As always, I
am on the look-out for bespoke items and gifted artisans. Serena
Partridge makes miniature fashion accessories and garments inspired by a
passion for European costume,
dating back some six hundred years. Her particular interest is for the flamboyant fashions paraded by the
wealthy élite. Such as platforms rising to heights of twenty inches or the
superfluous coiffures supported by Marie
Antoinette. Although her
works contain strong references to the past, Serena is not concerned with producing
historically accurate replicas. In her work, scale and proportion are distorted to create
curios that send up the frivolity and futility of life à la mode.
Though the
work involves endless hours of hand stitching, it is not really embroidery;
Serena is more of a mixed media
artist who leans towards textiles. She
mixes antique fabrics and
trimmings with materials that will achieve desired effect. Kid gloves are reborn as elongated
shoes and a fragmented wedding veil becomes the filling of a six-tier gateau; while heels are carved in
wood and coiffures are fashioned from
strands of fine silk.
These
miniature accessories are crafted from fine papers, with tiny hand-stitching up
the back of the stockings and 25 carefully cut pieces of card, stacked and
sanded to create the shaped heels of the mules. The embellishments are
hand-made with silk ribbons, antique lace and cut-steel beads.
If you are looking for something a little different,
the shoes and stockings are perfect unique gifts for special occasions and
followers of fashion. They can be personalised with a message printed inside a
tiny card or on a miniature label.
For more
information view www.serenapartridge.co.uk
