Dominika Grzybek
Fashion Design MA
Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
Specialisms: Formal/Couture / Embroidery / Textile Innovation/Textile Art
Location: Antwerp, Belgium
Dominika Grzybek
First Name: Dominika
Last Name: Grzybek
Specialisms: Formal/Couture / Embroidery / Textile Innovation/Textile Art
Sectors: Fashion/Textiles/Accessories / Fashion/Textiles/Accessories / Fashion/Textiles/Accessories
My Location: Antwerp, Belgium
University / College: Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
Course / Program Title: Fashion Design MA
About
Growing up at the end of Poland, right next to the Belarus border, felt like I was at the end of the universe. A place which is a melting pot where different religions, cultures, life experiences are clashing is my inspiration and my background. The contrasts in this place make me feel safe wherever strongly different approaches are colliding - there I feel most at home, I feel safe to explore more. These types of fragile places gave me the strength to follow the unknown.
The starting point for creating this collection was one of the oldest and most beautiful holiday celebrations - women creating and decorating bouquets of wheat and flowers, carrying them to religious services. It is one of the most ancient celebrations of the 'Mother of God' - originally a pagan holiday in which Mother Earth receives gratitude for the wellness it delivers. In this collection I wanted to go deeper and analyse how old traditions are being swallowed and adapted by current ones. The flowers which originally symbolize life, carried by women, are slowly evolving into decay. In the collection I wanted to use different techniques that are heavily connected to Feminine Handcraft, which I see as a non-verbal language women use to communicate with each other over generations. I believe that regardless of the technique, what unites them is the arduous process of a thread tearing through different weaves and braiding together the story of our passing. It was important for me to look for simple forms and create a world of ancient female vocabulary, evolving from one to the other.