Contents 1
The Magnificent colours of the Drokpa Tribe
2
The Trend that caught our nose!
3
Home organisation tips for broke souls
4
Guide to gifting your girlfriend this Halloween Season
5
Instagram Brand Pick of the Month
6
Anushka Sharma - Looking at the road ahead
7
Blurred Lines, Prints and More
8
Design Talk with Surbhi Kothari,
9
A new salon in town
10
Textile Designer in the making
Talking retail fashion,Exclusive Interview with Catherine Beaudoin
11
The Daily Hassle and the warli
12
White on White, A local classic, an
13
Collection Review - Issey Miyake
14
Doctors Turning Writers?
International trend
(Ready-to-Wear, Spring’17)
The Magnificent colours of the Drokpa Tribe Documenting tribes has been Jimmy Nelson’s path-breaking project to which he has devoted his entire lifetime – this visual is from the Drokpa tribe near the Indo-Pak region of Ladakh. The tribe differentiates itself from others by physical characteristics and the sense of aesthetic as in this picture – her unusual flowered turban is unique and has been set up beautifully. The vibrant colour palate with contrasting flower decorations and coloured beads on the jewellery is balanced by the addition of silver jewellery and the goatskin coat layered on their traditional clothing. Their way of dressing up shows the vibrancy in their lives, the tribe in itself is a very fun-loving bunch of people who have never shied away from following their culture without thinking about the mainstream and how people perceive them – and that is a style statement in itself.
Reference - Jimmy Nelson’s documentation on Drokpa Tribe
Tribe of Pacific Northwest coast of America
Irian Jaya Tribe
Nepali traditional jewellery - septum ring and piercing
Rihanna flaunting a septum ring (fake piercing)
Blog - The Fashion Tag - Septum Piercing feature
Tumblr blog - Scene hair, Well-styled septum ring look
Japan Street Style - Harajuku girls
Disney princess’s septum ring look, fashion blog Trend Hunter
Harajuku street - Japan
Harajuku girls - Japan Fashion Street
TREND REPORT
The trend that caught our nose! Sometimes we need to look at where we came from to reach the next destination, and that’s what trends are all about, we often pick objects from the past and juxtapose them in the modern times. One such trend is that of the septum rings, which was worn by ancient tribal cultures across the globe in various forms - the Irian Jaya septum peircings, to the Nepali, Indian and Tibeti Bulak or even those in the Panamas and the Nez Perc tribe of the North American region – and has now trickled up to the noses of the most influential people of these times. The most iconic part of this trend is the fact that it has various connotations, some relate the septum ring to the bullring and the aggression which brings along the rebellious nature, while some confine it to the boundaries of tribes and their culture whatever that be, this trend has definately caught some good eye this year, from RiRi to Harajaku girls, the trend has been embraced by the West and the East with grace and a sense of a bold attitude, along with the essence of staying grounded and being revolutionarily rebellious.
Materials you can borrow or buy! (dont steal!) - Packaging Boxes - Fabrics, papers - Collectibles - A piece of plywood - Adhesives
Home Organization Tips for Broke Souls By Leena Jain
What’s better than a good-looking place that you can call home and stay in during weekends and not feel the constant FOMO because of your tight budget? Are you stuck watching Snaps of your friends on a Saturday morning lying in your under-done bed, scattered house and feel like you’re living in a cubicle without any soul of its own? But, you’d rather spend your off-days in solitude in the warmth of your house but unfortunately, it doesn’t feel like home? We’ve got you covered with some affordable materials which can make a hue difference in organising your home!
Use the large packaging box with your old belongings as a base for a side table! Too broke to buy a ‘side table’ for the bed, but constantly feel the need to have one? Take a packaging box and stuff it with your old belongings that you need only occasionally, use a large drawing board (If you did any technical drawing course at School) or a piece of plywood and a thrifted piece of fabric with a good print or a plain one and put it over your large box. Be sure to do the process next to your bed, as the box will be heavy. And you have a side table that can be dismantled and rebuilt again, without a fuss.
