X: To Dye For

I know that even the idea of touching, feeling (or heaven forbid, having to wear) heavy wool fibers in summer sounds ever so unappealing. However, that is usually the way I manage a/w season production -Which results in my disorientated way of being accustomed to imagining and creating winter garments, while it is still very very warm.

Next season will include a rather decadent wool blend, with abundant texture, volume and weight. The rather exciting side of it (which I simply couldn't wait to share) is that most of the wool fibers featured, will be hand dyed and treated by yours truly!

The fibers will be dyed here at home, in small batches and treated with natural, home-ground dyes.  
Tea, turmeric, charcoal and olive leaf extract, are just a few of the many natural sources with which I've been experimenting.

Here are images of some early sample dye tests:

*The images above only show initial and raw stages of treatment, before production. 
There have been many fruitful outcomes since! Stay tuned.



Looking forward to a beautiful winter season


-A.

IX: Zine Lutefisk

 Just found some new editorial press; in the third, Kiwi Issue of Zine Lutefisk

COV Jumper 3:

Experiment with Tea, 

Muslin and Silk : I
09.06.10

This particular piece is rather special to me for the following reasons:
I- It is made (almost entirely) of pure cotton muslin, which I stripped, treated and skeined by hand.
II- This is the muslin I personally brought from a Zoroastrian-garb tailor in India, when I was there last year.
III- There is some tea-stained silk jersey in this jumper, which I removed from an "unsuccessful" project that took me approximately 8 hours to construct and around 5 minutes to dismantle.

It now resides in Children of Vision where they take good care of it, before it finds a nice new home.

The images above were styled by:
Atip Wananuruks


-Areez.

VIII: Children Of Vision

The rather organic (and chaotic) process of knitting and weaving tinsel, among other fibers, resulted in this vision 
-A Rumplestiltskin-esque Christmas Monster. The dress is a one-off piece; composed of acrylic, alpaca and mohair fibers. The installation has been featured, for the duration of holiday festivities, in the window of Children of Vision in St. Kevin's Arcade.

Hope everyone had a splendid holiday season -Here's to 2011, a bright New Year ahead !!

Best Wishes,
-Areez Katki.