Kraplap for Community Dressing

Last week the new episode of ‘Community Dressing’ was put online. ‘Community Dressing’ is a documentary series about the Dutch National Costumes. Thijs Adriaans looks at regional costumes to define the state of contemporary fashion consumption. By focusing on the almost disappeared Dutch costumes and its traditions, standards, values, creation and its passing, he hopes to be able to offer a glance at the costumes compared to today’s fashion system. Episode III of Community Dressing focus on the regional dress of Bunschoten – Spakenburg. And I got invited to design together with Thijs a ‘Kraplap’.

A Kraplap is found in other Dutch Traditional Wear, but only in Bunschoten – Spakenburg has it developed into a kind of harness that rest on the shoulders. The Kraplap is made out of textile, traditionally Chintz for the outside and Damast for the inside and is hardend with a paste. The paste make the Kraplap feel like a piece of cardboard. This Kraplap is then secured with a ribbon. It was a big challenge to get our designs as flat and hard as the traditional ones, but we were both apply to wear our versions to the premiere on March 10th in Arnhem (NL).

For my design I got my inspiration from how the Spakenburgers use color to show their state of mourning and I wanted to make a version that would reflect my state of mourning. I worked with a motif that was popular on Chintz and I had written a post about for Modemuze last year { read more about it on my blog The journey to Batik} Learn more about the design in the episode, it includes English subtitles and in the photos below.

For more Community Dressign visit fragmentsof.com