Elisa Jimenez rules!

Eliza Jimenez and her models: Fall 2008

I attended a discussion with Eliza Jimenez yesterday afternoon at the Arts Council as part of the week's HATCHfest events here in Asheville. At some point I couldn't hold back from telling her how much I loved her in Project Runway - A show she called a "conceptual art performance." Then I asked her a question about her process and how she works one on one with a client. She proceeded to pull out a piece of material she had stained and infused with oils and essences and all sorts of wonderful stuff. She gracefully clipped the material with holes, and knotted some loses ends all the while quipping about the false myths perpetuated by the fashion industry. We all looked on thinking WHAT is she making? When she held up the finished product it appeared to just have holes and some lose cords of fabric, but when she put the piece on, it was stunning. She showed us all the different ways to wear it. Then she took it off and twisted it into a ball and looked at me and I heard her talking about how the keeper of this piece is coming into a dawning of a new era....I saw her walking towards me with the piece, and I watched as she gave it to me, We kissed cheeks and hugged. One of the most brilliant things ever.
Here's the thing - I do not consider myself a fashionista by any stretch of the imagination. But I am fascinated at the creative process and how, for artists like Jimenez, Life IS the creative process. Her spiritual, personal, creative and political experiences are all woven together and nothing is disconnected from anything else. It's a very beautiful and inspiring way to see a life lived.

My new magical garment

I really believe that if you do something with genuine love, the universe will reward you." ~ Elisa Jimenez

Asheville HATCHfest

HATCHfest is a multi-day experience that includes performances and exhibitions, interactive mentoring labs, panels and demonstrations, lectures, parties, and awards. It is described as a "mentoring festival" which means that established professionals from various disciplines will be brought to Asheville to teach workshops and provide assistance to people about their discipline. The workshops will be free and open to the public and among the disciplines provided will be fashion, architecture, journalism, photography and illustration.
The first annual Asheville HATCHfest will occur April 15-19, 2009.
R. Brooke Priddy has been instrumental in the development of Asheville HATCHfest through her creative presence at fund raising events and assistance provided with establishing the fashion portion of the festival. This past October, Priddy was invited to create a performance for the HATCH festival in Bozeman, Montana. These are pictures of her installation entitled "By Land." To read more about the creative unfolding of this project visit her blog here. The photos were taken by Taylor Richards Glenn. taylorglennphoto.com

Alison Watson is the co-chair of the Asheville HATCHfest and she appears in "Sewing the Muse" to discuss HATCHfest in greater detail. Watson began her career directing and producing documentary films, which have won recognition and awards across the US. She spent several years shooting and producing outdoor films and television commercials, and has worked with the Media Arts Project in building the media arts industry in WNC. Currently she is involved with the Asheville Film Commission and Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance.

www.ashevillehatchfest.com