collaboration with METISU II

mirror, mirror…

romance in her heart, flowers in her hair

new in the shop: watercolor

angels are among us…

EN:  I took these photos way back on Easter. My sister wears a dress and a wrap top I made. I always think how lucky I am to have a sister as an ever-present beauty, friendship and support. Also, I have to share with you the photo of one little angel that I accidentally managed to take that same day (bellow). I only remember that by the place where we were sitting suddenly appeared a little girl, probably had run away from her parents being sweetly angry because of something. At the moment, she found herself in the unknown environment, took a look around her and glanced at me. Her face suddenly brightened, as it often happens to children when something distract their attention from their impermanent. fluttering thoughts. Fortunately, I had a camera in my hands, and I managed  to gather myself from the sudden beauty of her unusual appearance in time to remembered to use it. A second later, I already didn’t exist in her world any more, as she turned to her grandpa, who had just came to her, persistently forcing his high, slow body to run. He told her something to comfort her, but she is already forgot her anger, and flittered happily in front of him, making him trying calmly to run after her again. The whole scene seemed so gentle, fragile and somewhat surreal in its beauty, suddenness and shortness. But this picture is a document of some kind … Although it seems that in the very next moment, perhaps at the same time as the pigeon, this angel will fly away off this photo, as it came down among us just for a second to remind us of its existence …

SR: Ove fotografije sam napravila još za Uskrs. Moja sestra nosi haljinu i top na preklop koje sam sašila. Uvek pomislim kako sam srećna što imam sestru kao stalno prisutnu lepotu, prijateljstvo i podršku. Takođe, ne mogu da ne podelim sa vama i fotografiju ovog malog anđela kog sam sasvim slučajno uspela da fotografišem istog dana. Sećam se samo da se pored mesta gde smo sedeli najednom odnekud stvorila mala devojčica, pobegavši verovatno od svojih roditelja slatko razljućena nečim. U trenutku shvativši da se našla u neopoznatom okruženju, osvrnula se oko sebe i pogledala me, a lice joj se naglo razvedrilo, kao što se to često dešava deci kad im nešto skrene pažnju sa njihovih nestalnih. lepršavih misli. A ja sam, na svu sreću, imala fotoaparat u rukama, i uspela sam na vreme da se osvestim od iznenadne lepote njene neobične pojave i da se setim da ga upotrebim. Sekundu kasnije već više nisam postojala u njenom svetu jer se ona okrenula ka svom deki, koji je upravo prispeo do nje, uporno terajući svoje visoko, usporeno telo na trčanje. On joj je rekao nešto da je uteši, ali ona se već više nije sećala svoje ljutnje, i odlepršala je veselo ispred njega, a on je ponovo smireno pokušao da trči za njom. Cela ta scena je delovala tako nežno, krhko i nekako nestvarno u svojoj lepoti, iznenadnosti i kratkoći. Ali ova fotografija je kakvo-takvo svedočanstvo… Mada deluje kao da će već u sledećem trenutku, možda u isto vreme kad i golub, sa fotografije otprhnuti i ovaj anđelak, koji se samo na časak spustio među nas da nas podseti na svoje postojanje…

chiaroscuro

EN: I like the dramatic effect of the so-called chiaroscuro technique and all the possible symbolism that it may imply. That technique shows the light and the darkness in naked, primal contrast and conflict, but at the same time as the forces that both, jointly constitute existence. Not only is the being in contrast to the darkness of the background, but the dark and light are used to create the fullness of being itself. Something much more complex than the contrast comes from that view of the world embodied in this technique. At the same time, it is like the being is made of light, almost as if it is the light source itself, but also as that light is to show how much the being is made of the darkness, too. The light is what creates shadows.

I got this fabric from my friend for the birthday a year or two ago. (These are now the best gifts I can get!) I would never buy that fabric as I wouldn’t even noticed it at all, but I was inspired when I once had it. I think this was the first real dress I’ve ever made (that is not made of some stretch fabric that you just pull on). Now, of course, it would be technically much more perfect, but then it was a big thing for me, considering the fact that I drafted the pattern myself and still had the old sewing machine. The dress had its lining that was similar in color to the brown details, but it has shrunk (the golden rule I began to obey only after several accidents: Always wash your fabric before sewing!). The lining my sister is wearing is not adequate one as the dress sticks to it, but it excellently served the purpose of the photographs because her whole figure got lighter. That helped me to, at least partly, achieve the effect of the conflict of light and darkness in their eternal interweaving.

