In the last few posts we looked at (fashion and) architecture and, since the Venice Architecture Biennale is slowly yet relentlessly approaching, let's continue the thread by rediscovering a Finnish designer who injected a bit of architecture in her designs, Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi.
Born in Helsinki in 1930 where she studied ceramics at the Institute of Industrial Arts, Eskolin-Nurmesniemi first started working as a ceramics designers and gradually moved onto textiles, producing printed and woven fabrics and also working for Marimekko (she started printing one colour partially on top of another creating a third shade – a feature that became Marimekko's trademark in the '50s).
While training to become a ceramic artist, Eskolin-Nurmesniemi discovered her interest in clothing design and started cutting clothes in the evenings to acquire more practice. She soon learnt to design one/two or three seam garments finding new functional and structural solutions, often employing small but vitally important details such as zips and adhesive bands.
Eskolin-Nurmesniemi's designs are based on Constructivist principles: the designer always aimed at simplicity to create dramatically striking yet uncomplicated (and timeless) structures like her 1986 "Veistos" dress in viscose velvet (the architectural and perfect simplicity of her pieces betrays her admiration for Balenciaga).
A pioneer in the textile and clothing design fields, she once stated: "In many ways I don't mind when others call me a purist. I think things must be functional, easy to wear and of high quality. I've always said there are two sides of me: the very clean Vuokko and the fantasy Vuokko. I must say that I prefer the clean me. If you are too complicated no one understands you." Guess that's something that many contemporary fashion designers still haven't learnt to master...
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