Had it not been for Ilona, who graduated as an environmental designer from the State Academia of Art and Design in St. Petersburg, Russia, her amazing skills in felting would have been left largely undiscovered. The fact that she turned to paint and photography, right after her graduation had almost put her in a different stream of professionalism.
However, once Ilona got acquainted with the technique of felting while working on a diploma. There was no looking back. The passion that started as a meditative process for her to relieve stress soon turned into an exciting hobby and she started making small items for her friends. At that point in time, even she was not sure that her skill would ever take a serious turn, but it did!
Ilona’s birds made from felting wool were an instant hit that stirred the interest of people browsing the internet. Soon, she was able to sell her felted brooches and other creations to all and sundry.
It was at this juncture that Ilona met Alexandra, a co-student who had also graduated as an environmental designer along with her from the same academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. When Ilona showed her the felting process, Alexandra got instantly attracted to it. Soon, she also started to produce her felted designs.
The breakthrough came when the two decided to team up and pool in their fashion accessories and other works produced by felting into a common collection. So was born WOOL&, an abbreviated form of WOOLAND in 2012. The two worked to create magic with felting and showcased their creativity on Instagram.
What attracted the two to each other was their common love for nature and their similar sense of style. They first created their signature Fox and Wolf neckpieces from wool that were simply magical.
However, Alexandra had to part ways in 2015, as she moved to Paris with her family. But, distance didn’t affect the brand WOOL&. It simply got divided into two workshops. In addition, Ilona opened a new workshop in Moscow in 2017, where she devotes her time and also pursues her photography.
Ilona continues to think out of the box and has added a new collection of woollen characters called Monoceros or just Mon andRainbow Lion. She creates pieces both for fashion and interior decoration.
On Instagram, WOOL& has over 17,000 fans, whereas WOOL& PARIS has over 18,000. Needless to say, their felting creations have become a rage on the internet.
More Info: Instagram
inwooland
Instagram | VK | Facebook | Pinterest