LATIFA NEYAZI
Remnants of a memory': Dyed and bleached dress, details. Courtesy of the artist.
Latifa Neyazi is a London-based womenswear designer with focus on artisanal approach to garment making. Her work centres on craftsmanship and creativity, with a strong emphasis on texture, developed through intricate hand-stitching and embroidery.
Exploring the boundaries of control and spontaneity, she manipulates fabric using natural dyes, acrylic paints, and melting. Her intuitive process embraces experimentation, allowing the materials to guide the outcome. The result is a collection of deeply expressive, unique pieces that find beauty in the energy of making itself.
LUCIJA ŠUTEJ: Your collections feel like an ongoing dialogue between fabric and form—each piece carries its own identity. Could you walk us through your body of work and the inspirations behind them?
LATIFA NEYAZI: My work is very personal with special attention to craftsmanship—handwork and altering the natural state of the fabrics. There’s an element of spontaneity that gives each piece its own identity. My starting point has always been the relationship between the body and the notion of the disintegration or slow decay of the garment —and how to create that. Through the process of how the fabrics are dyed, melted, painted, and embroidered —making each piece unique.
LŠ: There is a sense that material dictates the forms of the design. Can we explore the relations between silk organza, cotton, and the silhouette?
LN: My processes are very instinctive and spontaneous. I react to how the fabric feels and behaves which then dictates the form of the garment. The lightness and texture of silk organza make it an easy fabric to mold with, as it can hold its structure. The heaviness of cotton and chiffon excites me to embroider and manipulate the fabric to force it into a form. So, the silhouette of a garment is the result of the dialogue between the fabric and the form.
LŠ: In 2022 you visited Marrakech, where you engaged with the indigo dying process. What stood out to you and how did you apply the process to your work?
Were there other indigo dyeing techniques that you encountered and learned from?
LN: I went to Marrakech right before my pre-collection during my MA at Central Saint Martins and I was influenced by the colors and the dyes. They were so rich and vibrant, I bought indigo powder and tried experimenting with it and I think that’s when I started dyeing my own fabrics.
'Evaporation of a memory':Hand painted dress.
'Evaporation of a memory': Hand painted dress.
LŠ: Your collections are distinct through the specific colour palette. It feels like you are intentionally pursuing more organic colours that did not and do not have a flat effect. How did your palette develop over time and what symbolism does it carry for you?
LN: I’m naturally drawn towards the earthy, organic colours which most of the time I contrast with primary colours—specifically blue and hints of red. I like how raw and primal these colours feel.
Looking into the blue burqas worn in Afghanistan led me to research Lapis Lazuli and how beautiful the color is so I started dyeing with natural and synthetic dyes to get the rich blue colour. The reds and blacks are intuitive and have an expressiveness to them that I find very emotive. My palette has developed through experimentation, as I preferred not to rely on shop-bought fabrics so I could create the exact shades and effects that I was after. However, some of my garments are made from store-bought fabrics that I’ve only painted.
From left to right side: 'Evaporation of a memory': Hand painted, melted silk organza and beetroot dyed dress. 'Evaporation of a memory' - Hand painted, melted silk organza and beetroot dyed dress. 'Evaporation of a memory' - Hand painted, melted silk organza and beetroot dyed dress.
LŠ: How do you balance the organic colours with the durability of colour in your work?
LN: Tea, coffee, and turmeric are great dyes for durability as they don’t change, however, other natural dyes can fade over time. I think that’s why layering works so well because adding acrylic paint can increase the durability.
'Evaporation of a memory':Hand painted, bleached calico dress, details.
‘Remnants of a memory': Dyed and bleached silk dress (purple).
'Evaporation of a memory' - Hand painted, bleached calico dress. (white)
LŠ: One of the first design pieces you dyed was a green skirt, directly in your kitchen. The materials used were parsley and coriander. How did you achieve the shade of green and what did the test and trial process look like for you?
LN: The process of dyeing the green skirt was very messy because I knew that I wanted green but didn’t know how to achieve it. I had silk which I prepared for dyeing and I found parsley and coriander in the kitchen so I thought they might work. However the colour was not strong enough so I started layering the dyes.
I dyed it with tea and coffee and then green acrylic paint with turmeric on top. The result was green with earthy tones making the fabric look textured.
LŠ: Did you ever experiment with any other materials/ foods to achieve a green color?
LN: I haven’t experimented with any other food to achieve the green colour, but maybe for my next collection I’ll want a shade of green that I would have to find a way to create.
Left image: ‘Evaporation of a memory': Tea and coffee dyed top with turmeric dyed and acrylic painted skirt.
Right image: 'Remnants of a memory': Hand painted and tea dyed dress.
LŠ: A majority of your palette is drawn together through the usage of the mentioned parsley, tea, and coffee. How durable are the colors and how important is the material you chose to dye?
LN: I love dyeing with tea and coffee for the base because you can easily control the intensity and it has a beautiful effect on silk. The material is very important because natural fibers like silk and cotton are great for dyeing and I enjoy creating these fabrics because of their quality and that they’re natural fibers.
Their durability is great as well but for natural dyes, they do fade over time and that’s why I like to layer the dyes.
LŠ: Which colours did you experiment with as well?
LN: I have also dyed silk with cabbage, beetroot, and hibiscus.
LŠ: As we spoke before —an important effect is also layering to achieve a specific colour’s radiance. How do you mix organic colors with acrylic interventions?
LN: I usually dye the fabric with a natural dye as the base and then work on top of it. I dilute acrylic paint and dip the fabric in and the last stage is painting the fabric.
LŠ: Did you consult any books or various cultures’ practices on the dying process?
LN: I was researching the processes of indigo and shibori dyeing techniques used in India and I loved how involved and in control the artisans are. All the stages are done by hand which makes the whole process so beautiful. Learning how to prepare a fabric was important but after that, my processes have been instinctive, experimental, and spontaneous.
'Remnants of a memory': Embroidered silk dress (different views: left and centre). Right image: Remnants of a memory': Hand painted and bleached calico dress
‘Remnants of a memory':Hand painted and bleached calico dress, details.
‘Remnants of a memory':Hand painted and bleached calico dress.