London, 19 Sept 2017
On 19 September, as part of this year’s London Fashion Week, the new collection of the British haute-couture brand Ecoture by designer Deborah Milner was presented. Milner, besides designing her own collections, is Head of Studio at Alexander McQueen; her creations are worn by many well-known public figures (Helena Bonham Carter, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson), one of her dresses is part of the Victoria & Albert Museum collection in London, and her work regularly appears in Vogue and other fashion magazines. She is renowned for her excellent tailoring, which was clearly visible in the current collection.
Through my former professor Almira Sadar I contacted the designer some time ago; during her visit to Slovenia she became fascinated by our bobbin lace. After several test samples and prototypes, in mid-summer I received a commission for a larger lace piece to become part of Ecoture’s new haute-couture collection. I designed the pattern in the spirit of Hokusai’s wave — the moment when the crest breaks and turns into white lace of foam.
This theme translates beautifully into lace, so the concept phase (done via email) finished quickly. The bigger challenge was meeting the deadline: the lace had to be divided into several smaller sections that multiple lacemakers could work on in parallel — in addition to myself, Sonja Koder, Milka Kolenc, Pavla Zajc, Valerija Mlinar, Zofka Pagon and Ms. Kofol. In Deborah Milner’s studio the lace was then hand-sewn onto the garment so that it truly evokes a wave embracing the body; the remaining parts are sheer, skin-tone fabrics to let the lace fully stand out.
In line with the title Regenerating the Reef, the collection is distinctly ecological, emphasising natural materials, dyes and processes. Idrija lace — a precious hand-made piece crafted from cotton thread — fits this context perfectly. The collection also includes silk, wool, jacquard weaving, fine hand embroidery, hand drawing on silk, hand-sewn Swarovski crystals and hand-crafted layering and ruffles. The materials were dyed with tea and tree bark; LED light accents added a special magic. A booklet presented all materials and techniques to visitors and the media. I also gifted Deborah Milner the English monograph Idrija Lace – a History Written in Thread, to which I contributed as a co-author.
The event took place in central London at SHOWstudio, the space of world-renowned fashion photographer Nick Knight. With this presentation at London Fashion Week — one of the four major fashion events alongside New York, Milan and Paris — Idrija lace reached the arena where it truly belongs: haute couture. Given the enthusiastic reception, I believe this collaboration won’t be the last.