Below you will find an always growing collection of my process work, commission documentation, retail information, volunteer endeavors and much more. Each post is directly related to Marie Cordella Design.
Interview: NC State's Art to Wear Show + FashionSpark
> 1) How did Art to Wear influence your career path? Are you still doing
> fashion/textiles?
Art to wear isn't a choice. Clothing is art. On one hand, i believe
that there is a time for simpler functional clothing, and a time for
vibrant explosive clothing. However, i also completely support wearing
whatever you want at any moment. People who are successful reach
success by believing in themselves; by honing their intuition.
Translation: doing what you want to do with your life is the key to
success and happiness.
The honest answer is that art to wear never really inspired my career
path. It was more of an unplanned development of my love of color and
texture growing into a borderline obsession with sewing dresses. Only
recently, in the last 3 years, have I been aware that I am a person
who makes 'art to wear.' Prior to that time I just thought of my
dresses as dresses. Its been an incredible journey of self-realization
to look into my own body of work and see how every detail that seemed
so frivolous and unplanned at the time was the result of something
tangible, and in some cases obvious.
For example, I took care of a
good friends birds for a period of time, and a large amount of
bird-prints made their way into my dresses at that same time. Although
that is a glaringly obvious example, there are a seemingly infinite
amount of tiny details that I have begun to relate to my daily
surroundings over the past few years. I have started to view my entire
life as a creative cycle that is ultimately cycled out into an ongoing
collection of gowns and dresses.
Clothing has a historical relevance which is undeniable: The change
from clothing as shelter from the elements to clothing as social
indicator. The competitive nature of ornamentation in clothing. The
scientific and culturally relevant development of colors and dies. All
of these factors are aesthetically and emotively relevant in
thoughtful design.
Currently, I create commission dresses for private clients. I also
create wilder more avant-garde pieces for gallery exhibition. But,
no-matter who or what the garment is for I make sure to feel my way
intuitively through the creative process during its design and
construction.
> 2) I believe 'Name' mentioned you've been involved with SparkCon. What has
> been your experience with the event? How did you get involved with it? How
> did participating in Art to Wear prepare you for SparkCon?
I have been involved in spackcon!
The first year that Sparkcon took place, myself and a team of about
seven other people basically started the first 'fashionSpark.' I have
also participated as a featured designer each year since. FashionSpark
is a fabulous event that cultivates excitement about the fashion and
talent happening here in the Triangle. Over the past few years the
show has become a celebrated mix of a few better known local
designers, and a collection of newer fresh designers with new work and
ideas to strut down the runway. This juried mix of old and new creates
an exciting competitive spirit to create better and more conceptual
pieces each year for all involved.
Art to wear is a relevant experience in relation to fashionSpark
because of its similarity in nature. The analogous processes of
applying to participate, conceptualizing a body of work, creating a
body or work, communicating about that work, and then displaying the
final product on models to an audience, make for an easy transition
from one show to the next.
I would absolutely recommend that students, or designers for that
matter, participate in the public display of their work as much as
possible. Its important to listen to feedback. The ability to take-in
new information from your audience has everything to do with success.