POR T FO L IO 2 0 2 1
Diya Ahuja
CONTENTS
• Fashion Show Reviews • Profile on Quinten Mestdagh • Understanding of Fashion( A series of presentations) • Styling and Photography
Dris Van Noten Fall 2009: Inspired from Francis Bacon
What is fashion without emotion? The answer to this is ‘nothing’. The fashion collection of Fall 2009 by Dris Van Noten wasn’t for commercial purposes. It was an experiment to understand the emotions behind Francis Bacon’s paintings. “You have to have disturbing elements”, said Dris Van Noten in an interview at the New Yorker Festival in 2017 (Bain, 2017). This collection had basic silhouettes but the color palette used, made a huge difference. There was a melancholic feel to it. It is difficult to visualize a combination of dirty pink with olive green but there it was. The combinations were certainly weird but not impossible. Off shades of orange, ocher yellow, mauve, beige, shades of brown were some of the major colors highlighted in the show. The only eye-catching part of the show was the use of orange-red lip shade, which was common for all looks.
In an interview (The Francis Bacon Collection (2009) by Dries Van Noten, 2018), Dris Van Noten said, “When I came out of that exhibition, I was completely in shock, and for me, I didn’t know. I was really kind of upset about the beauty and the ugliness at the same time, and I wanted to translate this feeling which I felt - also in a collection”. The collection wasn’t trying hard to seek the attention of the audience. The goal was pretty clear. The emotions of Francis Bacon’s paintings came out undoubtedly well. It didn’t deliver any mixed feelings. It was either extremely beautiful or strangely ugly. References: Bain, M., 2018. How Does A Creative Person Stay Creative For Decades?. [online] Quartz. Available at: <https://qz.com/quartzy/1105888/dries-van-noten-explains-his-decades-of-creativity/> [Accessed 10 April 2020]. Spenceralley.blogspot.com. 2018. The Francis Bacon Collection (2009) By Dries Van Noten. [online] Available at: <http://spenceralley.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-francisbacon-collection-2009-by.html> [Accessed 10 April 2020].
Edda Gimnes: 2016 Collection
Who would have thought of using their initial sketches as a final print on clothes? Unbelievable, right? Well, Edda Gimnes is a Norwegian womenswear designer who graduated from the London College of Fashion in 2015, when she set up her brand. She aims to continue combining fashion and art in a new and unexpected way, focusing on naive cuts and visually striking graphic prints. She draws a lot with her non-dominant hand, which adds an element of unaffected innocence to her designs and illustrations. (www.edda-gimnes.com) Edda launched her first fashion collection in 2016 and it was splendid. It was so rough and random that it could be interpreted in so many different ways. It could be out of frustration, it could be out of enthusiasm or excitement, it could be out of playfulness or it could be what you want it to be. The monochromatic graphics with a very little touch of pinks added to the beauty of the clothes. Uneven strokes, zigzag lines, diverse shapes made it look uniform and non-uniform both. Even the negative spaces felt like they were balanced out even if it was random doodling. Each garment looks like different artwork altogether. You can just keep on staring at it for hours.
They were clothes through the vision of art. It felt so surreal because the concept behind this collection has never been seen before. It was like the body transformed into surreal shapes because of the not-so-usual silhouettes. This collection was exactly what Edda Gimnes wanted to portray. In an interview by furfashion from wearfur.com, Edda said, “I feel like you should have fun with the clothes and I feel like wearing my collection is like dressing up for different characters. I want people to wonder and question what fashion is, and get carried away into a fantasy world”. References: •fashion, f., 2017. REMIX Success Stories - Edda Gimnes - REMIX 2016 Bronze Prize Award. [online] We Are Fur. Available at: <https://www.wearefur.com/remix-success-storiesedda-gimnes/> [Accessed 20 April 2020]. (fashion, 2017) •http://www.edda-gimnes.com/
Schiaparelli Spring 2017: “Chinoiserie at Heart”
Working in terms of surrealism isn’t new for Schiaparelli. Surrealism and Schiaparelli have been going hand in hand since forever in this fashion industry. The Spring 2017 collection, “Chinoiserie at Heart” that took place in Paris was diverse. Bertrand Guyon played with a lot of colors, Chinese motifs, simpler shapes and not to forget Elsa Schiaparelli’s iconic motifs. Coming to the inspiration behind this collection, Fashion Network wrote in an interview with Guyon that, “Photos still exist where we can see Mrs. Schiaparelli in her room and we see these magnificent pieces like Aubusson tapestries, chinoiseries, a lot of little objects, small Chinese terracotta and what not. It is a very Schiaparelli collection.” One look that caught my eye was the combination of a single-breasted jacket with golden and black Chinese motifs over a red shirt along with tailored straight pants. This look was crisp and could define the theme for the whole collection in just a single glance. The jacket also had a heart patch on the left side on the breast to add an element of surrealism.
