Naturally dyed linen shirt with a hand darned motif that took 18 hours of fine needlework with natural indigo dyed thread, finished with handmade silk buttons and hand sewn silk buttonholes.
Naturally thread-dyed, handspun, and handwoven cotton trousers with handmade silk and linen buttons and hand sewn silk buttonholes.
This collection showcases darning—a type of textile repair that involves reweaving warp and weft yarns—as decoration. I referenced antique darning samplers from the 1700s and 1800s to express my love for laborious handwork and the beauty of imperfect natural cloth. The collection uses lightweight and airy textiles handwoven by artisans whose crafts are undervalued in today’s fashion industry. As usual, I aim for each garment to evoke in the wearer a sense of pride and stewardship for a finely made article of clothing to last a lifetime; so well constructed as to hold up to years of wear and tear and worthy of mending.
For inquiries, please email zevdsteinberg@gmail.com.
Photos by Timothy Ng.
Worn by Eli Dolton-Thornton.
March-May 2023.