just a photographic update of what's happening in zaidibirindilandia!
we've been playing with natural dyes, and these are some pictures from a few weeks ago.
so ironic that after the travels and the experimentation two of the most important colors came out of things that are so familiar to me and that I never thought of DYING with...
achiote (annatto) and black bean water!
the black bean water was very intriguing. when i dyed a piece of
mordanted organic cotton in the cold water (from the soaked beans) that
had never been heated, the fabric turned out purple. after heating the
water, the resulting color on a new piece of mordanted organic cotton
was gray!
fabric being dyed in black bean water
left: black bean skins, right : fabric drying
fabric dyed with achiote, coffee, curry, turmeric
those colors made me think of THIS- which remind me so much of my days in FLORENCE, and make me wish this was my view -from the studio-
and that this was me, going outside to have a chat with the sun and wish him a good night
I guess you will just have to stay tuned to find out more.
Its been a whirlwinding couple of weeks, working hard in the preparation for our collection for The Green Fashion Competition.
I've been able to connect to people through my work and it is one of the most rewarding feelings. Its inspiring, encouraging and reaffirming: Its like knowing that you are doing the right thing at the right time, that you are on a "mission" and that the journey is magical!
I love sharing my work, receiving feedback and advice; and I am so fortunate to be surrounded by people that are interested, supportive and sending me amazing vibes.
So, before I bombard you with images I'd like to thank each and every one of you who has reach out and given me good energy and happy wishes, - they go a long way- !
Tara St. James from STUDY NY, Daniel Silverstein from 100% NY, and Auralis Herrero Lugo from Auralis Studio for letting me recycle their fabric scraps and the encouragement.
Jessica Velez from Jessica Velez Knitwear for letting me come over and use your studio to drape and knit, and for being there since day 1.
To my mom -master seamstress and crafter- for joining me on this adventure and becoming a FULL TIMER on our "travelling studio", my sister and her boyfriend who've donated all their free time to cutting fabric strips and learning how to spin (yes, the boyfriend is discovering the world of craft but I won't mention any names because I promised I would say that he was watching the football game while "the girls" sewed their lives away ;P )
To Leo and Dani for coming over and lending a hand, to my uncles for letting this greenventure take over their apartment, for the understanding and the feeding the entire crew!... AND, thanks to my friends, whose inboxes I've clogged with emails asking for music, styling suggestions and business-plan advice.
