About Frida Kahlo, Embroidery & Fashion

Madeira & AMD München present: Frida Kahlo - Fashion & Pain

One look into the shop windows of the fashion capitals shows that embroidery is present and fashionable. Long ago, the image changed from a relic of Grandmother's time to a cool design element. The cooperative project "Frida Kahlo – Fashion & Pain" between the thread factory, The Academy of Fashion and Design Munich and ZSK Embroidery Machines shows what arises when traditional trade meets curiosity and the urge to create. To encourage participation, the project was formulated as a competition by the representatives from Madeira and the teachers of the project group. With their own photo shoots, the winners and some of the participants are now showing their individual pieces for the first time.

Framework of an embroidery design

What started as a lecture series between the family-owned company from Freiburg and the Munich fashion and design academy turned into a creative embroidery design project over the last summer semester. Under the semester’s theme "fashion and pain", the newly designed garments were inspired by the life of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Another prominent personality, chosen by the students, should create a contrast to the painter.

Watch a video about the project

image if Frida Kahlo embroidered with Madeira threads

At the top: the winners of the embroidery contest

FRIDA X STEVE - Lukas Burkia's "iPhone dress"

"My embroidery design unites Frida Kahlo and Steve Jobs. Both are connected through their serious medical histories and there are iconic images from both in existence, which I absolutely wanted to integrate into my drafts. This resulted in the idea of fusing the facial characteristics with Kahlo's hair ornaments and the 'thinkers pose' from the Apple founder.”

[Translate to Thailändisch:] Lukas Burkia´s Iphone Dress Frida Kahlo embroidery project

"I used different materials to differentiate the personalities of both muses. Additionally, I tried to combine the elegance and functionality of the iPhone with Frida Kahlo's extravagance, which is shown in the embroidery's colour diversity."

[Translate to Thailändisch:] Concept scribble of embroidery project

"I would really like to continue working with embroidery as a finishing for garments in the future. I see the cooperation with MADEIRA as a great chance and I'm very lucky that my student group and I had the chance to have this experience."

[Translate to Thailändisch:] avantgarde embroidered IPhone dress Frida Kahlo project

United in embroidery - Helena El Malek counts on artists with strong feelings

"To discover common features, I needed to do a lot of research. Both artists reflect their feelings in art. Frida Kahlo handled her feelings in paintings; Lady Gaga expresses herself through fashion and stage performances. Both used art to deal with mental pain."

[Translate to Thailändisch:] Helena El Malek - Frida Kahlo & Lady Gaga Design

"I chose Lady Gaga, because for me she embodies a modern Frida Kahlo and I really admire her style."

[Translate to Thailändisch:] Manquin wearing a dress with Frida Kahlo style embroidery

"The shape of the dress was inspired by the mostly straight-cut traditional Mexican tops. White imitation leather looks modern and reminds one of canvas. I modified Frida's paintings for the embroidery design and customised them for Gaga's provocative performances with blood and raw meat."

[Translate to Thailändisch:] Frida Kahlo & Lady Gaga Design embroidered dress

Like Yin & Yang - Theresa Höbart unites art and science

"The basis for my design is built on gravity and unites the muses Frida Kahlo and Stephen Hawking, who interact like Yin and Yang or plus and minus."

[Translate to Thailändisch:] Theresa Höbart - Frida kahlo and Stephen Hawking Design

"The focus is on believing in yourself and the 'inner voice' that guides us through life. Since the emergence of mankind, this has answered the questions about 'good and bad'."

[Translate to Thailändisch:] Frida Kahlo and Stephen Hawking embroidery design

"In the first semester, I had already developed a design concept that is based on a wide range of topics about the cosmos and the natural laws that relate to it, as well as human evolution and psychology as a source of inspiration. I wanted to mirror all of this in my design."

[Translate to Thailändisch:] Embroidered Badge "Heart" on-off with metallic thread

TRADITIONAL TEXTILE FINISHING TECHNIQUE MEETS YOUNG IDEAS

The three competitors with the most outstanding designs - Lukas Burkia (1st place) Helena El Malek (2nd place) and Theresa Höbard (3rd place) had the unique opportunity to present their exhibitions at major textile and fashion fairs. Lukas Burkia and his "iPhone dress" were up for a journey to PREMIÈRE VISION in Paris, Helena El Malek visited MUNICH FABRIC START with her Lady Gaga-inspired faux leather dress and Theresa Höbart presented her cosmic design at the inhouse exibithion from ZSK Embroidery Machines in Krefeld, Germany.

From left to right: Helena El Malek, Lukas Burkia und Theresa Höbart

ภาพที่ชนะคือผู้ชนะการแข่งขันทั้ง 3 คน พวกเขาถือใบรับรองด้วยความพึงพอใจ

Madeira embroidery award & shortlist

Exposed talents

Pia Leberfinger creates contrast with daring colours and material mix in her "maskirovka" design.

Extraterrestrial

Noémi Lorenz-Wagner's plush E.T. wears Frida Kahlo's hair ornaments and monobrow.

Mountain calling

Sarah Rademacher recruits Reinhold Messner for her team and conquers the hurdles of industrial embroidery with her embroidered down jacket.

Evaluation criteria

To evaluate the overall concept, the jury considered the following aspects:

Material mix (different threads, fabrics, print, applications, etc.)

Reference to the task "Frida Kahlo"

The interaction with embroidery as an embellishment technique

Originality and creativity of the design.

Some students also used their embroidery design as a decorative accessory for matching bags; others combined machine embroidery with prints or implemented elements from hand embroidery. The entire planning process happened with a view to industrial and financial practicability.

For reasons of time and budget, the samples were implemented by a specialist company, so the students had to communicate their ideas for their desired realisation of the design.

certificate of Frida Kahlo AMD Madeira embroidery contest

The participants

Shortlist & Award - all participants without footage: Johanna Goess-Saurau, Mohamed Noor

All participants in alphabetical order

with footage: Lukas Burkia, Theresa Höbarth, Celine Kronbeck, Pia Leberfinger, Sophia Lindner, Helena El Malek, Alisa Neu, Noemi Lorenz, Sarah Rademacher, Claudia Scharf

without footage: Amira, Johanna Goess-Saurau, Marietta Leist, Mohamed Noor, Laura Sagebiel, Constanze Schiessl, Mareike Seegers

Teachers of the project group: Monika Hutter, Ulrike Nägele, Shirin Seyed

About AMD Academy Fashion & Design:

Designers, fashion managers, fashion journalists, marketing experts and design managers are trained at the renowned Academy of Fashion & Design. 1,700 students are taught at its locations in Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Munich, Berlin and, from 2019, also in Wiesbaden. In the Fashion Design (B.A.) study programme, they learn the creative, manual and technical expertise to design progressive collections.

Do you want to see more? With pleasure! Visit us on Facebook and Instagram. There you will find extensive photographic material and interesting additional information about the students and their exciting projects.

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