I came upon these notes I wrote 13 years ago and also the photos that accompany them which popped up as a memory on Facebook. It turns out that I also met the artist, Jerelyn Hanrahan, who created the Pearl sculpture through Facebook quite a few years after taking these pictures.
Alaina Ferris modeling in front of Jereyln Hanrahan’s pearl sculpture
Archipelago
Black silk with large ecru polka- dots. Saw fabric in Dec and kept swatch; romancing it, lusting after it- afraid of it. Polka-dots- such a polarizing statement. very loaded iconography. Spanish roots? Society women wouldn’t be caught dead in a large polka-dot dress. Gilles from Paris (James Lord’s companion and adopted son) declaring them to be gauche- only hookers would wear them. An irredeemably clownish aspect- Flamenco flamboyance, so seductive and dangerous, yet verging on the silly and laughable. July 6- could not resist. Having sketched a design for Paris trunk show- bought 3 yards. Fantasized about buying 6 more perhaps. . .to have enough. Immediately deçu! Not right- too regular, vulgar- no one would be caught dead in it! Left the roll of fabric sitting in a corner for 2 days- glancing at it, only unfurling it once part way to ascertain the hand of it. doubts about skirt- needs to be on the bias, broken up a bit- given more life. July 8 - Unfurl it. Quickly decide to cut off one length - 44”, not realizng I am making a square. cut the 2nd 44” and have 12”left over. Good. Begin draping a skirt. Not on bias, but with a sarong-like fold in front. Move it to the bust on dress form. Loving it! loving the way the folds fall over the bust- tuck the excess over and sew into place before I don’t lose it. Impossible to replicate! Begin in back- try the same thing- pin - try on - lose pins - pin on straps - keep losing it. Decide to take in fullness in top back. Yes! It is working. . . try on many times - pinning, re-pinning, testing. It works! Fabric feels luscious- Billows, moves like a sail with a breeze.