The heart motif was majorly seen in different types of footwear. Teaming with a lot of prints and colors, white-dominated the whole collection majorly and it seems to have worked out in an exceptionally beautiful way. The special element of this collection was how Guyon managed to give a surreal touch to all his clothes. Sketched hands, two faces; one on each side of the jacket, Keyhole in Schiaparelli’s shocking pink dress, the lobster print in an off-shoulder beige dress, cage lockets and a lot more elements were seen in the collection. These elements complimented the colors of the collection extremely well. References: US, F., n.d. Schiaparelli - Haute Couture Collection Spring/Summer 2017 In Paris ( With Interview ). [online] FashionNetwork.com. Available at: <https://us.fashionnetwork. com/videos/video/17850,Schiaparelli-Haute-Couture-collection-Spring-Summer-2017in-Paris-.html> [Accessed 20 April 2020].
Moschino Spring Ready to wear 2020: Pablo Picasso
You’ve got to love this collection of Moschino, Spring 2020 ready to wear collection which was showcased in Milan in September 2019. The creative director of the brand, Jeremy Scott made it look like a virtual tour of an art gallery, with models dressed up as artworks. The Spring 2020 collection depicted Spanish culture, the major part being the spectacular artworks of the artist, Pablo Picasso. In an interview with Nick Remen(2020), Scott said, “His work is just iconic. If you show someone something that’s abstract or figurative, people might guess it’s Picasso, even if it’s not. That’s how much he is a part of the cultural conversation. I’ve wanted to do a Picasso collection for a long time”. Scott played around the different versions of the Guitar Sculpture(1914), one of which was seen on Kaia Gerber. A diamond-patterned jumpsuit with ruffles on its collar, inspired by “The seated Harlequin (1901)” was worn by Bella Hadid. Gigi Hadid walked the ramp as Picasso’s bride. Keeping the Spanish culture into consideration,
a flamenco style dress was seen on a model. A headgear with horns was also used. The best part of the show was a dress made out of a gold leaf frame, which made the model look more like a painting. Adding to this wonderful collection, were the strokes of paint in different shades, down the hair. Jeremy Scott, known for his humor and his personal style, played with asymmetry as well. Most of the outfits had exaggerated or asymmetrical shoulders. The props, such as the hand that was worn as a glove wasn’t something usual as well. This collection incorporated a lot of colors and a proper set of a theme. It brought a tint of nostalgia just like his other designs. The unrealistic silhouettes and this colorful art-inspired collection of all times direct towards one main thing and that is the art of skill. To mimic such beautiful artworks into designs is something that is mastered by Jeremy Scott. The designs gave a theatrical feel to the garments and it is merely not a fashion collection, it is an experience created for you to bring art and fashion together. References: •Remsen, N., 2020. Picture Perfect: Why Moschino’S Jeremy Scott Loves Picasso. [online] Ft.com. Available at: <https://www.ft.com/content/b9e28cfe-4ec5-11ea-95a043d18ec715f5> [Accessed 8 April 2020].
Roksanda’s Pre-Fall Collection of 2019: Inspired by Rana Begum
In this generation, art and fashion go hand in hand. All credit goes to the designers who’ve narrowed down the differences between them. One such designer is Roksanda Ilincic. Her artistic Pre-Fall 2019 collection, showcased at London was inspired by an amazing Bangladeshi – British, Visual Artist, Rana Begum. According to Artspace.com(n.d.), “Rana Begum plays around with vivid colors which form the impression that the work is floating in space by applying those colors on the back of the white folded work which radiates onto the white wall. This series represents a calm and contemporary approach, yet Begum’s bold use of color conveys the intensity”. Roksanda has incorporated the whole essence of Rana Begum’s artwork in her designs. The designs are minimalistic, bight and dreamy. The silhouettes are loose and breezy with pouf sleeves, frayed edges, geometric, abstract floral prints and much more. Adding on to that, the abstract accessories were the show stealers. This exceptionally beautiful collection played around colors and proportions.
