Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar – Part 2 – Textiles

, , , , ,

We continued our shopping trip in the Grand Bazaar with an eye on textiles.  Oya is a traditional Turkish craft of making lace, generally for edges of scarves but also for home decor or clothing.  The lace is made in several different ways, but most frequently as either needle lace or with a small crochet hook.  I’ve been fascinated with Oya since I first encountered it… one day I hope to find a craftswoman who makes it and get a lesson!  So in my research for places to visit, I found a shop that specializes in this art form called “IstanbulOya”.

IstanbulOya filled with needlelace and crocheted delights!

The proprietor at IstanbulOya was very friendly and had a fabulous selection of different Oya products.  Many of the Oya that are made are 3-D flowers, some quite delicate and others larger-scale art wear.  They do ship worldwide, so check out their website at https://istanbuloya.com/  But if you make it to Istanbul, I highly recommend a stop at their shop if you’re visiting the Bazaar!  Their website has directions on how to find them from 3 of the main gates.

Another view of the IstanbulOya shop.

Since my next destination after Istanbul is to go to our grand-nephew’s wedding, I thought I’d pick up some silk scarves for the bridesmaids.  Prices are incredibly reasonable compared to comparable products in the US.  I was able to pick up a nice selection for both the wedding party and also the women family members I’ll be seeing from “Istanbul Pashmina”.

Selection of beautiful Turkish silk scarves

Son Ryan helped carry my purchases from the scarf store and more!

The guys will be getting Turkish delight and other Turkish delicacies.  I also found some shops that sold some embroidered scarves, which are quite gorgeous.  I picked up a few of these, too.

 

Embroidered scarf

Embroidery detail

Embroidered scarf

Embroidered scarf

The Bazaar is a feast for your senses… sights, smells, tastes sounds, the textures of the fabrics….  I could go on and on.  But I’ll leave you with a few more textile photos that will whet your appetite to get yourself to Turkey one day!

Beautiful Palestinian embroidered thobe.

 

Embroidered shoes

Fabric store

Another fabric store

Lace store

Lace store

Turkish gowns and vests with goldwork embroidery

More embroidered thobes

Bags, pillow shams and other embroidered housewares

/by

Orla Kiely at the Fashion and Textile Museum

, , , , ,

UK Day 2- London’s Fashion and Textile Museum

The last time I visited London, I found this wonderful little gem of a museum in the Southwark neighborhood.  This visit, they are featuring the work of Orla Kiely, one of Ireland and the UK’s most famous fashion designers, a perfect blend after just completing my trip to Ireland!

Orla Kiely studied textile design in Dublin in the early 1980’s and received her MA from the Royal College of Art in 1992. Having grown up in Ireland in the 60’s and 70’s, Orla’s design are influenced by the styles, colors and patterns of that era.

Designs from Orla’s college years

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nature inspires many of Kiely’s repeating patterns.  Her “Stem” pattern has become an iconic design, catapulting Kiely into International design success in 2000.

Display of different iterations of Orla Kiely’s Stem pattern.

Display of different iterations of Orla Kiely’s Stem pattern.

Coffee mug collection featuring Orla’s designs.

Her designs are based in rhythmic and repetitive pattern, now popular in accessories, handbags, wallpaper, and home decor, as well as her seasonal fashion collections.

From the desk of Orla Kiely

 

 

Changes of scale, coordinating colors (often in a 1970’s palette, including avocado green, harvest gold, orange and chocolate brown), and whimsical, near-abstract depictions of animals are all common elements that make Orla’s designs unique and distinguishable.  The exhibition includes over 150 patterns and products and is well worth attending!

Filmed videos of Orla describing her inspirations, creative process, and collections, as well as footage of her fashion collection engage the audience in a multi media experience.

