Wool, silk, and soap
Jan 24, 2019
A model wearing a dress and scarf by Kissinger. Courtesy of: Janice Kissinger
A close-up of the detail on one of Kissinger’s garments. Courtesy of: Janice Kissinger
Some of Kissinger’s scarves. Courtesy of: Janice Kissinger
Janice Kissinger in her studio. Photo by: Chloe Shelford
By nature, everything Janice Kissinger makes is one of a kind.
Her clothing, crafted from silk, recycled saris, and merino wool, is made by hand without a sewing machine by felting. Kissinger layers wool fibers perpendicular to each other on top of silk before massaging the materials with soap and water so the wool’s barbs lock together with the weave of the silk.
Kissinger described her work as being like that of a potter, who uses water and heat to transform loose earth into a finished, dimensional object.
She makes a point of using all of the scraps of silk and wool in her work, making it possible to spot the elegant stripes from a jacket in the detailing of a dress.
“The really special stuff finds its way into other work,” Kissinger said.
Kissinger has recently been recognized for her work: She won the 2018 Ornament Magazine Excellence in Art to Wear award at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show, and the Society of Arts and Crafts Wearable Fiber award at CraftBoston.
She is currently preparing for a trunk show at Anthi’s Drawing Room in Marion.
“Her space is really inspirational,” Kissinger said of the Drawing Room, which is run by Anthi Frangiadis. “It’s more of an environment than a store.”
The trunk show will be the first public appearance of some of Kissinger’s recent experiments, including creating a material that could be used for upholstery and encapsulating beads into bubbles or pods of silk. She has also begun working with a freehand sewing machine that allows her to draw with thread.
Kissinger will also have the work from her studio with her, including scarves, shawls, vests, jackets, and pillows.
For more information about Janice Kissinger, go to her website, www.janicekissinger.com. Her studio will also be part of the Art Drive this summer.
The trunk show, titled “For the Love of Art,” will be open at Anthi’s Drawing Room, 11 Spring St., Marion, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9. The show will also feature jewelry by Jasmine Keane. For more about the Drawing Room, go to www.anthif.com/shop.