SR: Svidja mi se dramatičnost takozvane chiaroscuro tehnike i sveg simbolizma koji ona može da implicira. Svetlost i tama se tu prikazuju ogoljeno, u iskonskom kontrastu i sukobu, a u  isto vreme i kao sile koje udruženo tvore egzistenciju. Nije biće samo u konstrastu sa tamom pozadine, već se tamno i svetlo koriste da bi se ostvarila punoća samog bića. Nešto mnogo složenije od konstrasta proizilazi iz pogleda na svet, koji se oličava u ovoj tehnici. U isto vreme, biće kao da je sazdano od svetlosti, skoro kao da je sam izvor svetlosti, ali i kao da ta svetslost postoji da pokaže koliko je, u stvari, napravljeno i od tame. Svetlost je ta koja stvara senke.

Ovaj materijal mi je poklonila drugarica za rođendan pre godinu, dve. (To su sad najbolji pokloni koje mogu da dobijem!) Nikad sama sebi ne bih kupila ovaj materijal, ne bih ga primetila uopšte, ali me je inspirisao kad sam ga jednom imala pred sobom. Mislim da je ovo bila prva prava haljina koju sam napravila (da nije neka uska od rastegljivog materijala koja se samo navuče na telo). Sad bi, naravno, bila tehnički mnogo savršenija, ali tad je to ipak bila velika stvar za mene, s obzirom da sam kroj sama crtala i da sam još uvek imala staru šivaću mašinu. Haljina je imala svoju postavu slične boje kao ovi braon detalji, ali se ona skupila (zlatno pravilo kog sam ja počela da se pridržavam tek posle više nezgoda: uvek operite materijal pre nego što počnete da šijete!). Postava koju moja sestra nosi nije adekvatna jer se haljina lepi za nju, ali je izvrsno poslužila na fotografijama da njena figura celokupno bude svetlija i da bar donekle postignem taj efekat sukoba svetlosti i tame u njihovom večitom preplitanju.

an invitation to dream

EN: First, I’m sorry for the poor image quality (not enough light and the camera was not adequate for these conditions), but this room of a friend from Athens, where my sister and I stayed during our trip, was so inspiring that we had to make any kind of images. I sewed everything I’m wearing. This blouse is an expression of my romantic side, which is almost as strong as my urban side. I’m not going to write much because this post is about dreams, and dreams are something inside us of which we should not talk much. Dreams need to be dreamt, kept in silence, cherished and grown until they are ready to spread out of us – to begin to be realized, piece by piece … We should enjoy our dreams and receive them generously and should never choke them, as they’ll turn into a phantoms in our soul … Dreams are changing through life, some disappear and others appear, some were realized, some will never be, but they are always there and they always define us. Human is a human because he dreams, but is also a human because he sees a difference between his dreams and the reality. But dreams are what they are because they are always bigger than our reality. Don’t be too harsh with measuring that distance, and always think of realized dreams because they are our hope. Then return to your current dreams, close your eyes, feel your dream, enjoy everything about it, and after that – get out of your bed and do all you can to make it happen.

SR: Žao mi je zbog lošeg kvaliteta fotografija (nije bilo dovoljno svetla i fotoaparat nije adekvatan za te uslove), ali ova soba prijatelja iz Atine, kod koga smo na zimu odsele sestra i ja, bila je tako inspirativna da smo morale da napravimo bilo kakve slike. Sašila sam sve što nosim. Ova bluza je izraz moje romantične strane, koja je jaka skoro koliko i ona moderna, urbana. Neću mnogo da pišem jer je ovde reč o snovima, a snovi su ono nešto u nama o čemu ne treba mnogo govoriti. Snove treba sanjati, ćutati u sebi, gajiti ih, pustiti ih da rastu, dok budu spremni da se preliju van nas, tj. da počnu da se ostvaruju, deo po deo… U snovima treba uživati, treba ih primiti širokogrudo i nikako ih ne treba gušiti, jer će se pretvoriti u aveti u našoj duši… Snovi se menjaju kroz život, neki nestaju, javljaju se drugi, neki se ostvaruju, neki nikad, ali uvek su tu i uvek nas određuju. Čovek je čovek zato što sanja, a takođe je i čovek što vidi razliku izmedju snova i stvarnosti. Ali i snovi su snovi jer su uvek mnogo veći od naše stvarnosti. Ne treba biti prestrog u premeravanje te distance, već treba pomisliti na ostvarene snove jer su oni nada, a zatim se vratiti sadašnjim snovima. Zažmuriti, osetiti u sebi taj san, uživati u svemu što on jeste, a zatim – ustati s kreveta i učiniti sve što možemo da se on i ostvari.

foil lady

EN: Like a child, my eyes are instantly captivated by all shiny and radiant surfaces. The fabric of this skirt has immediately attracted my attention and sparkled memories from my childhood. It has reminded me of a chocolate wrap paper –  the gold foil – and figures I used to make of it. Whenever I got a chocolate I was happy for it as much as for another piece of gold or silver foil for some figure of a lady with full skirt, a swan or a boat. I have learned how to make them from one of my most favorite books of my childhood – The Foil Figures (bellow), which had always led me to the mysterious, fairy-tail world of the creation, and now it brings me back to my magical childhood. Not just the color and shine but the crispy structure of this fabric resembles the gold foil. I wanted design of this skirt to look like as it is really made for one of my foil ladies, so i went for a rough gathering at the waist to achieve the wide folds that will shine differently depending of the angle of the light, creating the glamorous light effects. Invisible zipper and an elastic in the back are there for more comfort while wearing the skirt. I made this black lace top to pair it with skirt because I liked how skin that is revealing under the lace is becoming the same gold color of the skirt. Isn’t that an example of childhood dream coming true – making a skirt for foil ladies has turned into making real skirts?

