When textiles talk ... 

​Famous fashion designer Katherine Hamnett with one of her famed white t-shirts with slogans that bring awareness about causes she is passionate about. 

During a recent trip to Seattle, WA, I stopped bythe Chihuly Garden and Glass. As I walked through the exhibition halls, I felt awe at the beautiful pieces created by famed glassmaker Dale Chihuly and his team. I learned a lot about his design process and how he uses glass to teach us about art and creativity. The last gallery (and there are eight), however, left the biggest impression on me. Let's walk through it together.

The museum offers a comprehensive collection of Chihuly's work and showcases how he pushed the boundaries in glass blowing from inspiration to execution to presentation. One of his most notable achievements is a series ouf oversized glass bowls. 

The gallery is dark; the light comes from the bowls. Chihuly used all 300 colors (the number of different colored glass rods he works with) with the goal to use as many possible variations and combinations. This idea appeals to me as a textile designer: there is a constant drive to test color and texture and to come up with combinations that are innovative and visually appealing. 

Aren't these color combinations lovely? They are unexpected and daring, yet incredibly attractive. I love the fluid shapes of the bowls; there is a strong organic element to them. And while they may be cast in glass and hold their shape, they are also ever-changing with every spec of light that illuminates them.

I highly recommend you visit the exhibition. It's magical and in addition to the bowls, you will see many other striking glassworks by Dale Chihuly. The visit is well worth it. 

Gardens are magical places. They teach us about the beauty of nature. They teach us about the passing of time and changing seasons. They teach us about caring about what surrounds us. My grandmother had a fabulous garden all throughout my childhood. And she instilled great love for anything floral in my heart. I am forever grateful for every moment I spent in her garden watering the plants, weeding, getting my hands muddy ... 

While I carry wonderful memories in my heart, I also believe in honoring these memories by turning them into something tangible. In my case, I do so by designing textiles that tell stories. Many photos of my grandmother's garden are stored on my computer. Not too long ago I sifted through them and admired the brightness of colors and variety of shapes of the lovely flowers. I sat down at my work desk and drew a flower in watercolors and markers. 

The quiet time of painting was also the time I spent thinking of the garden and all of the wonderful things I have learned about life by taking care of the ever-changing flora. My painting holds in itself the fluidity of cherished moments. I digitalized my image and created a textile pattern on which my flower repeats itself in different sizes. The background is golden yellow. 

My grandmother loves the scarf design. She knowns of my love for her garden and when I showed her my scarf, she clasped her hands in surprise. Isn't that the best compliment? 

I promise that once you put this scarf around your neck, it will brighten up your day. As I said, gardens are magical places. You will be surrounded by color and positive energy and any outfit of yours will come to life just as a garden does throughout years. 

Striking colors and brilliant pattern combinations at the 2010 Jill Sander fashion show in Milan. I am loving the stripes-on-stripes look and the middle look is literally like abstract art is walking around! 

I love fashion (I better love it ... I am getting a degree in fashion design!) and I enjoy visiting fashion exhibitions when I travel. On a recent trip to Seattle, Washington, I rushed over to the Seattle Art Museum to see Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style. And you better rush there too!

One of the loveliest surprises at this exhibition is a display of the 1953 Paper Doll Couture House, Saint Laurent's teen years lovely endeavor of dressing up dolls. It is shown at the Museum for the first time in the US. You, the visitor, will be able to move the paper model along its path and dress it up! How fun is that?

I adore fashion illustration so getting to see Saint Laurent's original sketches for pretty much every collection he created is breath-taking. And then you look up and you see the sketch turned into the actual garment and you fall in love with the craftsmanship. 

To tell the truth, I could write about this show for hours ... Here is what you need to know: this exhibition tracks Saint Laurent's creative journey from about 1955 (the year of his Dior debut) to 2002, when he retired from the industry. And now enjoy the photographs below that showcase the splending genius of this worldwide know fashion designer. Or, better yet, rush to the Seattle Art Museum! The show is on display until January 7, 2017. Enjoy!

The loveliest of textile prints (and those shoes!) inspired by Art Nouveau at a Miuccia Prada fashion show. 

As a lover of abstract art, I often doodle or make small watercolor paintings that reflect an idea or a mood. The painting below comes from a few months ago when I was looking at images of flowers online and thought about how to take the shapes and colors I saw and turn them into abstracted versions of themselves. A few quick strokes with a brush lead to a full collection of textiles I like to call Pop of Abstract! 

You already know that I tend to create small collections of threes: to really learn about my inspiration and to push my creativity. This collection uses the same painting but as you can see, I digitalized it and created three different patterns and three different colorways. I have a favorite but I won't tell :) What one do you like?

The full collection is available in my store (free shipping in the US!) and at several brick stores. Like what you see? Check out a lovely testimonial (my customers warm up my heart) and wrap yourself in joy! 

How fun! Fashion designer Mary Quant is captured in this photo selecting fabrics for her famously colorful designs.