Written by: Patts Pérez
Danielle Clough is a southafrican designer known for her creativity, specially because instead of on a taboret she embroiders on badminton rackets.
She studied art direction, graphic design and digital design; notwithstanding, the brocade art she creates comes from within, from her innate talent.
Danielle strength filled stitches create a living figure that lies far from the customary taboret embroidery.
Visual impact is one of her unique traits, which we are able to see both because of the frame’s originality and the color contrast in the sewing of tulips or roses; in a somatic combination of lights, shadows and shades.
Even though today we’ve only shown her rackets, you can check more of her artwork in her personal site and get to know a bit more about the artist in Danielle Clough.
Embroidered flowers have been one of the biggest fashion trends this year. Several designers have fallen for the brocade craze, which appeared last season and is evolving this Spring/Summer 2016 in opposition to the dark hues that reigned this winter.
We can see a great example of this in the runway, from Valentino to Alberta Ferreti, Dolce & Gabanna or Gucci; where they chose to sew brightly colored flowers on oversized sweaters.
We’ve been able to identify it as well on last Fall/Winter season, but that was only the beggining. It’s an ongoing trend that will last all year, through Cruise and Spring/Summer collections. The designers have kept betting on the characteristic embelishment in several variations.
Coats filled with flowers, sweaters with shyer approaches or dresses; all linked by embroidery.
Gucci is updating this 2016 the brocades on the classic Dionysus bag, in their Dionysus City collection, creating a unique design for each city: Rome, New York, London, Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Dubai.
The external needlecraft isn’t the only one that stands out, since, on the inside, a leather applique appears with an embroidered bee, which is quickly becoming a brand symbol, and the city after which the bag is named.
Since they reinterpreted their handbags with colored thread depicting flowers or snakes, Gucci hasn’t stopped incorporating the tecnique season after season; and now embroidery is the star of the collection.
The Dionysus City collection will be available from January 2016 in Gucci stores in each city the collection is dedicated to.
Embroidery doesn’t only add a handcrafted value, but it also gathers a tecnique that wasn’t being developed to its full capacity. Embroidery is an antique skill that has found new shapes and uses in many different ways. A long time ago, it was used for decorating gowns, creating religious motifs or cavalry emblems. Nowadays, we see as it is, a powerful tool specially for contemporary art. The possibilities are endless, each artwork complements the other, creating an affection link amongst them.
It’s because of artists like Danielle, or fashion designers as Valentino that this field’s value is on the rise.
Another example of the extensive possibilities is the harmony that illustrator Izziyana Suhaimi achieves. Delicate, shy and ethereally charming are the characteristics of the pencil illustrations the singaporean artists complements with embroidery.
Mentioning what was said before, Suhaimi, without official studies, ensures her work is an evidence of what our hands are able to create after time and patience.
Who knows if, without realizing it, this was one of the reasons she started combining both techniques; but she recongizes that one couldn’t go without the other, creating outstanding pieces of artwork.
She remembers how she started out with cross-stitch with her mom, or how she enjoyed it in her schoolwork. Maybe it’s this loving feeling what has allowed her to develop her natural talent, resulting in the admiration of the general public.
Website Izziyana Suhaimi