Olivia S. C. Yao The unique and constantly changing colours of the sky during sunset and the randomly patterned clouds are the theme of my work. Astonished by incredible colour combinations and the untouchable softness of the clouds I aim to capture the beauty above us. I have taken numerous photographs of clouds and selected those which have the most splendid colour and pattern combinations and used them as the inspiration for my creation. I am always surprised by the random yet balanced tone and dispersion of this natural phenomenon. To best capture the colour and texture of clouds, I used Nuno felt fabric as the basic material for my design. Positioning my work as catwalk jewellery allows me to make it large scale and dramatic. My technique uses wool fleeces and silk fibres delicately felted on to woven fabric, creating a smooth colour gradient with contrasting random patterns. By using an internal structure of boning blended with the weightlessness and transparency of the fabric I am able to build up the volume of my design so that the pieces become wearable. This lightness and flexibility creates an organic movement, as the model walks down the runway. The swing of the pieces creates a visual sense of lightness as if floating in the air.
olivia.sc.yao@gmail.com