Mandali Mendrilla

Mandali Mendrilla, born Maja Mendrila, grew up on the Croatian coast.[http://dalje.com/en-lifestyle/mendrilla-dedicates-collection-to-statesman-zed/220270 Article about Mandali Mendrilla citing her youth in Rijeka, Croatia] After high school Mendrilla was tutored in fine arts by Croatian sculptor Tatjana Kostanjević and started her fashion career in 1995.[http://www.ovguide.com/mandali-mendrilla-9202a8c04000641f8000000012e5fda4 Article citing Mendrilla having received private tutoring from Croatian sculptor Tatjana Kostanjevic]

In 1995, Mendrilla's collection was selected as the theme collection of the Croatian Fashion Week and was awarded the Design Excellence Grand Prix. She also made the first ever translation of the Ramayana, in Croatian,[http://my.wn.com/search/traditions?p=16400&t=details Reference citing Mendrilla as the first Croatian translator of the epic Ramayana][http://udrugalotos.hr/iz_medija/Promocija_Ramajane_Novi_List.pdf Newspaper article of the presentation of the first translation in Croatian of the Indian epic Ramayana, May 11th, 2005][http://koha.ffzg.hr/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=120034 Entry of the Ramayana in the Library of the Faculty of Philosophy from the University of Zagreb] and several other books,[http://katalog.nsk.hr/F/?func=direct&doc_number=000813061 Entry of The Journey Home: Autobiography of an American Swami], by Radhanath Swami in the National and University Library of Zagreb[http://baza.gskos.hr/cgi-bin/unilib.cgi?form=B1131008009 Entry of Leadership for and Age of Higher Consciousness by Bhakti Tirtha Swami in the City and University Library in Osijek] like the Mahabharata.[http://novine.novilist.hr/default.asp?WCI=Pretrazivac&WCU=2859285D286328592863285A285828592858286328632863285A2858285C2861285B285D28632863286328582863A Croatian newspaper article on the presentation of the translation into Croatian of the Indian epic Mahabharata][http://koha.ffzg.hr/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=120034 Catalog entry of the Mahabharata in the Library of the Faculty of Philosophy from the University of Zagreb] From 1995 to 2006, Mendrilla designed several haute couture Croatian Fashion Week award-winning collections.

