FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Moss dres of goddes Zarja
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
While making this historical and nature inspired design, I wanted to achieve the look of a morning dew in a forest full of moss, that can be seen in parts of regions in Slovenia. With the attention to detail that went into the design, I evoked a deep sense of pride and connection to the cultural heritage of Slovenia. The process was an emotional journey as I was also researching the history of the garments in Slovenia and was learning about my ancestors. As I was making the dress, I felt a deep sense of connection to the past and to the women who had worn similar garments in the past. The design itself was inspired by the wast forests of Pokljuka. I wanted to incorporate elements of Slovene and South Slavic traditional garbs. Traditionally most of the elements of Slavic costumes have been inspired by nature itself, since the Slavic people are historically very connected to the land they come from, what they take from it and what they bring back.
Outline the construction…
Entry garments: Skirt, vest, rokavci, zavijača.
Since the material cost can rank up a lot, I used mostly second hand materials or materials that I can locally source from small businesses. Fabric for the skirt and the outer part of the vest are from an old velvet curtain, the vest is lined with aida to add shape and an old table cloth. Crystals on the dress are glued on. The skirt is cartige pleated and then sown on the belt., It fastens with hook and eye and with a zipper. The vest is made by traditional Serbian construction and the pattern I drafted from images seen online. It is beaded with plastic pears and crystals, since in the surviving examples are really embellished. The vest is constructed the way it mostly holds its shape, because it works as a bra. Rokavci (the shirt) is made out of linen. Pattern is adapted from a book that talks about rokavci construction. The biggest challenge was making the pleats just the right size, and not too big or too small and that they fall in a more or less straight line. Zavijača is the name of the head covering, and it is moss embroidery (predominately french knots) on canvas, which is then fastened on a piece of linen/cotton blend that was colored with walnuts by me. Trim is a piece of lace from my stash.
This is incredible – the beading, the fit of the vest – and I love how you incorporated your culture into it as well. Such a lovely creation
Lovely dress and great execution! The tucking in the blouse is wonderful!
A stunning ensemble. I love the different textures you used in this outfit. What an incredible design and beautiful hand details!
This is so stunning – the colours, textures, and embellishment are so magical. And the pleating on the blouse is just *chefs kiss!* I love how thorough your research was too!