Le nonne... A body. A sculpture.

"it all comes to an end... but its not just the end... its the road you went through to get there"

The project of the Italian Grandmothers really took over most of our 3rd semester running through the beginning of the 4th... but not only was our time/curriculum transformed, it was our perception of the female body that completely changed|IT WAS rediscovered| understood!

from below

from above

Each 2-3 people group had a lady... ours-not as old(as the other ones) neither of AGE or of SPIRIT-which is what counts the most- Sassy and Energetic, she always made me and Jessica laugh. She would tell us stories of the 50's and how she had a dress "JUST like that one" (the one that was assigned to a different group). And how clothes used to be so finely made before, and how she used to have custom made clothes.... As she spoke and we tried to understand|translate|speak back|be understood... we also tried to do our work... Adjust our drapes, pinch here, take away from there, OMG! how did we come up w that shape??? Did she loose some weight?

detail.bust

In order to be "freer" in this game... we were told to "create" a grandma' body... we stuffed the basic bodice and stuffed the basic skirt we had adjusted... to FORM a new "form". We started off with a "perfect" size 8 WOLF® form, and little by little started padding, criss crossing pieces of batting, then make a whole, add a circle, add more stuffing! Okay, we realized two people=4 hands=one area... is a bit caotic. Jessica would do the back, I would do the front, then we critique... I sculpted the bust(It was so fun)and The belly(make a wish) , Jessica the back, her unbalanced shoulders and her small almost "hump"... her deformations we came up with!

boobs.belly

A new mannequin... and our grandmother could be with us in the draping room. Of course, this one was missing the spark and charm our little italian lady had... but we could at least stay in the lab until 8' AND DRAPE AWAY... you half, I half, you the collar, me the skirt.. etc... 

back view

Once the project was over, and the show had happened, we came back to the draping laboratory to find a room of "naked, red, black, white, stitched-up grandmothers" silently awaiting, reminding us of the journey we had just come back from... We were asked to let them go... and so we did, our grandmas were gone, and the young ''perfect size'' missies came back... But in our heads, in our hands... the body was no longer a flat, asymmetrical, 34, 24, 32, balanced thing... It was three-dimensional, attitudinal, it had a lifestyle, and it had to move and be comfortable...

insides.all opened up. cut in half

Scratches... all over the place... lets re-organize!

insides.batting.threadinsides.batting.thread

insides.batting.thread

Le nonne... The draping comes to life!

As the draping comes to life- Jessica and I loose ours by spending hours at work... BUT since we love what we do... WORK IS MORE LIKE PLAY!

take a look!

Le nonne... the first fitting!

Le nonne... veramente sono belle!

Everytime they come, they light up the room! Our draping class becomes so much more than just making clothes--- it is an emotional rollercoaster! We try to speak italian, we share/exchange cultures, they advice us,  pass on their wiseness and their experiences; they tell us about the "glory days"-as if those were not these, and about their adventures (las más pícaras). We are so impressed- they are full of life- and the ones who are not-who long for the days gone by-are there to show us that we are living on EASY times....

One of them is ninety something and always leaves teary-eyed. She says she is so fortunate to be alive to see this happen! Youth and "old" together, enhancing each other, embracing, admiring!

We meet up with the italian ladies every 2 weeks, while we work on this evergrowing project. It is incredible how it has gained importance-Now the Comune di Firenze wants to make the sfilate all about us... They want us(the "american" students) to  go down the catwalk with the grandmas! Can you believe it? too much attention-can we handle it? I hope so- We better really impress them. What an honor and a great opportunity!

 

draping.. it is trully a process!

only pictures today!

so you get a glimpse of how it happens... the draping of a 50's inspired-CREATIVE DRAPE!

The 50's, Le nonne, e la Comune di Firenze

So... about three classes into the semester, our draping professor got a phone call from and ex-student(i believe) and he asked her if she had anyone who was interested in participating in a fashion show"thing" for some elder ladies... She briefly explained and we all said YES! I mean, we are in ITALIA- lets take advantage of it all... some research-this is my desk!

So...Now we are all being part of a Fashion Show organized by the Comune di Firenze-that celebrates the 50'S, and the beauty of women. In Italy-when a woman has children-she stops being a woman-and becomes JUST a mother, just a wife, a cleaner... etc.. so THIS show will give them...a remembrance of their "plumper" years- but will make a point that women never stop being women... its just that some-forget!A vintage boutique will lend some dresses so that young models-model- with the older women- who will be wearing OUR 50's inspired, NEW creations... IRONIC! ENCHANTING!

...JUST sketching SOME IDEAS

It has been such a touching experience- We met the nonnas last Wednesday and I am telling you-almost all of us cried! These women have so much energy! One of them-93- said that she was blessed to be alive to see this happening-Youth and Old... together!

the measurements of my "nona"-

Draping... my new adventures?

Ciao a tutti!(practicing my italian here!)

 

(at Baldovinetti-Draping Lab...Jessica Velez and I...partners in crime)

Draping is one of my favorite stages of the design process... sometimes by just playing around with the fabric I can come up with the most unimaginable ideas. By listening to the fabric, letting it guide me, show me the way... I pin, touch, feel... the way into a new design.

I can't sketch what I will drape-I feel as if in some way-that sketch will limit me and I won't  let my imagination run.. or the fabric surprise me .

This semester we have only one draping class a week, and it runs from 8:30 AM until 2:30 p.m.. As much as I love this class, it is so exhausting and mentally/emotionally draining. In those hours we have to take the lesson, get an idea, develop the idea, drape the piece, and construct it. It is a lot of work-especially when i am used to coming to the lab in the after hours and taking my sweet time to play around. Now.. its more of a challenge-not necessarily more fun-but great training. it is getting better, I am getting used to it! My professor this year is Therese Schoenholzer-she is amazing and supposedly a world expert in lace!

I never take pictures of me working or me with my work-but here are some that my classmates took.

draping away