StART a Conversation: Tessa Moss

On March 2, the Museum hosted a fashion show in collaboration with Limatus Bespoke, a local custom clothier located at the Pearl, to unveil a Spring/Summer collection inspired by Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompeii. 

View or book an appointment to buy the designs with Limatus Bespoke.

We asked Tessa Moss, lead designer at Limatus Bespoke, a few questions about the collaboration.

How did the idea for the collection come to be?

We were in a place where we had just wrapped up our fall/winter campaign and were starting to brainstorm the concept of spring/summer. While we were still playing around with ideas and enjoying the small amount of gap time we have between collections, SAMA approached us about designing an ensemble inspired by an exhibit opening in February. We couldn’t help but feel it was a little serendipitous and asked if the Museum would be open to having Roman Landscapes be the inspiration for our spring ‘23 collection.

Why did you want to work with SAMA?

We believe community connections are so important, and the opportunity to work with a local museum and connect two very different forms of art felt exciting. I was able to sift through the catalog of Roman Landscapes and was immediately inspired by it. Our team was extremely enthusiastic about the opportunity.

Will you please describe the collection for us?

There are definitely a couple of different concepts coming together in this collection. I think it can be described as a touch of modern Italian fashion mixed in with something that feels very romantic and mystical.

Could you describe the design process from ideas and concepts to runway ready outfits?

I sifted through the catalog for a couple of weeks. I immersed myself in the colors and the stories and tried to learn as much as I could about the time period to imagine what the artists could be thinking or trying to portray.

Once I felt like I had a grasp on the art itself, I was able to start picking out aspects I knew I wanted to show through in the collection. It started with some yardage of canvassing we use in the construction of our suits. I wanted that to be the connecting factor. Then feeling like the art had such a balance of strength and serenity, I knew I wanted to work in some floral and greenery embroidery. From there, I was able to pull a color palette and start selecting fabrics.

A model poses with the Statuette of Diana that inspired her outfit.

Did you take inspiration from specific artworks in the exhibition or in the Museum’s collection?

Absolutely. The Wall painting with a seaside scene from the House of the Citharist, Pompeii gave me a core color palette. The various marble pieces invited the shiny satin and heavily textured tan fabrics. The torso of Diana (Statuette of Diana) inspired the pleated half-skirt. Wall painting with Landscape Scene, Birds and Fruit from the Large Columbarium in Villa Doria Pamphili, Rome placed together the pale pink and canvassed look. Wall painting with Sculptures and Birds in a Garden from the House of the Golden Bracelet, Pompeii inspired the embroidery. Wall painting with Odysseus and the Sirens brought in rope elements, and Wall painting with the Elysian Fields was directly linked to the floral robe.

There are so many amazing art pieces (in Roman Landscapes), and it almost felt overwhelming at first in terms of how to read it all as one. I knew that I was going to have to be inspired by it all and somehow create a new story.

Lindsy Rymers
Marketing Assistant