Wearable Art and Fine Crafts

Fiber artist, Diane Prekup, creates colorful, one-of-a- kind, exquisitely handmade wearable art. Assembled and sewn, the fiber created is a web-like texture. Her one-of-a-kind creations are assembled with yarns, thread, bamboo, ribbons, silk, nylon, and velvet. She does not use needles, hooks, or a loom in creating her “gypsy lace.” Assembled and sewn, the fiber created is a web-like texture of yarns, suspiciously random in effect but purposeful in design.

An art director for 15 years, Diane made the transition from working with hot glass to working with fabric and fiber. In 2007, she was an American Craft Council NICHE Magazine Finalist in Fiber: Surface Design for her Velvet Shawl. She also won the People’s Choice Award at the 2007 Uncommon Threads Fashion Show in Chicago. She is a member of Florida Craftsman, Handweavers Guild of America, and American Craft Council and teaches classes in textile arts such as scarf painting.

Artists have different modes of expressing their works. Some stamp their artistic signature on wearable art in the form of clothes and accessories that appeal to the sight of anyone who appreciates creative artworks.

Silk is a hallmark of luxurious lifestyles and has been so since its earliest days of development. The material was first utilized in China, perhaps as long as 8,000 years ago. Silk garments couldn’t be acquired by just anyone – they were reserved for Chinese kings, the royal family, and honored guests. When the silk trade began to gather steam, demand for the luxury fabric rose to lofty new heights.

In ancient times, silk was traded to such far-flung regions as Egypt, India, Europe and North Africa. The Chinese succeeded for many years at keeping their silkworms a secret – that allowed them to control the silk market without any competition. Eventually, spies discovered the key to production, and silk manufacturing spread throughout the globe. To this day, handpainted silk scarves and other fashion-savvy garments remain in high demand.

Artist’s Statement – Peggy Russell believes in creating fashion trends, not following them. She has been creating beautiful and unusual wearable art clothing and accessories since 1986. Bold patterns and colorful images.

Creative Process – People always wonder how we create our art. We produce each and every piece by hand, thoughtfully and carefully, one at a time. We work with hand mixed dyes on 100% silk fabric on cotton denim dropcloth, laid out on long worktables. Drawing our images on to the silk, then hand painting, carefully choosing and blending our dyes. The silk pieces are heat set, washed and ironed and are ready to go as scarves or stitched into clothing and neckties. The dropcloth, which has taken on the patterns and colors of the silks, is re-embellished and crafted into our bags and housewares.

“Art for the body and Soul” – everything is eco-friendly, no materials wasted.

Discover how to reinvent your basic wardrobe using it as a canvas for wearable art. Creatively dress with one-of-a-kind and limited edition clothes, all handcrafted by American artists.

Great style doesn’t just strut down a runway … The way to find your style is to develop a look of your own. Accessories — like this Peggy Russell silk scarf — and attitude  are the key.

Select items that are unique and timeless!