Upcycling and tie-dyeing: archive silk and Swarovski upcycled crystals

Explore the story of designer Tanya Taylor from Canada and find out how she came to create her look for The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange, 2018.

Tanya Taylor's look at Buckingham Palace Tanya Taylor's look at Buckingham PalaceCommonwealth Fashion Council

The Exchange: Canada

For The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange 2018, designer Tanya Taylor created a tie-dye gown. The look was unveiled at Buckingham Palace on February 19, 2018, and later moved to the Australian High Commission, London, where it was open to the public in the run up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit, April 2018.

Designer Tanya Taylor by Tanya TaylorCommonwealth Fashion Council

Canada: Designer Tanya Taylor

Canadian Designer, Tanya Taylor, brings modern, feminine shapes to life through an artful use of color and original prints. Each print begins as a hand-painting done by the Tanya Taylor team in their New York design studio. Playing with texture and movement, the brand lends a new desirability to ready-to-wear. Bold in color yet soft in silhouette, the collections promote a lighthearted attitude for women who celebrate the art of dressing.

Tanya Taylor's look at Buckingham PalaceCommonwealth Fashion Council

Tanya Taylor's collections have been worn by a diverse range of inspirational women such as First Lady Michelle Obama, Tracee Ellis Ross, Beyonce, Kristen Wiig, Gigi Hadid and Olivia Munn. Tanya Taylor is an inclusive brand defined by a point of view, not a range of sizes. After collaborating with Aidy Bryant and Glamour Magazine on a red carpet look in 2017, Tanya recognized the need for a feminine and joyful voice in the plus size market and the brand is now proud to offer extended sizing each season.

Tanya Taylor's look at Buckingham Palace Tanya Taylor's look at Buckingham PalaceCommonwealth Fashion Council

The story behind the look

Tanya Taylor created a gown for the Fashion Exchange using a silk hand tie-dyed technique to create a print.

Tanya Taylor Sketch by Tanya TaylorCommonwealth Fashion Council

Illustration of the dress

Tanya Taylor's look at Buckingham PalaceCommonwealth Fashion Council

Embellishments

The look features a silk printed bodice encrusted with Swarovski upcycled crystals.

Close up of Tanya Taylor's fabric by Tanya TaylorCommonwealth Fashion Council

Fabric from the archives

For the look, Tanya created a multi-colored pailette embellished skirt, using fabric from her archives.

Tanya Taylor's look at Buckingham Palace Tanya Taylor's look at Buckingham PalaceCommonwealth Fashion Council

Final look on display at Buckingham Palace, 19 February 2018

Tanya Taylor's look at Australian High Commission, London by Tanya TaylorCommonwealth Fashion Council

Final look on display at the Australian High Commission, London, 22 February 2018

Behind the Scenes of The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange 2018Commonwealth Fashion Council

Credits: Story

This content has been specifically curated for the Google Arts & Culture platform on behalf of the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange exhibition that launched on the 19th of February at Buckingham Palace in partnership with Swarovski, The Woolmark Company and MATCHESFASHION.COM.

The project, created and managed by Eco-Age, with the support of The Commonwealth Fashion Council and The British Fashion Council.

More information about the images is available by clicking on them.
Read more about the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange at http://eco-age.com/commonwealth-fashion-exchange/

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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