Longing for sleep...
When it comes to coats, Queen Michelle and I have two particular weaknesses - Parkas and Blanket Coats.
We own lots and lots and lots of them. We don’t need anymore and I’m not buying anything new this year but OH MY GOD if ever anyone could tempt me into spending it surely has to be Marit Ilison
The "Longing for Sleep" vintage collection of coats is beyond wonderful.
With raw-cut edges, woven jacquard pattern, hook closure in the front, side slit pockets, all seeming flaws and signs of wear are part of the art and make up the unique character of the piece. Hand made in Estonia, all Longing For Sleep coats are labelled with a certificate stating the sequence number of the coat.
Borrowing its name from the Estonian title for Chekhov’s novel “Let Me Sleep”, the conceptual collection “Longing for Sleep” is about the haunting wish to sleep during dark wintery times, kaamos. Kaamos is an untranslatable word only known in Estonian and Finnish languages, referring to the period in the Northern Hemisphere when the days are very short and it barely gets light outside.
To materialize the feeling of a wish to stay in bed wrapped in a blanket all day long ( yes that will be me) Marit Ilison has created a collection using vintage Soviet wool blankets.
The eye-catching, colourful and patterned woollen vintage blankets originate from the 1970s and 1980s Soviet Union when they were very common and found in every house. Every family had at least one, if not several. The blankets are often connected to very personal memories, for example, they were given as wedding presents. In the beginning, the blankets were made of camel wool. People used to unpick them to get precious yarn and to knit sweaters of it during the Soviet deficit. Later mainly lambswool was used.
The makers dedicate a lot of time finding them because such blankets have become rare over time and each of them is unique. For the ‘Longing for Sleep ‘Unique collection coats each blanket is carefully selected and cleaned.
These coats don’t come cheap, with prices starting about £1800.
I thought that was expensive for what is basically a reworked blanket coat. But then I found out about the crystal decoration hidden on the inside of each coat.
Reflecting Marit Ilison’s trademark of translating feelings into beautiful physical matter, there is a reason why the embellishment is discretely hidden inside the coats. Though she’d like to stay wrapped in a blanket for a whole day during deep winter, she hears a pricking conscience whispering in her ear that she should be working instead. This little voice is like sand on her side or a pea under the mattress which won’t let her fall into slumber. Therefore, she has translated this feeling into the rich embellishments inside of the coats, which also reflect an idea of a secret dream world inside the coat shimmering of beautiful dreams. We are using best crystals and create unique embellishments for each piece.
Talking of sleep, in my dreams, I shall be wearing one of these for sure
Queen Marie