Shadow. Surrender. Harmony.
These carefully curated words from North Vancouver fashion designer Fariba Mirzaie describe the segments of her new wearable art collection, From Nothing. Her minimalist designs are made from, just as the name suggests, almost nothing - newspaper, thread and scraps of fabric. However, the extensive zigzag stitching represents the jagged trajectory Mirzaie's life has taken.
"Surrender," she explains, symbolizes the process of change required to move from the state of "Shadow" to "Harmony." "It can often be very unpleasant and painful because it requires moving from a place of comfort. However, it is absolutely essential," explains Mirzaie.
It is a life lesson she is all too familiar with. While growing up in the south of Iran, Mirzaie developed a precocious interest in fashion. At the age of 14 she was already selling her designs to high-end shops.
After she became more established, Mirzaie eventually went into business for herself - designing custom bridal wear. But her entrepreneurial spirit was crushed when the Iranian Revolution took hold in the 1980s. By this time Mirzaie and her family had moved to the north. She intensely describes what it was like to exist with a war raging on around her.
"The city was on fire. It was a disaster. For years I had dreams of falling on my head," she recalls.
On one occasion Mirzaie was waiting for her assistant to arrive at work. It was a busy time for weddings, and Mirzaie's clients were due to pick up their dresses.
It turns out the militia had taken Mirzaie's assistant from the street and put her in prison, while she was clutching the wedding gowns.
Then when Mirzaie went to bail her out, she was thrown in the cell alongside her assistant.
The two stayed locked up for several hours, begging the guards to release them.
"Maybe all these things teach you how to live in the moment," muses Mirzaie. A decade after that horrifying experience, Mirzaie managed to relocate to Canada. She studied textile art and design at then-Capilano College in 1999, before later taking fashion art courses at Vancouver Community College. Mirzaie has since owned a couple of art galleries, including one in North Vancouver.
Meanwhile, her wearable art creations, each arduously designed from scratch, have been exhibited in fashion shows throughout B.C. and Canada.
Mirzaie's love of nature has remained a constant in her life, with metaphors of changing colours and landscapes woven into her designs.
"If I stay connected to nature, then I can trust what happens - because there are things happening in nature that are going towards beauty," says Mirzaie.
The From Nothing exhibit is being presented until March 30 by the Circle Craft Co-operative gallery, located at 1666 Johnston St. on Granville Island. For more information about the show visit the website circlecraft.net.
