Last year in Nepal I met a very special lady. She was one of the pertinence of the ‘glorious Gavin Gough team.’
As in Gavin’s nature keeping us occupied 24/7 we did not have much time to talk, but I still remember those shine eyes attracted my attention as they were quietly talking to me.
I felt as if the story to be continued in the near future. As I strongly believe or relate to some of the Einstein’s thoughts, to be more prices (“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attraction’s.”) so It happened.
In the beginning of 2018 I got an email from the lady, inviting me to Venice masquerade carnival. Since I really wanted to meet her, that was a great opportunity for me. Not to mention Venice is practically an hour and a half away from my home country, Slovenia.
We were wondering around the beautiful vivid streets of Venice, chat as we would known each other for years and a week past in an instant.
I wouldn’t say I was surprised by all the stories she’s caring (that I have expected), but I was quite astonished by a similar interests we shared.
Every time I have mentioned a project I am working on, she has all ready achieved it. I got a tons of a serious advices, practically down to an exact details.
One evening she mentioned, tomorrow she doesn’t want to see me. Practically… get lost! Which at first sounded quite strange but in the other hand was quite convenient for me, because that day I got my best pictures from the masquerade.
The next day she took me to the place she kept her self busy and told me a story she was working on. The story that was also relevant for some of my projects.
When traveling around the globe with Alex, we also have a special interest for a local fabrics, materials and craft.
We wanted to design travel clothing, but not just any kind. Ones that you can travel light, breaths with your body and supports locals sellers.
The yarn shop she took me is called Lellabella and they sell the most beautiful local high quality yarn I have ever seen. The owner of the knitting shop only has one little store in Venice and attracts people from all over the world. There’s a vast selection of cashmere, Italian silk and linen stoles and scarves in exclusive styles and colours. It makes you speechless.
My lady was aiming to see the place and meet the owner for years and finally she did. Her eyes were shining like she would won a lottery ticket. When they got in to a conversation I lost them in five minutes.
Than I’ve just realized how much I still need to learn about all sorts of fabrics before I go out with my outfit travel collection.
Amazing how everything leads to a tiny detail if you want to achieve a quality product.
Aldo the main point of interest of this travel was to see the Venice carnival, we were also very interested to see how this beautiful masques are being made. While walking down the alley, my travel lady pointed at the local art studio called Ca’Macana. That was exactly what we were looking for. Of course we had to check inside and spent some time there and now I know how the masks are being made.
By hand. All the good stuff is made by hand. They are using all sorts of materials by costumers order.
From Swarovski crystals, gold and silver leaf, silk to gem stones and actually… there is no limits of desire.
They produce all sorts of traditional venetian masks. The team was extremely nice and the owner of the company also surprised us with a very… how should I put it ‘down to earth’ attitude which I consider as very important, but not necessary usual. (have met a few and did not convinced me) I was happy to see how clean the place looked like, almost like a dental office.
The owner showed us around the place and introduced us to the team and their work, how the masks are being made from the beginning to the end. I did not know that the world famous Carnival was declined for nearly two centuries. So at that time you could get only a glass or plastic souvenirs. In the beginning of 80th the city administration has decided to relaunch the Carnival of Venice.
There company rediscovered how to make an age-old traditional Venician masque and since 1986 they offer workshops where they teach and preserve age-old traditions and techniques for how to make carnival masks. I hope next year when I visit Venice, I will have more time, so I could participate in their workshop.
There I found an incomplete mask covered with dust (almost at the attic) that got my attention. I did pulled it out and found the mask I am searching for. The one I’ve already seen as it would already been completed.
My travel lady was smiling at me. I remember her saying: ‘And so you finally found it, Sabina. You found your people. This one really belongs to you.’
I wonder, will it be there waiting for me next year? If it really belongs to me, I believe it will and I can already imagine the result.
I will keep you updated.
