Marcella Dvsi’s braided designs put you into sensory overload. As the braids twist, weave and affix to create a masterful sculpture, you cannot help but reach out and touch the wearable art. Moving away from her previous collections of gothic fantasy, Marcella now finds herself embracing the lightness of candy pastels. We talk to the artist about the instinctive nature of her craft, her inspirations and her thoughts on art and design.
I think it can all be traced back to when I was a child on holiday in the South of Italy, where I was camping with my family. I used to admire my dad sitting on a cliff, painting the landscape- that image has always fascinated me. I then moved on to study art in a high school in Verona because my teachers said that I was a skilled drawer.
While I was living in Berlin I was trying to make some shoulder pads to wear to a club and I made them using a single braid. After that I started to experiment making other shapes and since then it has become my practice. So it is self-taught and it came a long time after art school, atleast ten years.
Candy and waves.
The tactile element of my garments is extremely important because all my pieces are hand-made. I work using my hands, so most of the decisions are rather instinctive and made through what feels right rather than what’s been planned. I think touch is a very important way of non-verbal communication and it can open up your imagination which is unlimited.
I create a long unique braid using a light fabric. Once the piece is made I start twisting and affixing the braid to the shape I'm thinking of. The whole process is very instinctive- I create the shape as I go along and attach the braids together with a simple thread and needle.
It really depends; it can take from one day to one week, also depending on my mood. Generally speaking, larger pieces take longer to make.
I rather think of my pieces as sculptures and my work as one of a crafter. I love the beauty lying within a single work of art and I think that its uniqueness is more precious than a mass produced object.
No, it's a new thing. I was just curious to see how the pieces looked in 2D. It's a fun thing to do when I'm not working on braids.
No I don’t find the process limiting. I guess the only limit is time.
I am very critical of my work so once a piece is finished I’m usually tired of it and get excited about moving on to the next one. At the moment my favourite is a piece I have most recently finished from the new collection. It is a big hat that resembles a wave.
I think it has evolved a lot, I can see progression as I constantly strive to create pieces that are different from the ones I have made in the past. My new collection features a wider range of colours, mainly pastels because after a period of working with a lot of dark fabric I felt the need to create something fresh and bright.
My new collection is waiting to be shot and I will be launching my online shop this month.