”BLACK STORK” 2020
Katré’s collection ”BLACK STORK” was created for the Estonian Fashion Festival show 2020.
The collection is inspired by glove patterns, specifically the thumb patterns of gloves. Simple pattern motifs, different from the glove pattern, but very well fitting into the whole, have been enlarged and amplified in order to value and draw attention to the heritage of our ancestors. Have you ever noticed that the thumb pattern is different from the glove?
The color of the collection is inspired by the endangered black stork, considered a sacred bird since ancient times. So the colors are black, white and red!
“The black stork is the flagship and umbrella species of our nature conservation, under whose “wing” many other species of old forests and shady watercourses find their habitat,” said Agu Leivits, chief biodiversity specialist at the Species Conservation Bureau of the Environmental Board. He added that by protecting the black stork’s nesting sites, we also help to preserve other endangered species.
When you think of mittens and black storks, they both share the same fate. The younger generation is increasingly consuming fast fashion, forgetting old traditions and time-consuming techniques. Using old patterns in a new way helps to draw attention to other old objects and traditions.
The collection combines old patterns, modern cuts, experimental authorial techniques and creativity. For a change, I also returned to the world of traditional patchwork. This is thanks to my enthusiastic students, with whom I realized during winter training that squares, crosses and biscuits can be very inspiring.
A large part of the material is recycled fabric. Some of it even dates back to the 1980s. These are my mother’s fashionable silk blouses from that time, which have now found worthy use again.
All my collection stories start with a white dress. It’s like a blank slate/tabula rasa on which you can start writing a story. “Black Stork” tells about everyday, yet special models, ending with a black tulle dress, which is very different from other models and therefore seems intriguing. This transparent tulle dress could shake the viewer and draw attention to very important things like “transparent fashion” and make us think about how our food, clothes and other consumer goods are produced. Red jersey shines through from under this dress. This is a color that has a protective meaning in folk art. The collection also has small red details, symbolizing protection for minorities, endangered species and traditions that tend to be forgotten.
The collection aims to inspire and educate viewers to participate in a resource-saving lifestyle and to notice each person individually and as a whole that works together.
See more ➡️ https://fashionfestival.ee/designer/katre-arula/
