When the precious fabrics of Central Asia meet Europe
By Roberta De Martino
This season some of our best-sellers at By Adushka online boutique are the Ikat style dresses, blouses, skirts and coats. This beloved by our customers style comes from Central Asia, mostly Uzbekistan. Today we want to tell you a little more about the Ikat Adras technique.
For more than 1,000 years traditional craftsmen have been making Ikat Adras (also named as Adras or Atlas) in Central Asia, mostly in Uzbekistan.
The story of sustainable luxury brand Belle Ikat is about expertly crafted items made with so much love by women that it can even been felt by women wearing them. It is the story of the independent designer Isabella Stadler, who wants to leave a sustainable mark on the fashion industry.
Born in Armenia, Isabella Stadler grew up in Israel, where she worked as a model. After studying tourism in Germany, she traveled the world and brought home numerous finds from markets and bazaars. Accidentally she attended the International Tourism Fair in Tashkent Ikat where she discovered traditional ikat fabrics.
Today, this ancient but at the same time modern technique is gradually becoming more known in Europe, and products made like this are increasingly popular.
Since By Adushka supports and promotes handmade and slow fashion and local traditions and crafts which we believe should not disappear in time we chose to introduce and promote the ikat clothes to our audience.
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The woman without borders: Olga Mul
German-Ukrainian stylist, collector and artisan, Mul Olga defines herself as "a woman without borders: born in Ukraine, lived in Germany, married in Milan, where I live with my twins". She crafts tailored suits with scraps of fabrics that come from various countries and from various eras - and she finds in upcycling one of the solutions to the problems of modern fashion industry. Olga's style, in her words, is an “ethical-ethnic” one, precisely because she finds the “universal” roots of a bohemian-chic in the culture of artisanal and cosmopolitan fashion. Not only clothes, but also jewelry and accessories follow a philosophy of "elegant reuse, which makes us feel good in our choices, in our search for beauty and in our land".
Olga's style inspires women to express themselve and to bring a conscious and sustainable approach to fashion into reality.
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The flattering, extravagant and sustainable style of Belle Ikat
The collections by Belle Ikat are limited editions: all the garments are unique, as the sustainable fashion brand creates them in small manufacturers, simultaneously paying attention to healthy working conditions.
They’re handmade in Germany from 100% organic, chemical-free, and high-quality materials. The fabrics come from nature and tell ancient stories in a modern language. Each piece brings memories and knowledge of a long tradition. The master craftsmen have maintained and perfected the complex weaving and dyeing technology for generations. When the cuts are made, the models are joined together precisely and then transformed into a unique and exclusive piece.
The result is a mix of west and east, for a fashion conscious woman who like Flattering, extravagant and sustainable style.
By Adushka believes that it’s essential for humanity to support and spread traditional arts and crafts as part of the world’s history. We need to preserve the wisdom of our ancestors, because they are like the roots of a tree which we need to care for in order to grow strong and free to create a new future.
At the same time through preserving these traditions and crafts we are happy to help those who carry the knowledge and skills of our ancestors, giving them a fair salary and better work and living conditions.
Support sustainable,creative and conscious fashion!