One of the things we love about our job is that it lets us travel to exciting destinations- whether it’s to meet our Clients, attend events or simply for leisure. The people we meet, the experiences we have and the stories we collect keep us inspired to think new and do new.
This freedom to travel is the one thing we miss the most in these unprecedented times. Artists across the globe seem to be struggling to find inspiration as they remain confined to limited spaces. While the pandemic temporarily keeps us from travelling to our favourite destinations, it can’t stop us from reminiscing and reliving our travel memories.
One such destination we love travelling to (and reminisce about) is Australia. It’s always a great bleisure (business + leisure) trip where we meet our Clients and explore the beauty, culture and adventure that Australia has to offer.
One of our most memorable days in Australia was when we experienced the breath-taking Great Barrier Reef. The bumpy boat-ride to the reef in choppy waters aside, what we remember is utter calm, awe and peace. We snorkelled and soaked in this colourful underwater city in a state of trance.
Wherever we looked, the world’s largest coral reef system offered us the most unique marine life. As we explored more of this underwater treasure, we were overpowered with a feeling of wonder, a little bit of fear and a strong emotion that we still can’t seem to articulate.
While we were captivated by the beauty around us, one of our work woes, as designers, is that we are always on the lookout for interesting colours, textures and moods. Here, we talk about how an enthralling experience at the Great Barrier Reef inspired our new couture embroidery collection.
The swaying bodies of bright table corals (they are fast-growing and provide a surface for new corals to grow on) inspired us to create a 3D beauty using standing bugle beads. Our attempt was to give it a similar movement and flow and are sure it will infuse life into any luxury bag or shoulder pad that it adorns.
From the stunning Frogspawn Coral (it gets its name from the polyps that resemble frog eggs) was created this piece of embellishment. A personal favourite, we love how the combination of bugles, crystals, stones and beads come together to make it look understated yet striking. Can’t wait to see how it looks on a couture dress or even a pair of stilettos!
This stunning hammer coral (an aggressive coral that can extend 6-7 inches in search of food) and its colours caught our eye and how! We knew we had to capture its beauty in a way that is unique. We love how the coloured pipes and this innovative technique celebrate the distinctiveness of this coral. The versatility of this design should make it look stunning on any piece of couture garment.
While we were lucky enough to see the Great Barrier Reef and its glory, we also came face to face with the harsh reality that the reef is in dire need of protection. Heat stress resulting from high sea temperatures and increased UV radiation is causing coral bleaching. It’s a stark reminder for all us to be more responsible towards our planet. We are delighted to know that the restoration efforts have been successful and the reef is on its way to thriving. However, we decided to capture this lesson learnt using bugles, beads and woollen tufts.
Write to us on info@ricamour.com or WhatsApp us to know more about our Great Barrier Reef Coral Collection. 🌊You can also see our favourite Marie Antoinette inspired embroidery.
PS- Go reminisce those holiday memories till we can all fully reclaim travel!
Write to us on info@ricamour.com or whatsApp us to see our collection of bridal fabrics.
