when you start listening to the universe,
it might lead you to designing a dress for the Cannes film festival
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Client: Krystal Alayne Chambers, actress in Kinds of Kindness (2024) & Bottoms (2023)
As a child, I use to play mermaids at our neighborhood pool with Krystal Chambers, so it came to no surprise when she entered into the Hollywood scene & cast in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds Of Kindness as her first principal role.
When the film premiered at Cannes, the largest and most prestigious film festival in the world, I was honored with the privilege of designing a custom couture gown for my beautiful, talented friend.
The process
Inspiration grew straight out of the flower garden Krystal tended to, pomegranate blossoms. Bright orange & powdered pollen, madder root became the natural dye material to capture its color along with Krystal’s fiery and freckled complexion.
“Naturally dyed, hand-sewn, and created in just four weeks, this piece was a love letter to our roots, our growth, and the magic of timing.”
One unique challenge we faced:
No handbags allowed on the red carpet. Instead of compromising functionality, I turned it into an opportunity to design hidden pockets discreetly
sewn into the oversized flower sleeves.
europa collection
METATRON: FLOWER OF LIFE
Metatron is the unseen labor behind the portal.
My collection, Europa, explored the tension and harmony between natural and synthetic materials. I combined natural dye processes with synthetic deadstock fabrics, using a self-developed technique of binding and boiling to create what I call “reanimated” garments — an alchemic process of revival and transformation. In our troubled world, the idea of a magical female-led society gives us a fresh viewpoint. Enter the mythical matriarchy.
“Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so that each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry.”
How can we metamorphose to embrace the spirit of the Europa woman?
Material Institute Fashion Design Class of 2024
Material Institute is a free, year-long fashion program based in New Orleans that offers intensive, hands-on training in design, pattern-making, textile development, and garment construction. As one of 15 students selected for the 2024 cohort, I spent the year immersed in both traditional and experimental techniques, developing a full body of work leading up to our graduating showcase, Metatron