Tangerine, Olive green, Sea green, Pink and Turquoise Blue were most of the colors seen in her designs. She even played around proportions and therefore her designs were baggy and comfortable. It allowed a lot of movement and covered a lot of space in the room. Art can inspire people even in their basic forms. It gives designers a license to play and explore certain things that can only be imagined. Rana Begum’s artworks are one of them and Roksanda’s interpretations of those artworks led to some beautiful and elegant designs. References: Artspace. n.d. Rana Begum | Artspace. [online] Available at: <https://www.artspace. com/artist/rana_begum> [Accessed 9 April 2020].
Profile on Quinten Mestdagh: 2019 MA fashion graduate
Quinten Mestdagh is a 2019 MA fashion graduate from the prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. The Emerging Atelier, in an interview with Quinten, states that “ It’s almost like a status symbol when you study fashion”. He wanted to do something else than the conventional silk screening and symmetrical compositions that have been a part of womenswear since the beginning of the style. His garments are not only spectacular and complicated, but they reflect modern obsession for messages and personality. His goal was to find a technique and an aesthetic that had nothing to do with each other but had a visual connection. Quinten said, “ I like to mistranslate the aesthetic a bit by using the ‘wrong’ sort of symbols that you would never normally associate with such a chic scarf; the idea is to make it a bit more street and fun.” Both the collections; “Default by Bliss” and “Dodge this” were quite extraordinary. “Default by Bliss” was Quinten’s final collection and “Dodge This” was his Bachelor’s collection of 2017. Both of them were spectacular. The main elements that made the collections stand out were the concepts behind them. Who would have thought that
a ripped off fashion poster could bring in the idea of an abstract silhouette? Who would have thought that the mother-of-pearl buttons could be translated into graphic bitmaps and typography? They have no relation between them but the only reason behind using them together was to try out different types of aesthetics. Quinten’s “Dodge This” collection was inspired by ripped fashion posters and his love for fashion photography. He said, “I’ve always been attracted to highly stylized and iconic fashion images in magazines and advertisements, and they were the main inspiration for starting the collection.” The color palette for this collection was black and white prints with pop colors to highlight them. Combinations of red and oink were majorly seen. For his MA fashion collection, “Default by Bliss”, Quinten did a lot of research into materials and techniques. Quinten’s goal for this collection was to find a technique and an aesthetic that had nothing to do with each other but should have a visual connection. With the mother-of-pearl buttons, he wanted to find both the contrast and the similarity between a technique and aesthetic so that he could merge them to get a whole new outcome.
Quinten Mestdagh (@quintenmestdagh) believes that Instagram helped him get a lot of attention because one can communicate and share their works visually and instantly. He believes that Instagram is like his online portfolio to showcase his work. Follow him to know more about his works and keep yourself updated with his mindblowing projects. References: •The Emerging Atelier. n.d. DTW: Quinten Mestdagh. [online] Available at: <http:// emergingatelier.com/?page_id=2081> [Accessed 18 April 2020]. (DTW: Quinten Mestdagh, n.d.) •Enfnts Terribles. n.d. Backstage With Antwerp Fashion Master: Quinten Mestdagh. [online] Available at: <https://enfntsterribles.com/quinten-mestdagh-backstage-antwerp-fashionmaster-1/> [Accessed 18 April 2020]. (Backstage with Antwerp Fashion Master: Quinten Mestdagh, n.d.)
Understanding Fashion (A series of presentations)
•Analysis of SS21 Dior Haute Couture https://issuu.com/diyaahuja/docs/dior_ss21_ analysis •Analysis of Trench Coats https://issuu.com/diyaahuja/docs/analysis_ on_trench_coats •Analysis of Deconstructivism as a design movement https://issuu.com/diyaahuja/docs/deconstructivism
Styling and Photography
•Alternate Canvas
Concept: Diya Ahuja Art: Divyata Pal Photography and Styling: Diya Ahuja
Styling and Photography
•Alter Ego
ALTER EGO
Concept: Diya Ahuja Art: Cheshta Chug and Girisha Suri MUA: Manya Sachdeva Photography: Diya Ahuja
Styling and Photography
•Monday Blues
MONDAY BLUES
Concept: Diya Ahuja Art: Shreya Chauhan MUA: Mahima Baragi Photography: Diya Ahuja
OLD MEMORIES, NEW KEEPERS
Concept: Diya Ahuja Art: Poorna Dixit Photography and Styling : Diya Ahuja
LAYERING
Art: Dhiti Pahuja Photography and Styling : Diya Ahuja