Christina surveying a display of Orla Kiely handbags

 

/by

Ireland’s Fashion Icon- Ib Jorgensen

, , ,

Dublin Day 2, Part 2

While I’m no expert on couture fashion, the pieces displayed at the National Museum of Ireland- Decorative Arts’s Special exhibition of Ib Jorgensen’s fashion were clearly a cut above the ordinary. Born in Denmark, Jorgensen immigrated with his family to Ireland in 1950. He attended Dublin’s Grafton Academy of Dress Designing and first garnered attention when he won the Academy Cup is his graduating year fashion show in the tailored suits and coats division.

Hand embroidered and beaded silk jacket with evening skirt of green silk faille, 1989

Bead embroidery detail

Bead embroidery detail

Jorgensen’s work caught the eye of fashion hours, Nicolas O’Dwyer, who hired him as a designer and pattern cutter at only 20 years old.  He was strongly influenced by the high standards of quality demanded by the workforce dervived from an old Jewish tailoring business.

Ib Jorgensen on the exhibition poster at the National Museum of Ireland- Decorative Arts, Dublin

High quality tailoring, superior pattern cutting, a relentless attention to detail and flawless finishing became the hallmarks of Jorgensen’s work.

The exhibition looks back at Ib’s long career, displaying a selection of some forty garments including day, cocktail and evening wear from across three and a half decades, supplemented with original fashion photography and illustrations. His first wife Patricia, a textile designer, created designs for extravagant hand beading, appliqué and embroidery, and these techniques were frequently used to great effect on Ib’s evening wear.

Hand beaded sequin shift dress in a harlequin design of soft pastel colors, 1967

Evening dress of orange silk voile with halter necked bodice entirely beaded and embroidered, 1985

Halter bodice detail

Beadwork embroidery detail.

For more information on this exhibition, go to the museum’s website at:

https://www.museum.ie/Decorative-Arts-History/Exhibitions/Current-Exhibitions/Ib-Jorgensen-–-A-Fashion-Retrospective

/by

The Way We Wore-250 Years of Irish Clothing

, ,

Day 2 -Dublin, National Museum of Ireland

We headed over to the one National Museum of Ireland- Decorative Arts & History location after lunch. I’m impressed that the museums are Free!  I think this egalitarian concept prevails throughout much of current Irish society.

The preservation of clothing, however, is largely restricted to the upper classes, due to the poorer people wearing their clothes until they were worn out. In the 18th C. Only the wealthy could afford to wear luxurious dress, but by the late 19th C., prosperous people in towns and villages across all of Ireland could dress fashionably.

Silk waistcoat embroidered with silver thread in Ireland about 1760.

Having precious metal embroidery on your clothing did come with some risk. ‘Friends’ or staff might cut off threads to steal the expensive metal!

Detail of silver embroidery – silver thread darkens over time. In the 17th C., they would sprinkle hot breadcrumbs over the silver and rub with linen to remove the tarnish.

Lace has been an important industry in Ireland. Many families survived hard times by making lace. There are numerous distinct styles (several of which I hope to see on this trip!

Lace from Woman’s Drawers made in 1880’s Ireland. Women started wearing undergarments that could be ‘drawn on’ in the 1800’s. These had separate legs that were stepped into and tied at the waist with a linen band.

Beautifully embroidered Irish linen apron, 1740’s.

Apron embroidery detail

Man’s embroidered waistcoat, Irish 1790’s.

Lace collar worked by a girl in an embroidery class, County Down, Ireland, 1860’s.  In the 1840’s, thousands of girls as young as 5 years old worked for pitifully low wages to provide Glasgow merchants stock for London markets.  But the meager wages helped some families survive the famines.

Day gown made in Ballymore Co, Sligo, Ireland about 1867.

This gorgeous blue color of the silk was created using ‘new’ synthetic abalone dyes.  The gown remains pristine… Maria Sweeney had the gown made for her brother’s wedding and then also wore it to Mass the Sunday following the wedding. The priest disapproved of the “figure-displaying style” (say, what???) and Maria never wore the gown again!

Early Contemporary Machine Lace, about 1867 with wool braid trim.

Next time I’ll share the Irish fashion icon Ib Jorgensen’s couture designs, on special exhibition at the Museum  of Decorative Arts.

Slán go fóill!

/by