AMMAN DESIGN WEEK 2016
INSPIRATION
'For its first year, Amman Design Week extended an open call to all designers interested in producing innovative works to be exhibited to local and international audiences.'
In keeping with the ADW brief Edelina's aim was to create something innovative and artistic by looking at, and developing regional heritage in a conceptual and modern approach; while considering artistic and technological qualities.
Images of her grandmother wearing the traditional thobe, with a scarf loosely draped on her head inspired the exhibition’s pieces. Thobes that our grandmothers wore were as simple as the time, when a piece of cloth could be so versatile. A rectangle or T shaped cloth with two seams formed the silhouette, using only the body and a fabric belt to create shape and form.
This simplicity inspired the vision behind the 3 pieces, aiming to show that, in the fast evolving trend driven world of today, we can still employ traditional simplicity, and that our heritage is not lost.
The challenge was to keep to the traditional style of cut and construction, but create a modern silhouette. Edelina looked at how different shapes of the past could be used to create garments, that when laid flat were shapeless, but once worn were transformed by the body into an almost contradictory shape.
These pieces show how the simplicity utilised in the past can still be utilised to create the diversity that is representative of today’s world. It stands as a reminder that we can always look back in order to move forward.
THE PIECES
RECTANGULAR DRAPE
The Rectangular Drape dress was inspired by the idea of how a piece of cloth can be shapeless and flat, yet create the opposite in form once worn. Made in a light crepe fabric, four holes in the rectangular piece of cloth create armholes, which allow the dress to be worn front-to-back or back-to-front. It has an additional small hole, to allow the detachable belt to be put through, to gather the drape or accentuate the body by gathering in at the waist.
T WRAP DRESS
Made in a light smooth wool, the T-wrap dress was inspired by the T-shape of a traditional thobe, recreated in an even more simplistic form. The thobe is minimal in construction and shape and is pulled on over the head. The T-dress is an adaptation of this concept; and so when laid flat it is without shape yet when pulled over the head, the shape is created with the wrap of the belt, bodice darts, and the optional closure of poppers for a closer fit.
SKIRF
The Skirf was inspired by the image of a piece of cloth loosely hanging off the back of my grandmother’s head. Made in a sheer super light wool and influenced by the versatility of a piece of cloth, this can be worn as a scarf hood, a half skirt, a cape, or a shawl.
Two large triangular darts create volume however worn, and a small tailored inspired jet buttonhole forms a belt hole, where the attached double belts thread through to be worn.
