About Designer

About

"The more poetic, the more real" - Novalis
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I started making embellished handbags about in 2001 when could not find a purse suitable to my eveningwear. After that I made a few bags as a gift to my friends, then a few more. Ideas and materials gathered and since I didn't want to leave them uncreated I began to offer bags for sale at local boutiques and opened my first online gallery at autumn 2003 (clothilda.digiart.ee.)

As a former jeweler, I could not resist the idea of making jewelry out of those brocade, silk and lace scraps - bag making leftovers and soon I was looking around to find more interesting vintage bits and pieces to use them in my fabric jewelry as well. I have been now collecting vintage lace, buttons, ribbons and fancy, decorated dresses about 10 years. Many of them are "hunted" from antique stores and second- hand boutiques, washed, cut into pieces, sorted by color and material and preserved in tagged boxes and closets in my studio.
I have used lots of customized ribbon embroidery and millinery techniques at the embellishments of the bags and jewelry, combined with hand embroidery and hand beading. I am excited to try out and mix different materials and techniques, years of practice sewing by hand allow to capture the most delicate nuances of my visions -to sculpt, fold, manipulate, distress and embellish the bits and pieces of recycled textiles into organic pieces. I call this process - intuitive sewing. There are no designs exactly alike, so every work is always unique and exiting to start with. It also keeps creativity and imagination alive to start with new ideas, colors and materials every time. I prefer to dye and/or hand paint materials for decorations myself, to create more wide array of color shades.

Inspiration.
I am inspired from different vintage materials and of course - colors! I love all colors and feel excited about to create different color harmonies. Moments captured- orange eyes of gray dove at eroded park bench background, a piece of worn lace lying at working table between ribbons and feathers or dried rose left to a green crystal vase..I collect things like that into my mind and sometimes write them down so as not to forget. Afterward when creating the design it is like writing a poem out of fabric pieces. The process of creation is always magical and the result is often surprising. Sometimes I even do not know how the result exactly has to look like. I have a vision of colors and textures and then I just let the feeling carry me on.
I get lots of ideas from historical costumes- ball gowns and accessories of past centuries-Baroque, Victorian Era and Art Nouveau rich decorated dresses and elaborate embroideries. Sometimes I watch movies over and over to see beautiful vintage dresses exposed there :) I love embroidered flowers- roses, orchids and all kind of fantasy flora. Old mansion interiors, antique costume jewelry and vintage millinery techniques are an endless source of inspiration.

regards,
Krista S. Raak

krista(at)kristaraak.com
Tallinn 10141
Estonia
EU

Read my interviev at: Belle Armoire Jewelry/ Autumn 2008

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Inspirational costume/textile links:

Creative embroidery of Helen Eriksson:
http://www.heleneriksson.com/

Antique and Vintage Clothing
www.antiquedress.com

Antique Costumes & Textiles
www.meg-andrews.com/

Antique Lace and Fashion
www.antique-lace.com

Vintage Clothing
and 18th Century Costume
www.vintagetextile.com

Vintage Purses
www.vintage-instyle.com

Antique/Vintage/Couture
www.thefrock.com

www.vintagemartini.com
Vintage clothing, accessories, patterns, fashion ephemera
from the 18th Century thru 1970's.

A Collection of Fine Antique Fashion
www.trousseau.net/