{fig. 1} Seashell pastiche inspiration for Emma Cook's printed dresses {fig. 2 & 3} Abbie Seashell dress at Opening Ceremony and a page from Albertus Seba's Cabinet of Natural Curiosities {fig. 4 & 5} Jellyfish dresses at Opening Ceremony and Asos {fig. 6} Via babyisasinner
Given the title of this blog it is safe to assume that I have a major fascination with Albertus Seba's Cabinet of Natural Curiosities, one of the most treasured natural history tomes of all-time. For decades Seba collected specimens of exotic plants, shellfish, birds, frogs, and butterflies, among other strange and wonderful things. Seba commissioned artist illustrations of his collection in 1731 and published a catalog that has captured imaginations ever since.
Emma Cook's printed dresses remind me of the wonder and awe I experienced when first looking through Seba's catalog as a child. The prints on the jellyfish dresses somehow manage to perfectly illustrate the magnificence of the ocean and the glowing colors. I remember being maybe 7 years old and going fishing with my Mom for the first time. and seeing the transparent blobs floating in the water. I was sure they had to be aliens. Glowing alien blobs in the sea. There was something both instantly beautiful and amazing witnessing such a creature. A testament to the expansive diversity and endless curiosity of nature. Emma Cook's creations flawlessly manage to capture that curiosity and translate it into the world of fashion. I want to wear the dreamy glowing alien jellyfish!
On a recent trip to Opening Ceremony I found myself awe-struck while looking through a rack of her silk pieces. The jellyfish mini-dress is on the top of my wanted list. I'm as fascinated with Emma Cook's design process as I am with her clothing. Apparently her line is based on a young fictional character she created. Each season she imagines her muse traveling through time and thus new intriguing prints are born to tell the story.
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