Wearable Art Blog

Wool Hats from the 2011 RISD Holiday Alumni Sale

I recently went to the annual RISD Holiday Alumni Sale where I found some lovely wearable art. Always on the prowl, I want to show you some stylish wool hats for winter made by two of the artists I met at the show.

The first are the adorable crocheted hats (below) by Sammia Atoui of SAtoui Designs.

(photo by David Gordon)

Sammia said, "I make these hats to fit like an old fashioned football helmet, with some 1920's style. Everything old is new again! I like to put a contemporary twist on an old favorite, with current colors and a modern fit. This pattern is my own design..."

Here's Sammia modeling one of her flapper helmet hats (below) complete with her daughter in matching shirt.

(photo by David Gordon) 

Lucy King injects humor in her colorful hand knit hats and the names she gives them. The Swiss Miss Earflap Hat below is made from fine yellow merino combined with a nicely contrasting novelty blend yarn.

The Alpaca Cap with Sparkly Ears is made from super warm baby alpaca, and then accented with sparkly yarn. How can you not smile when you see this hat?

Finally, here's the best for last - Lucy modeling her courtly Magical Jester Crown. As Lucy says, this hat is a perfect gift for the person who has everything!

(photo by David Gordon)

Looking for some very affordable, last minute gifts? These hats could be just the ticket.

Or, if you want, you can visit the 2011 RISD Holiday Alumni Flicker Page and see more items from the show.

 

Gualti

Wearable artist Gualti has a small shop near Campo San Barnaba in Venice where you can find very unique hand-crafted fashion, jewlery, and accessories.

Even though I've featured Gualti's work once before, it merits further attention because I had the opportunity to meet him recently while I was in Venice. Over lunch at Gualti's favorite restaurant in the Dorsoduro, he told me about his lifelong passion for drawing and design. As he said, "I create wearable art that reflects my soul."

Gualti's silk and organza boleros, like the red (above) and brown (below) pieces shown here, can be transformed into neck wear. They're designed to wrap around the body and express the individuality of each wearer. I really love the organic quality of the boleros and their ribbed textures that give them added shape and definition.

Also, the necklace shown with the red bolero, above, is made out of lightweight resin and features wand-like, iridescent tips that burst with color. Necklaces like this are Gualti's signature pieces.

Gulalti has developed a way of working with resin so that it can move and take on architectual forms. He began experimenting with plastics at the age of 18, focusing on light and transparency.

The leaves, below, are models of actual leaves that Gualti found in the woods and then transformed into brooches made out of resin.

Last year, in Tatiana Serafin, Gualti summed up his passion for nature: "Since childhood, my extreme sensitivity has left me in awe when faced with the grandeur of Nature....I am particularly attracted to everything that is beneath the surface: small fossils, twigs, stones, and above all roots…tangled, woody, branched, fibrous, tubers, sometimes aerial or creeping.…"

The nature theme continues in these curvy, flower-like scarves that he's made for the colder weather. Pick your color!

Gualti told me that he already knew at the age of 7 that he wanted to become an artist, which was an unusual dream for someone to have in the small village outside of Padua where he grew up. Even though he had little encouragement, he held onto his dream and eventually realized it.

After 11 years working in a local ceramics factory/laboratory, Gualti took the leap and left his day job, landing a position as an artist's assistant. The move was amazing good fortune. His new boss told him only four days after he started that he had tremendous talent, and she urged him to leave and start his own business. Gualti then left for Venice and opened his own shop, which he's had now for 13 years.

You can see that Gualti's store window (below) is an artform unto itself. Gualti prides himself on changing it every week. He said people swing by the store just to see what the weekly show will bring.

 

I was deeply impressed by Gualti's creative vision and his sensitive artist's soul. To see some more wonderful photos of his inventive work, check out Gualti.it.

 

(All photos by David Gordon)

Hats, Scarves, and More by Monica Danielle

Before I went to Venice recently, I'd read about Monica Danielle in several guidebooks and decided to check her out. Little did I know how much I'd enjoy learning about her passion for keeping the rich artistic traditions of Venice alive.

Monica is a native of Venice who began her career as a painter before she switched to making hats and scarves. Part of why she became a milliner is because she felt that it's too 'political' to make a go of it as a painter - 'and there's no heart in it,' she said. In contrast, her sense of style with clothing is evident in all of the work she features in her small shop.

How about the 'Venice Hat' and dashing cape (above) modeled after those worn by the American poet Ezra Pound (below)? Pound first visited Venice at the age of 13 on a three-month tour of Europe with his mother, and he later moved there, published his first book of poems and became known for his broad-brimmed hat.

Have you ever heard of a tabarro? It's a traditional cape that Venetians often wore during Carnival and throughout the year. Danielle features beautiful handmade tabarros. Here's a gorgeous one in yellow.

If you go to Monica's website, you'll see photos taken at a tabarro celebration in 2009, showing people keen on keeping the tabarro alive (plus, you'll see some shots of Piazza San Marco, the most famous square in Venice).