Make a cabinet out of packaging boxes! Remember how you got a few packaging boxes at your place from when you shifted in and shoved them off in your loft, take them out to make an organizing space. If you don’t have any, you can get used ones for cheap from your nearest grocery store (I got 10 medium sized Boxes for INR 20). Arrange a few of them guided by your own sense of aesthetic, cover these with your collectibles collages from a magazine or decorative papers on which you can paint (How about a Mondrian theme?). Fix them together using hot glue and screws if required, use your newly fixed cabinet to store whatever you feel like – books, stationery, albums!
Image Reference - PoppyTalk Blog, Homes+ Magazine
Guide to gifting your girlfriend this Halloween Season! By Leena Jain
Awaited across the globe, the Halloween season is right around the corner. Having gone beyond the themes of ghosts and horror, Halloween has now become the host of a new amalgation of fashion subcultures, pop culture and movies. The experimentation around various themes is growing every Halloween! Women anticipate this season as much as their male counterparts, so why not gift your significant other with some great props for Halloween? While you must be visiting numerous parties together, this time let her rest while you plan the attire for the two of you? Gift her a package that links the two of you together with the theme of Halloween in mind. As you think about what you want to gift- think what’s that one thing that she follows religiously – the Marvel comics? Superheroes? Television Series? Movies? Pop Stars? Food? Or her own weird self with unique perceptions about the world? Here are a few ideas for each category of interests, get inspired and try something out this Halloween.
For the Science-Fiction, Fantasy and Superhero fanatic How about the famous Cat-woman suit adorned by Anne Hathaway in the ‘Dark Knight Rises (2008)’ in which she impersonates the role of Seline Kyle? This could be an amazing gift if you could make a package of a jet black cat-suit with a touch of gloss or matte, whatever your girl would appreciate, a classic eye mask with a pair of classic black stilettoes or wedges, a cherry – red lip colour and an Eye make – up kit from Mac which flaunts a longlasting effect with its expressive shades of kohl, eye liners and mascara would be a perfect package! Another series or franchise that can be a great inspiration for a Halloween package is the character of the blue – clad Mystic from the X-men series – this can be a fascinating look for your lady when she is clad in a blue cat-suit, body fit or not – that’s for you to decide according to her comfort, if not skin-fit, even a loose blue jumpsuit would do justice as looks can be altered according to your style and that’s the beauty of fashion. If you wish to make the gift more interesting, make it as a package by including a body or face paint kit which you can easily get on at Snarazoo, along with stick-ons with metallic finish for the face with a brown wig! She will fall in love with the thought and the effort, also you can Do-the-Wig-Yourself if you are dedicated!
For the pop-culture addict! If your lady love is fond of the pop culture and artists, why not help her experiment with fabrics, colors, textures and accessories – trends that pop culture celebrities bring along or the culture itself generates. How about a lady gaga look if she loves exaggeration, gift her a single piece inspired by Lady Gaga – a spiked headgear
or the unstructured, asymmetrical wigs that Lady Gaga carries with supreme confidence by her side? A bold and experimental make-up kit which has a great range of shades – from the brights like pinks, yellows and darker ones like greens, burgundy, blues – well, no colour on Earth should she be kept devoid of! The kit should contain make-up for exaggerating features from head to toe – eyes, lips, forehead, cheeks, neck and nails! Now, leave the further styling up to her, but trust me it will be a treat for the eye! Another great pop-star popular for her play of colours is Katy Perry, especially her candy dress which quite literally, ‘Trick or Treat’ – how about gifting a dress like that, can be bought from Ebay or quite possible to work on it as a DIY project! -Rihanna’s sheer clothing style, her bold attitude, the fake septum piercing, the undercut hair- all of her recent trends can be put together into one present if she adores Rihanna like all women secretly do!
For the Radical Non Conformist There have been certain great and bizarre trends this year, from the coloured underarm hair to the septum piercing, rainbow dyed hair, undercut tattoos, also trends about body positivity, sexual health with the ‘free the nipple’ and ‘go commando’ movement, this could be the basis for gifting, a good old crop top that says, ‘Go strong, Go Commando’ can be a great gift for her, if she is all about trends, feminism and health-conscious lifestyle!
