Dress — Elysia

Crepe; revived antique Gobelin tapestry; cotton quilt backing
Hand-painted with antique tapestry appliqué and hand-applied stone embellishment

This garment was made once.

Fragments of antique tapestry, recovered and restored, are built into it rather than applied to its surface. Their age remains visible. Where the weave had weakened it has been backed and reinforced; elsewhere it has been left as it was found.

The surface is then painted by hand and finished with stonework set one stone at a time. Textile pigment does not lift once it has dried, so every mark was the first and only attempt.

No second version exists.

Every Rondooz piece is painted by hand, and the artwork sits on the fabric rather than in it. A little care keeps both the garment and the painting intact.

Specialist dry cleaning is the safest option. If you wash at home, use cold water and your hands only, never a machine. Do not rub, wring, or press the painted areas.

Iron on low heat from the reverse side. Keep direct heat and steam away from the artwork and the stonework.

Between wearings, hang the piece away from sunlight and damp, and keep it clear of anything that might catch or abrade the surface, such as bag straps, chains, and jewellery.