Madame Hall
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When Madame Hall was young....

5/23/2015

3 Comments

 
When I was growing up in Adelaide, South Australia during the 1970's I never set out to find a mentor, or even knew what a mentor actually was. But luckily fate intervened, and I one day met Sophie Van Rood in her vintage clothing emporiam in Rundle St and my life was changed forever
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If Sophie was alive today she would have turned 99 this year. When I met her she would have been around 60, and such a glamorous and exotic 60 year old I had never met! Always wearing high heels, always with a wide belt around her (still) small waist, with khol rimmed eyes, lots of emerald and diamond jewelry and stylishly disheveled red hair always in a messy bun....she was a woman who had created a distinct style of her own and had me mesmerised!
Sophie's shop, The Banana Room was my refuge from the staid conservatism that gripped the Australian education system at that time. My imagination was fueled by the beautiful vintage dresses she sold, the like of which I'd never seen before. Exqusitely cut chiffon 1930's gowns, dainty lace chemises and exoticly embroidered oriental shawls.....I was happy to spend every hour I could surrounded by the magic that filled her small shop!
At this stage in my life I had no formal training as a dressmaker, but I knew enough for Sophie to eventually trust me with repairing, re-modeling and re-making some of her precious garments under her guidance. Her imaginative approach and sensitivity towards the restoration antique textiles has left a lasting impression on me to this day.
I learned so much during this time, not only about period fashion styles and how women expressed their own sense of self in the clothes they made (this is something I see constantly in the Indian embroideries I work with today) but also about design, Aboriginal art, morality and culture.....All the things school could have taught me but didn't!
Sophie was not always the easiest person to get along with, and would always challenge me if I innocently said something that smacked of assumption or prejudice; she had strong opinions and never passed on an opportunity to defend injustice as she saw it.
I was about 14 or 15 when Sophie came in to my life, at a time when I was very impressionable. She showed me how to think differently about every assumption, to always question popular opinion and think for myself and consequently strive to be ethically  brave and strong.
I often wonder if I would be in India now if it wasn't for having such a dynamic role model in my teens who encouraged me to look beyond the horizon...Sometimes I still can't believe what good fortune I had to met her!

 
 
3 Comments
Lelle Taffyn
5/26/2015 02:27:40 pm

i love this story Lisa - and have reposted it - there is hope for me yet i feel - and i can embroider - i just love clothes so much and textiles as you know <3

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Candida van Rood (aka Candy Spender) link
7/3/2015 11:10:50 am

Hi Lisa, My friend Jenny Ramos posted a link to your lovely article here on my FB newsfeed. So great always to find my mother seen through the eyes of the people who knew her. I love your article, its a good description of her in her various facets! Feisty, and deeply cultured, and more! She'd be so thrilled to know how much richness she's left behind in the people's lives she touched. Candy x

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Lisa Hall
7/4/2015 01:30:05 pm

Hi Candy
Your mother gave me soooo much.
I was dreadfully unhappy, shy and insecure at the time I met her, and she was such an inspiration! She did challenge practically everything I said, but in a way that gave me a different perspective which was wonderful in conservative old Adelaide. I consider myself truly lucky to have met her.
Lx

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    I am Lisa Hall, an Australian fashion designer living in Kutch, India.
    My label, Madame Hall makes makes gypsy inspired clothing for women who  want 'something different'

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