Ultra Feminine Warrior Of all the looks in my collection, the Lady of Mystery would be the one most closely to portray myself.
This spring green silk garment is adapted from a seven in one dress pattern I made in 1976 from royal blue polyester. Keeping options open with multiple opportunities is a major priority for me. Nothing I hate worse than to be classified and put in a box. As soon as someone thinks they have be figured out, I transform myself like this silk dress rich with possibilities.
In October 2009 I met with Professor Elaine Polvinen for lunch on Buffalo State Campus to catch up on what had been going on in our lives during the prior year. She told me about the great success of Fashion Technology Runway 2.0 fashion show in last May. I has seen some of the images of the fashion show on the Internet while I was taking classes in the graduate program @ Savannah College of Art & Design. In graduate school my mind was consumed with making garments while I was supposed to be focusing on fine art pieces.
Elaine invited me to submit a collection for the panel of juror of Runway 3.0 in May 2010. As soon as I entertained the challenge I knew my collection was going to be made from silk, inspired by the 1970 convertible dress and all of my fabrics were create by mixing my own dyes. Turquoise is the hue selected for Spring 2010 by the fashion industry. I selected the spring green and copper to balance my collection.
Michelle's beautiful, thick, long, red hair was so easy to fashion into the french braid in fact I did it myself in minutes to help the girls get ready for the fashion show. I just love this image of the braid pattern repeated in the Michelle's long hair and the dress sash. Braids symbolize Oneness and Unity. "The flowing strands of hair, individually weak but when joined together in Oneness, physically demonstrate the Strength of Oneness; "One Mind, One Heart and One Soul", the Song of the Uni-verse, and the Sacred thoughts you are to hold. There are times to wear the hair braided and times to let it flow free, different times to demonstrate your harmony with the flow of life and to demonstrate your thoughts of Oneness to others.
There are different teachings about the way to braid ones hair, and different teachings about the ways and rites of braiding Sweetgrass. One way is to gather 28 whole strands of Sweetgrass, one strand symbolizing each sacred day in one moon(month). Divide them in three equal piles, 9 strands each, each pile symbolizing the wandering spirits of the 3 tiers of Heaven (upper world, middle world, lower world), and with the one strand that is left, the strand that Symbolizes the Great Spirit, the Creator God(Father Sun), you tie all the loose strands together. Remembering as you braid the Sweetgrass, to keep your thoughts and intent pure and healthy, placing the prayers of love for life into your braid. It is the intent placed in the medicine that makes all healing possible. To end the braid, tie a knot with the grass.
There are different teachings about the way to braid ones hair, and different teachings about the ways and rites of braiding Sweetgrass. One way is to gather 28 whole strands of Sweetgrass, one strand symbolizing each sacred day in one moon(month). Divide them in three equal piles, 9 strands each, each pile symbolizing the wandering spirits of the 3 tiers of Heaven (upper world, middle world, lower world), and with the one strand that is left, the strand that Symbolizes the Great Spirit, the Creator God(Father Sun), you tie all the loose strands together. Remembering as you braid the Sweetgrass, to keep your thoughts and intent pure and healthy, placing the prayers of love for life into your braid. It is the intent placed in the medicine that makes all healing possible. To end the braid, tie a knot with the grass.
A Knot is symbolic of Union and a Bond. The Tie that binds. The knot in the Sweetgrass braid also binds all the "thoughts" of our Mother together, to teach us, once again of the strength of Unity or Oneness. I created the dress same hue in both long and short versions. It is show worn frontwards and backwards with sleeves in both options. "
My tulle art object hat is inspired by the helmet of the Knight in Armour. " Every knight needed one set of armour for tournament and one for warfare. Each cost a fortune. Suits of armour had to be custom made. There were over one hundred and fifty parts, such as gauntlets, breastplates, thigh plates, helmets, and from top to toe, each had to fit perfectly. Protecting oneself in battle has always been a concern for any soldier, and medieval knights were no exception. In fact, it was their protective armor that helped define them as a military unit and social class as armoring oneself during the Middle Ages was a great expense that only the wealthy could afford. Today, the Medieval Knight's Armour and Medieval Swords are both exceptionable symbols of Historic and Noble times, and are often adapted to make beautiful decorative pieces to many interior decors. "
Extruding an aurora of poise and confidence the true identity of this Lady of Mystery is concealed beneath a series of ivory, tulle, bridal veil illusion. Embedded within tulle, layered, veiled hat like art object are a series of fiber optic lights flaunting a technological obsession should the desire for a "look at me" opportunity arise.
Michelle Adams Enderton, is a mother of two small children, a graphic designer and a friend of Kara's from Clarence High School. She graciously spent the day away from her children to be with us.
Thank you Michelle for being part of team ricerafferty at Runway 3.0.
This short and sassy, elastic waist skirt is 100% Light Bubbled Gauze Silk adorned with an ivory tulle embellishment embedded with fiber optic lights.
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