Alexandru Nimurad. Photograph by Vlad Birdu.
UNTAMED SKIN – THE ROMANIAN BLOUSE
‘Untamed Skin - The Romanian Blouse’ shows the origins of the exquisite Romanian blouse - an untamed, yet delicate garment, traditionally worn close to the skin of its wearer and handcrafted from natural textiles and pigments and embroidered with primordial symbols and patterns.
Fashion designers Alexandru Nimurad and Alexandra Abraham and jewellery-designer Vika Tonu developed their collective clothing, accessory and jewellery collection around the blouse as an organic structure, honouring its distinctive local background and visual history.
The seductive Romanian blouse became fashionable in the interwar period when Queen
Marie of Romania began wearing it as a symbol of belonging. The blouse was made famous by Matisse and fashion luminaries Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Paul Gaultier, Emillio Pucci and, more recently, Tom Ford.
‘Untamed Skin’ is a collaboration between GALATECA Gallery of Contemporary Art and Design, Bucharest and the Romanian Cultural Institute in London.
Satellite venue:
Romanian Cultural Institute in London,
1 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PH
20 February-20 March
Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00
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Designers include: Alexandru Nimurad, Alexandra Abraham, Vika Tonu
Curated by Roxana Gibescu, GALATECA Gallery
Organised by Romanian Cultural Institute in London and GALATECA Gallery