What makes something beautiful is its past and process. A painting is beautiful because of each brush stroke that marks the artist’s touch. A person is beautiful because of each and every experience that makes up who he/she is.
In fashion, two of the most beautiful and difficult processes are lacemaking and embroidery. From the opulent gowns of Queen Elizabeth I, to the frivolous dresses of Marie Antoinette, lace and embroidery have always been a highly valuable part of fashion design. These hands on creations require skill, dedication, and vast amounts of time. Unfortunately, the industrial revolution brought upon the downfall of these artistic traditions as more laces and embroideries today are done by machine than by hand.
This collection pays homage to the devotion in traditional lacemaking and embroidery. Taking a modern approach with leather instead of thread and fabric, these six hand-cut garments remain intricate and sophisticated, but are more clean-cut and contemporary. While the leather patterns celebrate the dedication of lacemaking and embroidery, the soft draping of these designs recall the delicacy of the work.
Together, the appreciation of this collection is not only for esthetics and design, but also for the process and time taken to construct each garment. With a focus on the fragile beauty of time and process, the result is something powerful and alluring. With all this in mind, stories of devotion and dedication are told through this collection - DEVOTE.
Diana Dan Li is a 4th year fashion design student at Ryerson University. As a designer, she is a simple person with a deep appreciation for beautiful things. To broaden her horizons, she ventured to Europe this summer to study at Marangoni in Paris, Domus Academy in Milan, and with Elisa Palomino at Central Saint Martins. From abroad, she brings back new-found skills, inspirations, and ideas for future collections - including her graduation collection for 2014.
Diana Li has interned at Balisi, Rivini Bridal, Holt Renfrew, Max Mara, and Greta Constantine. She has designed for the CAISA fashion show, student short films, and placed in the Danier Design Competition. With an aptitude for new challenges, she is looking forward to many great opportunities in the future.