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.
