The fabric in this dress was machine-knitted from wool-blend crepe yarn, the two-color pattern inspired by the monogram of Nada Hammada. The dress was designed in the process of draping the fabric. This is part of a series of Arabic Calligraphy Dresses.
The memory of an exceptionally beautiful fabric that I saw long before I moved to the Arabian peninsula, sienna-colored and printed with gold Arabic calligraphy, provided inspiration for my Arabic Calligraphy Collection of machine knitted textiles and dresses.
I taught fashion and textile design at VCUQatar School of the Arts for seven years. Over time, my experiences there became embedded in my designs. Daily I absorbed the rhythm and color of Islamic calligraphy and surface patterning that are ever-present in Middle Eastern architecture and art, as well as on everyday items.
The immersion in Arabic culture reinforced my long-standing practice of imbuing my textiles with the vitality and spirit of healing energy and, in some instances, incorporating symbols of wellbeing into the designs. I learned that an established ritual in the Arab world is wearing symbols - such as soldiers wearing prayers woven into the fabric closest to their skin. I also learned about the custom of asking a noble person for cast-off clothing in order to absorb their powerful spirit, believing that energy is retained in cloth and is transferable.
Black and white monograms on the university walls caught my attention as being perfect motifs for textile designs. Each monogram represented a stylized version of a graphic design student’s name in Arabic. The fabric in this dress was inspired by the monogram of Nada Hammada, and the dress design was inspired by draping the fabric.
