Part of the Lost and found St. Petersburg collection, 2012.
This collection was the result of a two month exchange in the city, and takes its inspiration from the history and people she found there. Vollrath’s works are notable for her confident use of recycled materials. Jackets made of scuffed ballet shoes and dress constructed out of found coffee sacks, attest to her rejection of the senseless use of resources that typifies the fashion industry. In a rare move for a young designer, Vollrath actively questions her participation in the process of manufacture and consumerism.
Lost and found St. Petersburg collection is overtly dramatic, and Vollrath is undeniably a costume designer with a strong sense of narrative and aesthetic communication. Through these pieces, the world-famous but often poverty stricken ballerinas of Russia’s past become the symbol of a city wrapped in contrasts. Vollrath’s own experience as a newcomer to such a city, faced with an unknown language and culture, is also expressed through the immense volumes and overflowing layers of her work. There is almost too much to see and we, as the viewers, are unavoidably drawn in to the story and the imagery.
(Berlin Fashion Week July 2012: Alicia Mitchell, Fier Management)
© I’VR Isabel Vollrath, photo by Magnus Ragnvid.
