The Making
Lotus, Rising
Ink & gouache on cotton rag · 2025
CompleteThe first drawing of the atelier: a single lotus opening from still, dark water. It became the ‘Lotus Rising Dress’.
The chapters
Filmed step by step
Every stage of the making, from the first gesture to the final breath of gold.
- 01
Sketch
First lines
- 02
In progress
Building the bloom
- 03
Detail
The gold at the heart
- 04
The finished original
The finished original
The making in full
Stills and film, chapter by chapter
01 · Sketch
First lines
The opening gesture, drawn from memory of still water at dawn: a single stem finding its way up through the dark.
02 · In progress
Building the bloom
Gouache laid petal by petal over several quiet mornings, letting the light gather slowly toward the centre.
03 · Detail
The gold at the heart
A breath of gold leaf pressed into the core, catching the light differently as the piece turns.
04 · The finished original
The finished original
The drawing complete on cotton rag: the single original from which the wearable edition was made.
Materials and tools
What it is made from
A1 cotton rag paper
Heavyweight and archival, cut down and prepared by hand.
Transparent gesso and grey acrylic
Mixed and laid as a ground with just enough tooth to hold graphite.
Graphite and gouache
Built up mark by mark, from first gesture to full rendering.
Gold leaf and airbrush
Pressed and breathed in at the last, where the light needs to catch.
Kept together
What arrives with the finished piece
Numbered certificate of authenticity
Hand-finished, matching the number carried by your piece.
An A5 print of the original
An archival print of the finished drawing the edition grew from.
A story card
The making of the dress and the art behind it, in brief.
A hand-filled scent bag
A small, quiet scent to open the piece with.
Follow the making
Each week, in short film
Every stage is filmed as it happens and shared as it goes, under one handle: @le_mudelie.
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