For the weird and the self-obsessed An interesting idea could be gifting her a merchandize of her common ‘quotes’, her lingo! That would also show how much attention you pay to her small quirks and every time she would look at it, she would burst out in laughter, and it makes up for a great Halloween gift too – with her adorned in her own weird self who she adores the most!
For the Appreciator of humour For a woman who loves humour, you could think of a really creative gift like a bitten piece of Pie or the last slice of Pizza or even a black mask that says ‘lost and found’ can be at the receiving end of appreciation. Something like Katy Perry did last Halloween – A fallen microphone!
For the Television Series buff The most loved Television series will remain F.R.I.E.N.D.S and you’d get a variety of merchandize just by looking at the quotes, you could also make one! Right now though, the most loved series is the GOT (Game of Thrones) – if she loves the rebellious, out of the world spirit of this show, you could perhaps gift her the thoughtful, elegant yet bold Marsala shaded shawl that ‘Melisandre’ carries with utmost panache in the show as the ‘Red Woman’ and if you have an extensive budget, you could also invest in the enormously beautiful Ruby necklace that shines when the ‘Red Woman’ worships the ‘Lord of Light’and foresees the future.
Well, if not the attire, you could also invest in pieces that she appreciates – like Home décor products to make her immediate environment radiate with the essence of her personality and a touch of the Halloween ambience. The inspiration could come from wherever – think of interests just like we did for attire – lamps, wallpapers, furniture pieces – and the best way to impress her would be taking the effort to Making-Something-Yourself as a DIY project! Just one last thing to keep in mind, the gift package needs to be gifted long before Halloween, so that they can be put to use this season and styled perfectly as she would like to plan in advance! Hope to see you guys gift her the perfect package ‘before!’ the great Halloween Party.
Instagram Brand Pick of the month - Patagonia Patagonia keeps its Instagram centered adversiting focused on how well their product performs on the field- whether it is rock climbing or trekking. They are the fore-runners in promoting sustainable lifestyle and fair trade practices, both of which are highlighted in their posts, just like using rubber in place of neoprene. The Products by Patagonia are often styled and highlighted in the context of usage in adventure sports and travel, often showing the protagonist in a difficult terrain and the product is promoted - these protagonists are people using their clothing and using them in context of the brand, a great way of making the target consumer their promoter!
Repairing, Reusing and recycling old clothing has been Patagonia’s mantra ever since. The customer association has been overwhemingly great with both their handles, @wornwear and @patagonia - they are a two way platform, where their proud consumers post one’s travel experiences but also the repair and reuse of oldclothing - whether it has been handed down to the next generation of their or is still in use. The most interesting part is that the target audience and the buzz makers or promoters are consumers themselves.
Image References - Patagonia, Worn Wear Instagram Pages
Anushka Sharma - Looking at the road ahead By Leena Jain
A
nushka Sharma, someone who is not your typical girl-next-door actress, but someone who acts with a playful charm and the characters she plays have a flair of ambition- from Shruti in Band Baja Baarat to Arfa in Sultan, she has not only proved her untameable acting ability but also her conscious and tasteful choices in taking up projects – ones which portray women who have a strong say in what happens in their lives. Along with this, her new endeavour in film production has grabbed significant eyeballs after the critically acclaimed first release, NH-10.
