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Coconut
palms supply raw material for haute couture of grass skirts
In
the beginning there was the fig leaf: what Adam and Eve once wore to
bashfully cover their nakedness, Nicole Vilo is now using to dress her
customers. The fashion designer from Martinique creates haute couture
made from tropical leaves and the fur of coconut palms. The apple of
knowledge was given to her by her little son.
By Bernhard Grdseloff (C) 2005 |
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The
Creole had been a complete newcomer in the field of fashion. "I
used to make decorative arrangements from dried leaves and flowers at
home," she tells us. "One day my little son put one of them on
his head and went posing in front of the mirror - that’s what gave me
the idea." Yet it was still a long way to haute couture. First
Vilo made hats only; then she started making dresses. She went on a
three-month course at a fashion college in Paris to study the theory.
Everything else originates from the artist’s intuition – and from
nature.
"I’m
constantly experimenting with new material," says the designer.
"The fur of coconut palms, which grows around the base of the leaf,
works best." In a lengthy phase of processing, the rough, stiff
fibre structure is transformed: layers are separated, and hard fibre
pulled out until everything is smooth and soft. This kind of material is
used mainly to make bustiers - tops complemented by Creole-style flared
skirts. And even wedding dresses made exclusively from palm fur have
left the studio in Sainte Anne.
"The
grain and the quality are crucial in the final product’s
appearance," Vilo reveals. "After all, the material I use is
organic, like wood or animal fur." And similar are the prices:
leafy robes start at seven hundred pounds in Vilo’s boutique at
Chateau Gaillard near the tourist centre of Trois Ilets.
"But
not a single palm tree needs to be cut down for my creations, the fur
keeps groing back," says the designer. In future she wants to
concentrate even more on grass skirts. "Next I’ll be creating a
new lady’s collection in Polynesian style." |
Made
of palm fur: bustier and hat by Vilo |
