Dilanti di Biento

The layered installation explores identity and connection. The dress’ design is based on the hammocks that are so characteristic of the Caribbean. Originating from Colombia and Venezuela, and made a stone’s throw from Aruba by the indigenous people of La Guajira, this everyday item symbolises the network of genes that the people here carry within them. Both the motifs and the cords connecting the skirts are derived from a hammock. At the top, the cords come together in a headband, with which the wearer holds up the costume. The duo worked with Veva van der Wolf to design a hammock, which they then gave their own plaited interpretation. “The emotion and spirituality that Alydia and Ryan put into their work give it extra body and meaning,” says Van der Wolf. “It’s wonderful to see how their energy permeates their work.” Product developer Serena Huizinga, who supervised the knitting of the bell skirts, agrees: “Working with them was very special. It was a challenge to incorporate all their ideas into the knit; we had to skip a lot. But it has nevertheless become a rich work with a lot of emotional resonance.”