Janice Kissinger

I seek to drape the body with the same beauty and grace of the traditional Indian silks I love. My process is environmentally conscious in that I work almost exclusively with recycled saris. Each five meters of silk has had one life already in India. I acquire them torn, stained and well-loved. To me, they carry a story and as I work with each piece I imagine the woman who wore it and the woman who will wear it in its new form; where it will take her and how she will feel. I calm the bold prints with silks I hand-dye in my studio. I use fine merino wool and traditional wet felting methods (hand-rolling using just soap and water) to build both the fabric and the finished garment simultaneously. I love to sculpt garments - I build rather than sew - and I strive to create finely finished pieces.