The scope of traditional Russian pearl embroidery. Approaches of developing traditional craft in a contemporary way and expressing social demand of current time through gained results.

Traditional Russian pearl embroidery has been developing thought centuries with little to no changes. This craft has a range of strict rules that an embroiderer should serve. However, it is believed that this part of unique national heritage must not only be preserved through blindly following the already established practice and copying antique designs. Instead, this craft deserves to be experimented with and interpreted. And the results of such exploration might not only suggest an alternative garment embellishment approach but also help to symbolically express the social agenda.

One of the research goals was to explore the boundaries of traditional Russian embroidery technique and to find the ways of its application in contemporary textile and fashion. This project aimed to experiment with the so-called “Sitting on cord” technique that is a part of the traditional Russian pearl embroidery scope. This is a contouring technique that requires using mainly white cotton cords as a base for placing natural pearls in a line.

It was stated that applying any types, sizes and/ or shape of beads with a traditional workflow might gain unexpected creative result. Additionally, the material and color of the cord were questioned and experimented with.

It was crucial to introduce the craft as part of national heritage through an opportunity for the creative exploration and practical industry use. There were produced around 20 embroidery samples with various combinations of materials. It was confirmed that the modified technique has a potential for both practical application and the further experimenting.

The project sought to apply gained results as both a range of samples and as physical and/ or digital product. The primary inspiration for the design development became the international Russian immigrants community, that is strongly opposed to the current regime in the homeland. There was an attempt to interpret the White-Blue-White flag as the symbol of national resistance. Thus, the mini-collection of jackets with embroidered collars in a white-blue color palette suggests the alternative approach to preserving national heritage and expressing the present agenda.