Melissa Arnold California Textile Designer

Speaker Melissa Arnold, fresh from the Textile Marketplace at the Textile Society of America’s 13th Biennial Symposium, (September 20-22, 2012)  in Washington, DC spoke yesterday at the Stockton Haute Couture Society meeting, and you'll WANT to meet her!

Let me introduce you to Melissa Arnold, a textile designer from Paradise, California.  Melissa is a native of California (Carmel) and has also lived abroad.  She is a self taught artist whom has been enjoying the art of making beautiful fabrics for nearly 30 years.  Her presentation was centered around her work as she shared “how” she creates her beautiful and quite unique fabrics. 

 

 

Since 2003 Melissa has been collaborating with California based Fashion Designer Catherine Bacon. She creates hand-dyed, surface designed, and shibori textiles for Catherine’s Spring and Fall Collections. In the Spring of 2005 Ornament magazine did a feature article on Catherine Bacon’s work which showcased some of Melissa’s fabrics 

American fashion designer Catherine Bacon is from Novato California.  http://catherinebacon.com/ You can see her Spring 2013 collection there.  Catherine sells to Kati Koos.  Her most popular "butterfly tops" are made from fabric by Melissa Arnold.

  
Melissa uses scouring techniques on organza,  and felted wools all to make harmonious fabrics that work well together. Nothing she does is mass produced, every fabric is an experiment with unique combinations
of techniques all tastefully refined. She loves designing textiles that are one of a kind using kimono fabrics, organza, chiffon, silks, even spinning and weaving fabrics. Her specialty is dying fabrics and hand piecing.

 

Melissa Arnold's lecture was fascinating giving the audience a chance to see up close her wonderful creations.  We were also able to see the clothing and textiles that are featured on her website......www.melissaarnoldtextiles.com

 

 

 

Some take away tips she shared with our group:

 

·         Start with something small end you will enjoy experimenting

·         Always dye your fabric first, then piece it

·         Add ruffles, it will make you feel pretty

·         If you don’t like the colors you have, drop the piece in a dye bath of bronze

·         If all else fails try an ink black dye bath

·         Cashmere dyes beautifully

·         She purchases dyes from Darma Trading Company - www.dharmatrading.com

·         Always focus on natural fibers

·         Add several different fabrics into one dye bath, it will make a harmonious collection

 

I loved her comment when asked what she liked about her work: “I’m really having fun with these pieces; one must engaged in their own passion, I’ve been given a gift, now I must get out there and share it.”

 

For the lecture Melissa looked marvelous in the black and white long shirt she made for herself.  An Issey Miake shirt made from some of her shibori organza, she then created the felted wrap with the ruffle to match the shirt.  I loved the look and versatility of the ensemble.  She enjoys working in black/white combinations.