Christian Tagliavini

Christian Tagliavini's responses to Renaissance portraits.

I first saw them in January's Raise magazine but these images are from his website which I have pulled onto here for the purpose of sharing.

Agnes Richter's Jacket

 

When we first talked about opening Shelf I was keen to do a project involving Costume Designers and prison uniforms, I thought there could be a really interesting exhibition exploring how people express their personalities and their character through the constraints of uniform and I was particularly keen on having Costume Designers, whose job it is to find and express character through clothing, work with prisoners and uniforms. 

Outsider Art was always something Katy and I were interested in. 

Anyway, the shop took a different course and I never really thought about that idea much again.

But yesterday I was reading this quarter's Selvedge magazine where there's an article about prison clothing and I was reminded of the exhibition idea and Agnes Richter's jacket which I had become aware of around the same time. I can't remember which website I originally discovered the jacket on, I read about it such a long time ago, so I rummaged around again this morning and found a few listings with information - here and here. 

Agnes was a mental patient in Austria in the 1890's and the jacket was standard issue of the time. The embroidery is beautiful and intense. Fascinating, unstoppable self expression. 

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NOTE: The jacket is in The Prinzhorn collection in Heidelberg, which is where the photograph originally stems, I haven't linked to the collection because the English translation isn't working today.

Spidersilk Shawl

I've been meaning to blog about this spidersilk shawl for ages, found here. it looks amazing.

There is talk on lots of blogs about spidersilk socks from Japan but I have yet to see any - apparently it's the ideal fibre to use for bullet proof vests as it is stronger than steel, weight for weight.
If it becomes possible to mass produce spidersilk, as seems to be the goal, then I guess it could be the high-tech fabric of the future.

Kamleikas - Inuit Seal Gut Parkas.

In the British Museum a couple of weeks ago we saw these Inuit seal gut parkas, it was a bit of a wrangle with the hoards of school children but I manged to elbow my way to the front to take a few wobbly photographs.
The Inuit made these parkas from seal intestines, ideal fabric as once dried it breathes from the inside and repels water on the outside. They would stitch their parka to the edge of their canoe, creating a watertight seam. Decorated with puffin beaks, beads and feathers and finished with a functional drawstring at the hood and cuffs, the parkas look like something from the current 'Future Beauty' Japanese Fashion exhibition at the Barbican, rather than original pieces from the late nineteenth century.
Prized by whalers who found the light weight shells far more comfortable for work than than their oilskins, the parkas traded at a high price.

And a special Thank You to the kindly person who handed my purse into lost property.

Bamboo Vest

A Juban is an underkimono, I am not entirely sure if that is the correct name for this garment but it certainly was worn next to the skin. The bamboo beading acted the same way a string vest would, helping air to circulate, making the wearer more comfortable in hot weather. This item is apparently around 100 years old.

NEEDLE AND THREAD

Thank You to Natalie Ward, close friend and fellow Costume Designer, who gave me this needle-case to photograph. We think it's early 1930's. It unscrews to reveal a bobbin and thimble, then one more step and there's the needle holder.

PIn Cushion

Katy Hackney gave me this walnut pin cushion, I've not used it properly yet, I just look at it...

These Victorian needles are great to sew with, 

the steel is  strong and they remain straight and sharp.