In addition to carrying hats and accessories made by other artisans, Monica sells some lovely hand-knitted scarves and hats that she makes herself. I was so taken with them that I bought a black and white tam with a matching scarf. Check out the lovely rosette (above) that's one of many that adorn my new scarf.

Monica, who's been running her shop (pictured above) for many years, spoke very openly about how 'it's not possible a vitare a Venezia (to live in Venice) - it's too expensive and very difficult with all the souvenirs.' That's all the more reason why I left her shop admiring her commitment to handmade craft.   

You must visit Monica's shop if you're in Venice. I guarantee you won't leave empty handed because she goes out of her way to find something to suit you - and, there's so much to pick from. In the meantime, you can visit her virtually at MonicaDanielle.com.


(all photos except the photo of Ezra Pound are by David Gordon)

Tata Christiane Couture

Tata Christiane Couture is a fashion and costume label founded in 2007 by Julie Bourgeois and Hanrigabriel in Berlin. Bourgeios got her start as a wardrobe master for young theater companies and trained with stylists and wardrobe masters in Paris.

Part of what makes her work so amazing is her use of crocheting. The gorgeous handmade coat below is a patchwork of printed leather circles crocheted together. It's from a collection inspired by a journey Bourgeios made to Kiev to participate in the GOGOLFEST, the first multidisciplinary international arts festival in the Ukraine.

 

The pink and white tunic below is made of a mix of pink and white crochet and combined with lace and jersey. This is a one-of-a-kind piece.

  

Here's the official statement about what the label represents:"Tata Christiane Couture projects a vision of the street costume, using second hand, sophisticated vintage clothing and old grotesque dresses for old women aesthetics." Bourgeios explains her approach in an interview on Semi Domesticated, saying that, "Fashion is also for me a cross-over between various arts and ways of self-expression in a playful dynamic. Vintage, to me, is a playful element that surprises because of its variety and its stories."

  

Here's the designer decked out in fluffy, colorful collars. Photo from SoSo Magazine.

 

Whatever the meaning behind the clothing, these are strong, uniquely designed pieces. Bourgeios is an innovator and is someone to watch. You can see more at Tata Christiane Couture.

 

Felted Scarves by Judith Daniels

I went to the Jamaica Plain Open Studios in Boston last weekend and discovered the work of a photographer who's turned her talents to felting, Judith Daniels. Since then, we've traded some notes, and I've learned a lot more about her fascinating background - in addition to having a day job at MIT, she once was a weaver and repaired oriental rugs. Here are some excerpts from our correspondence. 

Many of Judy's scarves (above) have silk borders and double as shawls.

How did you get interested in working with felt? 

Last year, I decided that I couldn't be working on the computer all day at work at MIT and then come home to another 3 or so hours working on my photographic artwork on the computer. I was a weaver years ago (both on a floor loom and restoring oriental rugs for a living) and did some knitting so I decided to do some fiber work again.... I was really enjoying the fiber work but then I got frozen shoulder so the act of knitting or weaving became very painful.

Since I had the desire to create material, I started looking at fiber work on the internet. I saw a lot of felt work and thought that I'd like to try it. I watched many instructional videos on felting and purchased a book called Uniquely Felt by Christine White and taught myself to do it. After felting on my own for a few months, I took an excellent class at New England Felting Supply in Easthampton, MA from Jean Gauger, and found that I also loved the felting community. It's about as warm as the fabric, filled with friendly, helpful people. As it turns out, the woman that started New England Felting Supply is the woman who wrote the book Uniquely Felt!

 

What do you like about working with felt?

I keep having the feeling that I was born to felt! I just love it. I even love the name. It is a very sensually satisfying experience to do felting - the soapy water, the soft alpaca or wool, the colors. Working with roving in many colors and textures is to me like painting with wool. I also like combining the wool with silk to make a more drapeable fabric that has a couple of dimensions.... When rolling to create the fabric I get to feel the physicality of my body - I feel alive rather than an extension of a machine....  
  
Are the inspirations behind your photographs the same as the ideas that drive your felt designs?

No, not really, though I'm sure that I'm subconsciously influenced by the color that is in my photos. To me, the photography is much more specific and story driven - I usually have an idea for a project and am influenced by what I find out in the world.... With the felt it's much more spontaneous.

Design-wise, I'm sure that I'm influenced by those many years as an oriental rug restorer where I saw some incredibly beautiful design and color combinations in the carpets. I'm also very interested in Japanese and African textiles - the feeling of simplicity even when decorative techniques are layered one upon the other, for instance dyeing and embroidery. With making the fabrics as opposed to fine art photography, I feel like I'm released from the burden of having it "mean something". The fabric can just be soft and beautiful and that's enough in itself.

 

The black silk border on the scarf above goes incredibly well with the top worn by the model (me!).

Judy is a true artist with a fine sense of color and design. For all you aspiring felters, she's a great example of how someone can apply their knowledge, skills, and talent to many forms of art. Thanks, Judy, for sharing your story!

You can see more of Judy's lovely scarves at judithmdaniels.com/.

 

Photos by David Gordon.