Judy DePalma (“JADEPALM” label) designs and creates one-of-a-kind dresses, age 1 - 8, made from vintage textiles, complimented by contemporary prints. She is committed to up-cycling historic heirlooms, antique embroidery, crochet, draperies, tablecloths, dish towels, linens. If it’s a custom order, therefore, personally sentimental, the final project will give new life to family handiworks that have trickled down, assigning to them a new identity as wearable art. From playful sundresses to party frocks, old-fashioned designs include full skirts for maximum twirling, necessary pockets and charming special effects that will never be found at the mall. (96)
JADEPALM designs are inspired by a respect for traditional fabric art, historically made by women. Judy’s background of couture sample-making (Vera Wang, for example), automatically kicks in with the creative process. . .it begins with a linen tea towel, for example, embellished by a woman of the past, who meticulously embroidered a lamb or a bird or a bouquet, inspiring it to be paired with a complimentary print or solid color yardage. Often, the whole dress will be created from a colorful tablecloth where several generations shared Thanksgiving, working around stains or holes. Almost no new investment is needed, thanks to re-purposing materials that already exist in her vast collection of woven inspirations.