Ambtskostuum van Gouverneur Generaal J.B. van Heutsz 1904

This is Ambtskostuum van Gouverneur Generaal J.B. van Heutsz, made anonymously at an unknown date. The floral embroidery of the jacket reminds me of mark-making in the way it repeats motifs. Like making art, the decoration of this formal wear feels intuitive and process-led. Look at the jacket, the dark blue almost velvety fabric against the shimmer of silver thread. The texture of each leaf and stem is carefully worked with a kind of repetitive insistence, forming an all-over pattern of growth. It’s the kind of detail that rewards a long, slow looking. It makes me wonder about the person who made this garment and the labor of their work. It’s fascinating to consider the juxtaposition between the formal structure of the suit and the organic, almost wild nature of the decoration. It's not too dissimilar from Gustav Klimt’s paintings, where the surface shimmers with texture and decoration. Art and fashion – they are always talking to each other!