In the fall of 2023, Charles and Adina took a trip to upstate New York to pick up the result of a more than a year-long project inspired by a much-longer held dream.
Since we started making V costumes we were always intrigued by the “Aztec” pattern – the geometric woven pattern found in many of the uniforms worn in the mini-series and show. Where did it come from? Could we ever recreate it in order to make THE most screen-accurate reproduction of it?
After several dead ends with commercial weavers, I thought to look for the possibility of someone who recreates historical fabrics…and that’s how I found Rabbit.
This woman is not *just* a weaver and this is not just a factory. She is a historian, an artist, a technician, and she knows her craft inside and out. She has rescued weaving equipment from as far back as the 1800s to build a studio that is unique in its capabilities to create textiles in a way that no commercial company could.
If a museum has a piece of cloth from a historical figure that can’t be displayed lest it deteriorate? She can diagnose the exact fibers, weaves, and dyes and recreate the textile that can be used in a display for the public. She is literally CSI: Fiber.
Not only that, Rabbit’s mill produces textiles for nationally known brands like Chanel and is a regular source for costume designers needing special fabrics for film and television – many of which you’ve absolutely seen in action, including the current Disney Star Wars shows. Knowing the confidentiality that she keeps with her clients, we also knew that our project would be secure in her hands, giving us exclusivity to her work.
When we arrived, she gave us a tour of the studio and a crash course in how the yarns are prepared, how the looms are threaded and how the patterning is created by the looms. These machines are so incredibly impressive in their size and functionality – I was in heaven. She also shared with us some historical manuals that detailed early examples of our pattern used back in the 1700 and 1800s!
What an incredible experience – we could not have had a better day. And as with all of our experiences related to V, we have found more amazing, beautiful, artistic people that we can count among our friends.