How did it come to my mind to also create a line of dresses, in addition to my shoes?
In reality it all started from a personal need, then my usual curiosity pushed me to experiment, to play with fabrics, dyes, lines and cuts and so this micro-collection that I am proud of came out.
Are you curious to understand how it was born? I'll tell you about it in this article.
Where does the idea come from
I have always paid a lot of attention to my purchases, for years now I no longer feed what is the industry of fast fashion, but lately buying clothes has gotten more complicated. I find it very difficult: I want to know where the fabrics come from, I want to understand if they are traceable, I want to have clear ideas about who makes the garments, in short, I want to know everything.
So it occurred to me to try. I wanted to bring my first line of clothes to life by making sure that everything was mapped out. First of all, as always, the search for materials started, which after a lot of wandering led me to the company Maeko Fabrics of Milan.
Maeko Fabrics, the answer I was looking for
A company with very clear ideas. Born in 1998 thanks to Mauro Vismara's passion for hemp fiber, today Maeko produces high quality natural fabrics with a controlled supply chain, participating in a sustainable and nature-friendly economy, respecting the environment and people.
The company's goal is to enhance the natural characteristics of the fibers, ennobling them through modern finishing treatments without distorting their “naturalness”. A concept that goes well with my idea of a modern craftsman, of a mythological figure who holds the knowledge of the past and contextualizes it today in the light of the new technological processes available to producers.
Maeko produces hemp, nettle, soy, crabyon, bamboo, linen and organic cotton yarns, Yak (purchased in Mongolia and processed in Italy) and certified wool.
The best story of this company is linked to Hemp and Nettle. Mauro Vismara has carried out the RIFLOC project, which intends to restart the agricultural / industrial sector of the production of Hemp and Nettle for textile use in Italy, starting from the already active organic plantations.
The first experiments
Once I found the right fabrics, I really got to work! It was time to create, to imagine a line that could go along well with shoes of the Tinctoria line. The collaboration with the company was also precious Teknochim of Montegranaro, which trained me on what concerns natural dyes and colors. Training that is only at the starting point, because it will be a long (and beautiful) path that will accompany me for years. Next step: the training project together with Marta and Valentina of Etico Sartoria Marchigina, but I will be able to talk to you about this in a few weeks!
For clothes, my need was to create something unique thanks to natural dyes, as was already happening for shoes, on the skin. I was too curious to understand what was going to happen on the fabrics, so I started doing tests on different materials.
I have found a way to feed what is called the "circular economy", a model of production and consumption we tend to and, above all, in which we believe. Each time the skin is “bathed”, the dyeing water is recovered and reused to dye the fabrics of the clothes. It is surprising to discover how the same natural extract produced different results each time, depending on the bathroom and the material.
For example, I dyed the Amelia dress, the Rosa slip, the Emma jumpsuit with Pernambuco: all three have different shades, even a different color despite the fact that the extract was the same.
Each bathroom and each fabric allow you to create a truly unique piece.
The dresses of the Slipper of Venus
And here they are the first Scarpetta dresses! I want to introduce them to you one by one, telling you about the fabrics and the line.
It is a light dress, one of those that become your best friends in the summer. It fastens like a wallet on the front, the skirt is round and the V-neck. It is made of nettle fiber, much research for its length and shine: it resists twisting, is elastic and, unlike other fibers, its robustness increases over time. I made it in two versions: rose, tinted with Pernambuco extracts, e yellow, obtained with Reseda.
Rosa is a very soft slip, perfect to wear under the Amelia dress or, in the hottest evenings, even alone. It is made of bamboo fiber, a plant that is harvested every three years, avoiding dramatic deforestation processes, and grown without the use of chemical and synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or defoliants.
Rosa is also made in two versions: rose is yellow.
Soft and snug, made of stretch bamboo. It is a flared model pleasantly adherent on the leg that ends wide on the foot; is a pant that manages to give you a nice feeling of lightness, perfect for everyday life as well as for a quiet summer evening. It is hand dyed with Reseda extracts.
A jacket for the summer, made entirely of Hemp, a plant from which a yarn with a great heat-insulating and breathable capacity is obtained, which behaves like wool: cool in summer and warm in winter. Sturdy and soft at the same time, it is one of the most resistant natural fabrics. The Isako jacket is a linear model with a clean cut. She too was made in two versions: yellow, tinted with Reseda, e rose, tinted with Pernambuco.
Jumpsuit Emma
The comfort of a suit combined with the refined beauty of a tailored garment made for you. Made of 100% bamboo, a stable and tenacious fiber, perfect for clothing. The soft Emma jumpsuit hides precious details: comfortable side pockets, wooden buttons with adjustable shoulder strap.
Jinny is a tank top bodysuit, simple, comfortable and bold. Ideal to wear under the Isako jacket or even alone, combined with wide trousers. It is made of stretch bamboo in two colors, rose is yellow.
This is our first clothing line. You may already guess it, but our research doesn't end there! We will continue to design and experiment and will soon show you new creations.
In the meantime, what do you think of this first collection? I am very curious to know! write to alice@scarpettadivenere.it and tell me!
