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| 1. Prada 2011 2. Fish Scales 3. Lorenzo Nanni |
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| Hermit Crab Design: Embroidered cording, dyed felted merino wool with beading on milliners net base |
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| Fish Design: Embroidered Scales, dyed embroidered organdie on milliners net base
Earlier in the year I was approached by Wild Rumpus events to work on their event coming up in May, The Lost Carnival. I chose to work on the headpieces for two mermaid costumes. A fashion student at Salford University is working on the costumes, so I got in touch with her to collaborate so that our designs work well together. Unfortunately she hasn’t been easy to communicate with so I just went on ahead with the project. I suppose this could be the case in the outside world, not everyone being easy to work with so it's all good experience in how to deal with that.
I have researched haute couture such as Dior, Versace and Prada, all of which have done collections inspired by the sea. I referenced Lorenzo Nanni who creates organic forms using traditional embroidery techniques and also looked at fish scales and shells.
I used this opportunity to explore traditional embroidery processes and materials as I felt these would best suit the aesthetic of the festival. Designing for costume, specifically headwear has been new for me, but I have enjoyed a clear destination to work towards. I designed shapes that would fit the head well, keeping the context clear in mind. As the pieces are for performance, I decided big impact was important as the performers will be moving around and seen by a large audience.
The hermit crab consists of a shell structure made of milliners net, hand stitched and covered in embroidered cording made using the Irish sewing machines. The crabs body is made of hand felted merino wool, which were then dyed using acid dyes, inserted with wire to give them structure, wrapped with thread and hand beaded to add texture. The fish is also made using milliners net with added wire to make it a strong structure. The scales are all embroidered using the Multi-head, and were then hand stitched to the base. The fin and tail are made of cotton organdie which I choose as I holds its shape and doesn’t fray to easily. I hand painted them using reactive dye in a blended wash effect.
I have really enjoyed this project and am pleased with the outcome. It has allowed me to explore several dying and textiles techniques, whilst keeping to a budget and tight deadline. It has also been nice to work on along side my other work, something fun and cheerful that will be used for performance so people can enjoy and interact with them.
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