In 1996, Mandali Mendrilla decided to complete her studies at the Rijeka Faculty of Philosophy, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Croatian language and literature. In that period, she studied Bhakti Yoga and traditional arts of India under tutelage of Kenneth R. Valpey. The studies inspired several art projects, like collaboration with British anthropologist Chantal Boulanger on Vrndavana: The Sari Experiment.[http://iskconnews.org/devotee-fashion-designer-dedicates-new-collection-to-late-husband-nitai,3297/ ISKCON News article describing "Vrndavana: The Sari Experiment"][http://atma.hr/mandali-mendrilla-moda-za-ekoloski-osvijestene-koji-zele-kvalitetu-i-umjetnicki-dizajn/ Article from Atma, mentioning Vrndavana: The Sari Experiment] Mendrilla also finds inspiration in ancient cultures, especially from India.{{cite web|url=http://www.filmyfriday.com/bollywood-news/famed-croatian-american-fashion-designer-exploring-ancient-hindu-civilizations-for-her-next-line|title=Famed Croatian-American fashion-designer exploring ancient Hindu civilizations for her next line|access-date=16 October 2014}} In the United States, Mendrilla's late husband and artist Elisha 'Nitai' Drury's Krishna Kitchen, ended up becoming an integral part of some of the biggest and most exciting alternative festivals of the new millennium; including Burning Man, Wanderlust and Bhaktifest.{{cite web|url=http://burncast.blogspot.nl/2012/12/rip-nitai-das-found-of-krishna-camp-at.html|title=BURNcast.TV: RIP Nitai Das - Founder of Krishna Camp at Burning Man|date=27 December 2012|publisher=|access-date=16 October 2014}} Mendrilla dedicated an entire collection to commemorate his legacy.[http://www.merinews.com/article/designer-mandali-mendrilla-dedicates-new-collection-to-late-husband/15869345.shtml Article from Merriness on Mandali Mendrilla dedicating her collection "Slave2Love" to late husband][http://www.hubvilla.com/press_release/heading/144/haute_couture_designer_mandali_mendrilla_dedicates_new_collection_slave2love_to_late_husband.shtml Article from Hubville on Mandali Mendrilla dedicating her collection "Slave2Love" to late husband] In 2014 she was featured on the Croatian Fashion Week in Zagreb.[http://www.cosmopolitan.hr/clanci/moda/ususret-dreft-fashion-weeku Article in the Croatian Cosmopolitan announcing Mandali Mendrilla's participation in the Croatian Fashion Week 2014][http://www.gloria.hr/dreft-fashion-week-od-klasicnih-do-ludih-kombinacija/ Article in Gloria announcing Mandali Mendrilla's participation in the Croatian Fashion Week 2014][http://www.fashionweekzagreb.com/galerije/mandali-mendrilla-new-york/600/Fashion Zagreb Fashion Week's photo gallery from Mandali Mendrilla's collections at the Croatian Fashion Week 2014]{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLTj61yKBbM#t=11|title=Mandali Mendrilla New York Fashion Week Zagreb 14/15|work=YouTube|access-date=16 October 2014}} She closed the year with an appearance in the Yoga journal.[http://www.yogajournal.com/slideshow/12-yoga-poses-spark-creativity/#slide-8 2014 Top Yoga Moments - Yoga Journal] In 2015 Mandali's luxury label was featured by the British VOGUE magazine, Harper's Bazaar and Tatler.{{Cite web|url=http://mendrilla.com/press/|title=Press | Mandali Mendrilla}} Mandali's collection Wish Tree Dress, inspired by the eastern tradition of Wish Trees, was presented at the Croatian Fashion Week in June 2015.{{Cite web |url=https://vimeo.com/131149606 |title=MANDALI MENDRILLA WISH TREE DRESS COLLECTION Fashion Week Zagreb June 2015 on Vimeo |access-date=2015-12-01 |archive-date=2015-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208125743/https://vimeo.com/131149606 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.wish.hr/2015/06/drugu-vecer-fashion-weeka/ |title=Drugu večer Fashion Weeka – Wish |access-date=2015-12-01 |archive-date=2015-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208120806/http://www.wish.hr/2015/06/drugu-vecer-fashion-weeka/ |url-status=dead }} After the fashion week appearance Mandali was invited to design a special Wish Tree Dress for the collection of the Belgian MOSA Museum. Mandali crafted an interactive art installation called Mandala of Desires (Blue Lotus Wish Tree) made of peace silk and painted with eco friendly textile ink resembling a lotus flower with branches of a tree upon which visitors could hang their desires. The dress was taken to India and offered to a genuine wish tree in 2016. The pattern of the dress was based on the Goloka Yantra mandala and the thousand petalled lotus petticoat on the layered glass sculptures of Dutch artist Bert Van Loo. The dress was exhibited as part of the "Forms of Devotion" exhibition at the China Art Museum in Shanghai as well as the Museo de arte Contemporaneo at Conde Duque in Madrid, Spain.{{Cite web|url=http://wall.hr/fashion/dizajnerica-hrvatskog-podrijetla-mandali-mendrilla-u-najvecem-azijskom-muzeju/|title = Hrvatska dizajnerica Mandali Mendrila u najvećem azijskom muzeju!| date=30 October 2015 }}{{Cite web|url=http://formsofdevotion.org/china-art-museum-in-shanghai/|title = China Art Museum in Shanghai | Forms of Devotion| date=14 November 2015 }}http://formsofdevotion.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/FOD_CATALOGUE_low_res.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}{{cite AV media| url-status = live| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211209/IDFGh4M_Yfc| archive-date = 2021-12-09| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDFGh4M_Yfc| title = Forms of Devotion with Mandala of Desires at Conde Duque, Madrid | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}{{Cite web|url=http://formsofdevotion.org/conde-duque-madrid-spain-oct-15th-2016/|title=Photos: Conde Duque, Madrid, Spain, Oct 15th 2016 | Forms of Devotion|date=15 October 2016 }}{{Cite web|url=https://vadearteblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/el-arte-sagrado-de-la-india-actual/|title=El arte sagrado de la India actual|date=28 October 2016}}

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File:Mandala of Desires Mandali Mendrilla China Art Museum.jpg| Mandali Mendrilla's interactive sculpture dress "Mandala of Desires" at the China Art Museum in Shanghai, November 2015.

• {{official website|http://www.mendrilla.com/}}
• [http://mandalimendrilla.tumblr.com Mandali Mendrilla on Tumblr]
• [http://instagram.com/mandalimendrilla Mandali Mendrilla on Instagram]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKd2cE8r-WE Short film of Mandali Mendrilla at the Croatian Fashion Week in Zagreb, May 2014]

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Category:American women fashion designers

Category:American fashion designers

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Category:English–Croatian translators

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Category:Businesspeople from Rijeka

Category:1976 births

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Category:21st-century American women writers