Inspire :: By Walid

Mr. Walid al Damirji is a clothing designer based in London's Mayfair district.

He is unusual in that enterprise because his upcycling brand, By Walid, doesn't lean on

a traditional need for massive press coverage or big, glitzy fashion shows ...

Walid's preference is to remain a small, artisanal, cottage industry,

creating the most remarkable (to my eyes, at least) one-of-a-kind garments.

He may not be able to maintain this more quiet approach for long.

His garments are quite incredible and since his launch in 2011,

word has been spreading like ripples across a still pond.

Every piece, made by hand.

~ 19th century Ottoman splendor for the new Murat jacket, Autumn/Winter 2018 ~

"It's a collection of clothing made from repurposed heritage and

antique fabrics, some of which date as far back as the 18th century. And if this

recycling-upcycling concept is unusual, the way it's applied is even more so.

Every fabric used in By Walid's collection is a mixture of many different

repurposed textiles - from 19th-century French damask to embroidered silk kimonos to

Victorian table linen - cut and sewn together by hand on an organic cotton base

with an embroidery technique reminiscent of the traditional Japanese art of  boro.

Each fabric is then hand-dyed before being turned into the final garments.

They are then hand-finished, resulting in pieces that, in every detail,

are one-of-a-kind clothes."

Torn - often shredded - vintage textiles

given a new life ...

The shapes are clean and understated, but oh my, the fabrics can be

sumptuous and often include lace, crochet and beading ...

: : :

........ links to explore .......

By Walid on Instagram

Mr. Porter "Meet the Makers - By Walid" article (quote from above)

Short little YouTube : Walid on Shape, Texture and Fabrics

About : Bio from his website

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To begin at the beginning of this album of makers,

please click this tag : Inspire-album

Inspire :: Izziyana Suhaimi

When an image evokes an immediate question,

it is doubly powerful when the name of its series evokes yet another.

The looms in our bones #6

~ featuring Moroccan style embroidery ~

The looms in our bones #2

~ featuring Manchu tribal motifs ~

works in progress, courtesy of We Are Scout

Izziyana Suhaimi is masterful with her embroidery on paper

yet unlike so many women who hark back to their family members for stitching inspiration,

she is following quite a different focus.

"Embroidery is traditionally seen as a past-time of women, viewed in the domestic sphere and Izziyana is no stranger to it as both her grandmothers and mother are passionate about needlework and crochet. Not content to draw on her personal and family memories, Izziyana conducted extensive research for five years into the embroidery of various cultures and hopes to give this sacred language of women a modern honor."

~ review courtesy of 'Jack Is Not Dull' ~

The looms in our bones #7

"I enjoy the duality of embroidery, in its movements of stabbing, cutting, covering, building, repairing, taking apart. Every stitch made seems to unfold a story

and withhold it at the same time."

~ photo courtesy of Design Spotlight,

the Raffles Hotel, Singapore, 2013 ~

:::

To begin at the beginning of this album of makers,

please click this tag: Inspire-album

Inspire :: Tsutomu Komine

'A moonlit night underneath my eyelids'

from 'Sankai'

:::

~ Tsutomu Komine ~

Born in Tokyo, Japan, 1973.

In 1997,  he graduated from Tama Art University, Dept. of Oil Painting,

but often works in photography, sculpture, stitch, fiber & encaustic as well.

His mixed media collages (shown here) often contain

sea sand, acrylic paper, tako thread, and hemp string, amongst other things.

Currently, Komine continues producing works

while operating his cake & tea shop in Hitachi City.

There are loads of his images on Pinterest,

but no website and very little information found elsewhere

(with the exception of his gallery show announcements and what appears to be

a quite active Twitter account)

and   most everything about him/from him is written in Japanese ...

which unfortunately, I have no knowledge of.

So in our enjoyment of this work, many of us will have to be content

with his visual poetry instead.

Which suits me just fine.

September, 2017

Inspire :: following a thought born from emotion

Many times over the last months I've wondered why I haven't

been able to bring myself back to this blog. In truth, I've missed it sorely.

This spot used to be like a favorite room in my house,

fairly comfy (without the dust) where I gladly resided with a warm cuppa

(or a wee dram) and a contented dog companion glued to my feet.

But gradually, I grew uncomfortable with spending

time here and rather than push the issue for the sake of continuity,

I simply left the room altogether.  Not unlike relationships in life, I suppose,

where the best move can be to offer distance and reprieve.

Finally, today, I've sorted the reason 'why' I left, after months of not knowing.

I simply got sick & tired of talking about myself.

I do a bit of it still, if I'm honest, over on Instagram, but in much smaller doses
where the emphasis always feels like it's more about the pictures -
for some reason that feels more palatable for now.

I remember when I first started blogging, how difficult it was to express

thoughts and emotions to some invisible audience "out there." A most uncomfortable

position for an introvert to be in, while at the same time a  most perfect

outlet for an introvert (if that makes any sense at all).

Over time - years, in fact - that uncomfortableness waned ... until it didn't anymore

and I found myself full circle, poised in front of the keyboard

absolutely tongue-tied.

So what this all comes down to is that I'd like to reshape a way to be around.

One of my most valued pastimes is perusing artwork produced by those who strike
some sort of chord ... work wherein I find inspiration and/or solace
and which can often produce a launchpad for new creative ideas.

Although any genre has the spirit to pull, my particular love & focus is on textiles
and remains an abiding constant. Gosh, truly, there is SO MUCH amazing work 

happening with cloth; from massive installations, to incredible books, to even
the tiniest bits of recycled scrap embedded in collage. Often this work is made
by names I barely recognize or have never heard of altogether.

I'd like to post some of that work here.

To no set schedule.

To no particular timetable.

I'll call the album, 'Inspire'
and maybe it will do so for some of you, too.
And maybe then we can get back to some jolly good conversations again,
like the ole days.
I've missed that.

More soon.