Featured Shop: ZIB Textile

Etsy.com handmade and vintage goods
ZIBtextile

Story by ZIBtextile

Published on Aug 08, 2012 in Shop

We are Inga Priedite and Irena Andrejeva, the artists behind ZIB Textile. We put a little art into everyday clothing. ZIB means “to flash” in Latvian, and that describes us quite well. We are expressive, impulsive and unpredictable. Those qualities are reflected in our creations too; you never know what new design is going to be born tomorrow.

We’ve both been drawing and sewing since childhood. Needlework materials were scarce at the stores then, so we went for splendid creative solutions using anything we could find at home – newspapers, noodles, screws, and so on. We made adornments and clothing for our dolls, and later, ourselves. Handicraft is still our passion, hobby and work. We can’t imagine ourselves anywhere else. We’re in the right place.

We studied at the Art Academy of Latvia’s textile department. I (Inga) recently got my degree, and Irena works as a stand-in teacher the academy. For six years, we were classmates. Now we pool our ideas for this joint effort. We do what we know best – textile and art. It is an enormous joy to put our knowledge and skills to use. Every day is another lesson of success and failure, and we are proud of even the smallest accomplishments and growth. This is the main attraction of creative work – unceasing evolution and infinite possibilities. There are no limitations; we work according to the day’s feel, and tomorrow always brings something new and interesting. It could be said that we like the production process itself – the execution – way more than planning.

The first pair of leggings we made were an unplanned impulse. It was a cool autumn, and I wanted warm and lively leggings to wear under my skirt, but the stores only offered synthetics (I am very fond of fabrics that are soft, natural and breathe well). I was visiting Irena, and I found some fabric cuttings there. I screen printed the fabric, and Irena quickly sewed it all together. The end result brought us so much joy! The very next day we went to the fabric store with our heads full of ideas. That was the origin of ZIB. Now these leggings have a special place in my wardrobe and in my heart – they remind me that to realize your dreams and ideas, you have to begin with the first step; a very small, single step.

The clothing market is enormous, and securing even a small niche is not easy. You have to provide something exclusive. Our productions are handmade and unique; it’s impossible to repeat the exact splash of dye on fabric. Each piece of clothing from ZIB is a little work of art. Irena’s hand-drawn drafts go into a computer and are transferred to screen print. Then with some dye and a few sweeps of the hand, the fabric is changed!

We work with joy, create what we like, and keep changing to grow. This is very important – to be flexible, keep the desire to create something new, to challenge yourself and see where it takes you.

For us, Etsy is a grand chance to show our work to people abroad. It’s a great place for drawing inspiration, learning, and admiring talented people. It is also our chance to grow and reach customers thousands of kilometers away. The most charming thing about Etsy is the personal approach and possibility to see who sells what. It’s a real joy to see that you don’t need a diploma, factory, or enormous piles of money to create wonderful things and set up your own business. The scope and style is subject only to your own desires and ambitions.

Owning our own creative business has changed us in a lot of ways. We’re more purposeful and have become stronger by overcoming obstacles. We have become very good friends and a successful team. We have grand dreams and goals. This may be only the beginning — today, textile design has so many faces that it’s almost boundless, especially when you fuse it with art and design.

Studio photographs by Ausma Smite, product photographs by ZIB Textile.

Featured Shop Archive

Seller's Items

5 Featured Comments

Sign in to add your own
  • flammefatale

    Sylvie Langlois from flammefatale says: Featured

    I was with a friend and Etsy seller who was wearing your clothes in Montreal this weekend, and got compliments throughout the day! The clothes are amazing, the colors are bright and the illustrations are so unique. Beautiful work, keep it up!

    284 days ago

  • totemcolorblocks

    Pamela from totemcolorblocks says: Featured

    I've always been smitten with your work and am so delighted to read your lovely story and to see you relish your vision and bring a bit of joy and color to so many people!

    284 days ago

  • Overdue

    Kiova Staley from joyridevintage says: Featured

    Love your bright aesthetic and focus on fun. I find it inspiring that you are not to worried about the future or what is next, staying in the creative moment is definitely working for you-- congrats on the feature!

    284 days ago

  • wheatleypaperworks

    M Wheatley from wheatleypaperworks says: Featured

    I admire the ways you have found to celebrate the 'incidental' in your creations. A splash of dye or the blending of ink across the screen all require you to recognize the value of the happenstance in art. Work that is overly contrived or precious can lose the viewer simply by being too perfect. The work you've created is full of life, (and incident) and I wish you both continued enjoyment and success in this venture.

    284 days ago

  • OneLaneRoad

    Becky from OneLaneRoad says: Featured

    Wow. I love your prints. So inspiring! As a fellow screen printer, I truly admire your illustrations and creative use of color. So unique and beautiful! Also loved the interview...you ladies know your stuff. Congrats!

    283 days ago

231 comments

Sign in to add your own