Ray Cole - Hand Painted Silk

New Orleans and its vibrant vernacular traditions have long been an enduring source of inspiration for Cole, who got his start in fashion design by creating costumes for burlesque dancers on Bourbon Street. These days, some of the most prominent society hostesses in New Orleans are among his biggest fans. He's also designed dresses and jackets for the likes of Cher, Delta Burke, Tina Marie, Lucy Arnez and Eartha Kitt. More recently, his richly textured tapestries have found a ready market among New Orleans art galleries, while his bread and butter shawls and scarves are much in demand with accessories boutiques.

For Cole, fabrics crepe de Chine, charmeuse and double Georgette are like canvases. He doesn't practice his designs on paper, but rather goes right to the fabric, drawing freehand with a hypodermic needle filled with gutta. Gutta, an oil-based liquid, acts as a resist, separating water-based dyes, which he applies with a paintbrush. The dyes are then heat-set, yielding a prismatic effect.

The fabric is then ready for Cole's signature latex rubber technique. Applied freehand to the gutta outlines of the design, the specially formulated latex gives the work a sumptuously fluid, three-dimensional character. Iridescent rice powders are then applied atop the rubber. The end result is a unique combination of color, fabric and texture.

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FDJ French Dressing

For nearly two decades , FDJ French Dressing has been helping women across North America find clothes that not only fit their bodies, but also their spirit as well. From jeans to skirts, jackets to knit tops, we blend sumptuous colors and fabrics to create clothing that reflects the inner confidence an FDJ French Dressing woman already feels. So, at a time when life is all about achieving balance, we give women something to call their own.