SR: Kao dete me opčinjavaju sve svetleće i presijavajuće površine. Materijal ove suknje mi je odmah privukao pažnju jer su u trenutku zasijale uspomene iz detinjstva. Podsetio me je na foliju u koju se uvija čokolada, od koje sam kao mala pravila različite figure. Svakoj čokoladi sam se radovala podjednako zbog nje koliko i zbog njenog zlatnog ili srebrnog omota od koga bih napravila još jednu damu sa velikom, širokom suknjom, labuda ili čamac. To sam naučila iz jedne od mojih omiljenih knjiga iz detinjstva – Figure od staniola, koja bi me uvek uznosila u misteriozni, bajkoviti svet stvaranja, a danas me vraća u magični svet detinjstva. Ne samo zbog svog sjaja i boje, već i po svojoj strukturi ovaj materijal liči na tu foliju. Zato sam želela da dizajn suknje što više liči na one koje sam pravila za moje staniol dame. Odlučila da suknja bude grubo skupljena na struku da bih dobila ove široke prevoje, koji se različito presijavaju zavisno od ugla pod kojim svetlo pada na njih, stvarajući čarobne efekte. Skriveni rajsferšlus i lastiš na ledjima su tu da suknja bude što udobnija. Sašila sam ovaj crni čipkani top uz suknju, jer mi se dopalo kako koža koja se nazire ispod čipke poprima zlatnu boju suknje. Zar nije to ostvarenje nesvesnog detinjeg sna? Pravljenje suknji za dame od folije se pretvorilo u pravljenje pravih suknji!

New in the shop: Penelope skirt

EN: Check out this romantic, versatile skirt for special occasions in my shop.

SR: Pogledajte ovu romantičnu, lako uklopivu suknju za svečane prilike u mojoj prodavnici.

windy fairytale

EN: It was on my second year of studying. One young professor wanted to motivate us for his subject by encouraging us to realize some aspects of art. He didn’t ask us banal questions about literature and creation, he just draw this (bellow). He said it was one tower on Kalemegdan and asked if we knew what for the toothed bottom edge was. It was one of those delightful moments when something that we feel inside ourselves suddenly is driven on the surface of our knowledge, the moments when we learn about ourselves. I have never seen this tower on Kalemgdan, actually I haven’t been looking for it as it stays in my mind as a symbol of something I see everywhere around me and something I feel. The teeth on the bottom edge of the wall really aren’t necessary, but man has made them because he can. They are a pure act of human creativity and urge for beauty and aesthetics even when the utility is primary. The pleats on this skirt and folds on the belt are the same as bottom teeth on the tower. They have no other function but to represent human ability of creation and enjoyment in the beauty. SR: Bilo je to na drugoj godini fakulteta. Jedan mladi profesor je hteo da nas motiviše i uvede u svoj predmet tako što bi nas podstakao da razumemo neke aspekte umetnosti. Nije nam postavljao površna i banalna pitanja o književnosti i umetničkom stvaranju, već je samo nacrtao na tabli ovaj crtež (gore). Rekao je da je ovo jedna kula na Kalemegdanu i pitao nas je za šta služe donji zupci na bedemu. To je bio jedan od onih divnih trenutaka kada nešto što postoji u nama, ali čega nismo bili svesni, odjednom biva povučeno na površinu našeg saznanja. I osećamo se kao da smo nešto veliko saznali zato što smo otkrili i objasnili sebi deo sebe. Nisam videla tu kulu na Kalemegdanu, ali nisam je ni tražila, jer je njen crtež u mojoj svesti ostao urezan kao simbol onoga što vidim oko sebe i što osećam u sebi. Donji zupci zaista nisu potrebni na tom mestu, ali čovek ih je napravio zato što može. Oni su čist izraz njegove stvaralačke moći i iskonske potrebe za lepotom, koja je prisutna čak i kada je korisnost najbitnija. Falte na suknji i nabori na pojasu  isto su što i ti zupci na kuli. Nemaju nikakvu drugu funkciju osim da izražavaju čovekovu sposobnost da nešto stvori i da uživa u lepoti.