Heritage and Modernity

Every country has a tradition of accessories reflecting its rich history and cultural heritage. I have always been intrigued by the design of the accessories our ancestors used and their purpose besides self-decoration.

Recently, I have been impressed by the exhibition of traditional clothes organized by the Art of Heritage, which featured, amongst other things, intricate embroideries and exquisite combinations of fabrics and patterns. I have always admired the ability to appreciate and show history.

Art of Heritage aims to preserve the cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia while also being able to empower women through its initiatives. It revives and modernizes traditional Saudi garments and accessories by crafting modern versions of dresses, abayas, shallas, and caftans.

As a matter of historical fact, Russian women wore a special headdress called ‘Kokoshnik’ in the old days. Today, Russian Kokoshniks remain an essential source of inspiration for fashion houses and designers. For example, Karl Lagerfeld, in his collection “Paris-Moscow”, uses it as a powerful accent. It is also similar to the headdress Princess Padme wore in Star Wars.

As an artist and designer, especially one with Russian roots, I could not resist using images of Kokoshnik. The characters in my series of paintings, “Russian Fairy Tails”, are all modern women who wear traditional Russian garments and Kokoshniks that suit their personalities.
My design work led to the creation of a modern Kokoshnik object, a symbol that is 3D printed and galvanized. As part of the Hia Hub 4.0 event, it was displayed in the Cosmodreams space along with a painting titled “Spaceship Kokoshnik”.

In the Cosmodreams art project, we imagine a future of space and life. The project’s artworks are a mix of traditional paintings and sculptures and digital and augmented reality art. As part of the augmented reality scenario, the object Kokoshnik also has a video.

The Cosmodreams project offers virtual fashion and accessories as well. Virtual bracelets can be tried on your hand as “filters” in Snapchat. You can also try the Snow Queen Kokoshnik mask on Instagram.

That is how tradition and modernity create a synergy.

MARINA FEDOROVA