"Knowing that my bipolar disorder is not always ‘pretty’, having a dress inspired by it, is a piece of beauty I will cherish forever. Thank you Sarah." Dorota
I created a meaningful and unique piece for Dorota where I weaved her mental health condition Bipolar Disorder into the design details of her dress.
It started with a conversation... I listened to Dorota sharing parts of her story with me and learnt what it's like to live alongside mental health condition Bipolar. Dorota is also an artist and shared with me some of her poetry depicting her mental health experiences.
"It was an amazing and artistically enriching experience. The initial conversations about my bipolar disorder required a way of talking about it which could translate into fashion designing. As an artist, I loved talking to Sarah about how it feels, its colours, texture, etc. I also provided Sarah with a couple of own poems which depict my condition. It was like painting a picture in Sarah’s mind."
Dorota says her depression is dominant within her Bipolar. We decided the dress would be predominantly black to represent the depression with hints of orange to convey the flittering moments of her mania.
"She listened carefully, which quickly evolved into sketches reflecting our talks. From the very first moment I felt included and in the centre of the process with frequent updates of progress.
Choice of textiles was carefully negotiated with me to ensure it does not trigger any of my sensory issues. Sarah took into consideration all my needs. And made me feel listened and valued."
Dorota describes her manic episodes as fiery and fierce, yet fragile too. The colour orange represents the fire and then each petal is hand sewn and set on fire around the edges, representing the fragility.
"The whole process was very quick. The fittings were planned around my availability and it was very straightforward."
The end product is mind blowing. But the way it feels on me, is even more amazing. The dress fits perfectly but also feels so light, like a second skin."
I love how it floats when I move and how special it feels knowing that I’m wearing a piece of my story. A beautiful piece. Knowing that my bipolar disorder is not always ‘pretty’, having a dress inspired by it, is a piece of beauty I will cherish forever.
Thank you Sarah."
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