The Widows from Waste: The Young Widow

It is hard to say, which of the Widows first found its final form in design. But it might have been The Young Widow, the Widow who was also completed first in fabric form.

The Young Widow’s story and characteristics are based on the fate of the most fast fashion clothes. The clothes that have just been bought and immediately discarded. There is no fault in these clothes: they are young, unbroken and beautiful. But their first love has cast them away nevertheless.

The Young Widow is sweet and graceful, she doesn’t even fully comprehend why she has become a Widow or what it means. The love between the Young Widow and her lover was so short-lived, it has left her confused. She is a lovely creature, full of life and innocent flirtatious, even in her mourning.

The visage of the Young Widow is only half hidden with the veil, after all, she doesn’t see a reason to hide. She is adorned with details from the top of her hat to the end of her train. The lace flowers run on every seam like the vines, and the layered lace of her long train is heavy and impractical in its beauty. A lively cascade of lace bursts from the front slit of her velveteen dress, bringing life and playfulness to the dark fabrics. The fallen shoulders of the dress, as well as the open, free cleavage, are not quite what one would expect from a mourner. It could be a wedding dress or a dress for a soiree, if not for its color.

The Young Widow was fun to make, even if it was a lot of work. The velveteen parts were easy to execute, though to keep the top standing, some boning was needed around the bust for added support. Making of the lace train took a surprisingly long time: cutting the lace clothes to the same height, then sewing them into a long, long, long ribbon, and then ruffling it all up by hand. The Young Widow is easily the heaviest of the Widows due to this lace train. It became so heavy, that the lace layer is actually its own separate skirt that is attached only by a few stitches to the velveteen top to keep it from moving while worn.

The lace train might have been laborious to make, but the longest time went to the lace flowers. They are all cut by hand from the old lace clothes, to get the hoped shapes, and then one by one sewn on the Young Widow. The sewing of the lace details was done by hand to keep the attaching stitches invisible.

While the lace train and the lace flowers created almost no textile waste, the velveteen parts were harder to cut. The leftovers from the Young Widow and all the other Widows were utilized in the head garments of the collection. In the hats, even the smallest patches of fabric could become part of something bigger.

After the Young Widow, the next post will tell you more about the Widow with the nickname Madame. Until then!

Sincerely,

Iina