996, when she collaborated with Philippe Guillotel, the costume designer for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Albertville Olympic Games, on a series of projects. Over the next several years she collaborated with many of Europe’s leading costume designers, including Christian Lacroix, Yvonne Sassinot de Nesle, and Gabriella Pescucci. Among Ms. Medjdoub’s many theater and opera productions during this period were the Symphonie fantastique and Les Indes galantes, both for Paris Opera Garnier, film projects such as Raul Ruiz’s Le Temps Retrouvé in 1999 and Christophe Ganz’s Brotherhood of the Wolf in 2000 as well as a variety of other productions, including the 6,000 costumes created for Switzerland’s Fête des Vignerons (Vevey 1999).

Hut up and felt!

Hut Up, Berlin, makes some darn cute things!  Check out there full gallery HERE.  So playful and the “drawn on” comic-book like outfits are a riot…..

Fashion Felt!

Here are pix of wearable felt garments I’ve been tinkering with in studio.  It’s getting there…where?  I don’t know yet, but somewhere, and foreseeably soon…

Face shirt with faux suede back

Face shirt with some sort of boiled wool fabric

First thing I tried to do…well-not the first, first thing…that was too gruesome.  This is felt that has been dyed again as it turned out looking a bit batman like the first time.

back of batman vest-the armholes are a bit wonky.  I was so eager to start, I used a mannequin and not a dress form to shape it, so it’s very irregular.

Second one attempted, still on mannequin.  I love this one!  The bottom reminds me of oyster shells.

Back of second one.  This is where I am trying to “save time” by not using a tripod to take the images.  Sorry for bad lighting-these are super tweaked in photoshop.

Third attempt, again on mannequin-as yet unfinished….sort of a cowgirl oyster thing happening here. Rodeo Venus?

And side….super booty flair.

Something in Alpaca…

And back…did one more in this alpaca but forgot to photograph it.  Seeing if I can get 2 garments from one recycled wrap.  Just barely makes it.

Early piece-sewing is  abit wonky, but trying out the exposed seams-works well and gives it a bit of an accordion fold.

and back…

Super color-galactic vest.  First attempt at refining a pattern on the dressform…breaking out those patternmaking skills (or are they breaking me out!?)

groovy man

Refining the pattern-second attempt at a vest adding panels on the front

and forgetting to add matching panels on the back.  still-this halved back is a good look.  I did this from a pattern taken from the first vest and the felt was much lighter-which made it drape very differently.  It is tricky stuff to work with since each piece is unique.  The last one I did is at the top of this list: the face shirt.  getting better at the armholes, but it needs to be more regulated-as is, it’s a bit like inventing the wheel each time.  But-super fun!!