Flower Power

“When I get an idea I’m determined to see it to the end,” says Michelle Turpin, the designer behind Karamea.

One year ago, when Turpin began planning her Spring/Summer 2009 collection, she stumbled upon the work of American artist Judith McMillan. Famed for her ephemeral and eerie X-ray photographs of poppies, water lilies, orchids, locust seeds and gladioli, McMillan’s strangely translucent imagery struck Turpin like a bolt of lightening.

“These images just seemed like they should be printed on fabric,” says Turpin, who immediately set out to contact McMillan through her New York gallery.

“I sent Judith everything – swatches, sketches, photos where I thought her images might go. I don’t know what I would have done if she turned me down. Her art completely dictated the direction I took this spring,” says Turpin.

For McMillan, Turpin’s offer was a novel one.

“It’s not everyday that one is asked to be the inspiration for a runway collection. It was terribly flattering,” says McMillan, who, to Turpin’s surprise, agreed almost instantly.

McMillan, like other curious fashionistas, will be in the tents at Nathan Phillips Square on Tuesday, October 21 to watch Karamea’s strong, sensuous collection hit the runway.

Using McMillan’s magnolia imagery as her launching point, Turpin marries soft, sumptuous femininity with a dark, powerful edge.

“That contrast between sensuality and strength is very apparent in Judith’s work,” says Turpin. “That contrast is definitely there in the strong, tailored lines and soft dresses that round out the collection.”

Punched with magentas and purples, Turpin’s palette of black, silver grey, cream and dusty rose also mimic McMillan’s powerful, watercolour effect.

“The collection was a real high for me on so many levels. But more than that it’s versatile and wearable. That, at the end of the day, is always the number one priority,” says Turpin.

An exhibition honouring McMillan’s art work and Turpin’s designs opens to the public at 12 p.m. on October 21 at the Stephen Bulger Gallery, 1026 Queen Street. Look for McMillan, Turpin and models wearing clothes from the Karamea Spring/Summer collection to be on hand.

By Constance Droganes, CTV.ca