elona Popova
Fashion Textiles BA Hons
Middlesex University
Graduates: 2023
Specialisms: Textiles - Weave / Womenswear / Sustainable Fashion/Textiles
My location: London, United Kingdom
elona Popova
First Name: elona
Last Name: Popova
University / College: Middlesex University
Course / Program: Fashion Textiles BA Hons
Graduates: 2023
Specialisms: Textiles - Weave / Womenswear / Sustainable Fashion/Textiles
My Location: London, United Kingdom
About
Elona Popova is a womenswear designer specialising in woven textiles & mixed media such as embellishment, darning & patchwork. Researching into declining traditional handicrafts in her home country of Kosovo, ‘Trapped Threads’ began from the idea of preserving her mother’s handmade doilies - a practice that is in decline. Elona preserves every element of her process; discarded threads, scraps of fabrics, doilies, unwanted garments & socks by up-cycling them into wearable garments. She explores the interactions we have with the textiles that clothe us - the inevitable wearing away of our clothes and their environmental imprints; the holes in our socks and the way we fiddle with our sleeves as a soothing action. Elona’s work is sustainable, mix media & places the wearer at the centre: garments are adjustable to accommodate to the wearer’s needs, present and future, empowering them to extend the life cycle of their clothes.
'Trapped Threads' is a project that investigates the transient, moving nature of travel and the collection of personal belongings, which encapsulates a sense of the passage of time. Each garment in this collection has a story to tell, and I let the past stay through visible stitches and mends. Researching into the declining traditional handicrafts in my home country of Kosovo, this project began with the idea of preserving my mother’s handmade doilies—a practice that is in decline. Exploring the interactions we have with the textiles that clothe us and their gradual erosion, engaging in games of collecting and playing with beads emphasizes the act of making as a form of play, highlighting textiles as a source of comfort that extends beyond aesthetics. I preserve every element of my process: discarded scraps of fabrics, surplus threads, old doilies, broken jewellery, and socks are given a new lease on life by embellishing, mending, and patch-working them together. This collection is sustainable, mixed media, and places the wearer at the centre: garments are adjustable to accommodate the wearer’s needs, present and future, empowering them to extend the lifecycle of their clothes. Photographer- Erin Hitchcock Models - Mirabelle Haddon, Jiwon Oh, Chelsea Daussaut
Competitions
