M08 | Nightshade Bloom
FILED UNDER: THE TOWER OF STARS
Recovered from the upper rooms of the Tower of Stars, among loose textile fragments and unfinished work. Maker identified as the Night Weaver. Original lacing retained separately with the garment.
SHELL
Mosaic of discarded saree embroidery reborn through intensive mending; a constellation of jewel-toned silks and intricate embroidery. Era 1990s-2010s.
LINING
Vintage charcoal cotton. Era 1980s.
DETAILING
Curved cups, dull rhinestones replaced with new glimmers, rough seams hidden beneath embroidery threads.
STRUCTURE
Hand-constructed bustier silhouette, made to cradle the bust and slightly cinch the waist.
LACING
Jewel-toned fraying silk ribbon through reinforced hand-set satin loops in dusty peach.
SIZE
S, cup C [size guide]
EDITION
One of one.
FROM THE CITY ARCHIVES
The Tower of Stars
Nightshade Bloom was made by the Night Weaver from embroidered and embellished textile fragments kept in the upper rooms of the Tower of Stars. The surviving pieces vary considerably in colour, pattern, and original construction, but have been joined here into a single garment of unusually dense ornament.
The Weaver's method is evident throughout. Small sections have been cut from larger textiles and repositioned according to colour and motif, while narrow remnants have been retained wherever their embroidery or beadwork remained intact. The outer edges of several fragments can still be seen beneath the seams.
Unlike some of the Weaver's later garments, Nightshade Bloom shows little attempt to impose a single visual order upon its materials. Violet, turquoise, magenta, green and deep blue remain distinct, giving the impression of many earlier garments gathered into one.
The unfinished fragments found alongside it suggest that the garment may have been recovered before the Weaver had finished working with the remaining materials. The date of completion is therefore uncertain.