A Bollywood actress-producer, she is extremely pragmatic and chooses to speak whatever she feels like without any filter, and that reflects in her preference of photographs over art as she doesn’t understand art. Having achieved fame and success at the very beginning of the career (With Band Baaja Baaraat), Anuskha says, it is always about the right opportunities at the right time. She never dreamt or even thought of becoming a movie actress, everything just fell in place. For her production house, she believes that her brother and she don’t have a film lineage so they are bound to make mistakes in the process, but that’s the most important creative aspect they have as the duo would never have any preconceptions about Film making and that would encourage new type of cinema to be in place. While failures are a part of life, Bombay Velvet came as a first for Anushka Sharma – she had never done a movie that tanked this bad, which did affect her for a while, having compared the event to be as if it was “a death of a family member”. She says, “You learn the process eventually and not everything is going to work.” She also added that, “With time you also start becoming objective about your work, when you have just started making films, your entire focus is on you, the first – the second or the third screening, but slowly as you do more films, you find yourself thinking about the larger picture.” Talking about her family, she says in a recent interview with Rajeev Masand, “I am very close to my family and they keep me grounded. We’re inseparable, and it would be impossible to imagine a life without them. Even the Production House is run by me and Karnesh, and we firmly believe in quality cinema. I give my inputs in the creative aspects, but he is the backbone of the firm as he takes care of everything else, and we hardly ever disagree.” While, there has been a lot going for her on the professional front, movies that did well, a movie that tanked, but what rather kept her in the limelight was her infamous lip-job, or internet trolls who blamed her for her Significant Other’s poor performance on the field due to her presence – well that’s what is a little alarming, because more than attacking someone’s personal space, it is finding a soft corner to bash a woman who is doing good professionally and personally, and although Anushka has the attitude of taking internet trolling and social media with a grain of salt, she feels people are extremely immature and do not deserve the courtesy of knowing about her personal life.
“I am very close to my family and they keep me grounded. We’re inseparable, and it would be impossible to imagine a life without them. Even the Production House is run by me and Karnesh, and we firmly believe in quality cinema. I give my inputs in the creative aspects, but he is the backbone of the firm as he takes care of everything else, and we hardly ever disagree.”
Anushka Sharma is the changing present and glorious future of the entertainment Industry, her vision for cinema is bold, strong and impressive – if we skip the tabloids, trolls and paparazzi who are interested in where is she and with who and what’s going on in her personal life, there is a great amount of professional potential she has that might get consumed in such futile talks. Her work needs to be spoken about, her ideas and perspectives need to be talked about and that stands for any artist in the entertainment world, yes there is a mystery around their personal lives, but that is the way it should be if they prefer – there is no need to be a fly on the wall and stalk them around. We need to change our perspective on how we look at actresses and there is only one way – reporting about their work rather than their personal lives.
Image Reference - DNA India
Ranveer Singh, Experimenting with prints
Blurred Lines, Prints & More
Aztec printed t-shirt by nineteen51
Centuries earlier, when there was a growth of civilizations around the world, men and women had very similar clothing, it was only until recently that gender specific clothing came into picture, but the lines are blurring again. Men and Women are breaking these fashion boundaries to venture into clothing which is unisex. Interestingly, after Ranveer Singh who is at the forefront of this trend in India, started experimenting with quirky t-shirts with slogans, prints, pairing prints and donning a skirt, men have begun to experiment with their look, and playing with prints is the first step. Brands like Quirk-Box, Happily unmarried, bewakoof, nineteen51 are few among many who produce interesting printed menswear apparel. If you’re too conscious with your appearance, you can start with subtle prints and go on to aztecs, ikat, geometric, floral and further to quirky elements like marijuana prints if you are into rolling spliffs or the starry print if the kid in you is still alive!
Boxers by happilyunmarried
Sayam, Liberal Arts Student at Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat in an Ikat printed T-shirt
Ranveer Singh in a Star printed ‘Starry’ blazer
Tribal Print Sided T-Shirt, spotted on Prabhakar Hembrom, NIFT Gandhinagar Raven all-over printed shirt from nonasties, a fair trade apparel brand
This month’s edition features textile designer in making, Surbhi Kothari from NIFT Gandhinagar.
Design Talk
Surbhi Kothari
Textile Designer in making At NIFT, Gandhinagar
A happy-go-lucky workaholic is how I would describe Surbhi, even her lunch hour goes inside the design studio, often staring at her mood boards to get the right visual elements in her designs. Sitting across the table with her in the design studio, I grab the opportunity to ask her a few questions about her perspective towards design and her visual philosophy.
Well, that’s indeed a very interesting story – so while you held all your hopes at NIFT, what was your design calling- was it always Textiles or you had something else in mind?
All over print Wooden Ladder for Ferm Living
What brought you to the community of visual thinkers and the world of Design? I grew up in a small place called Kankroli, near Udaipur. I never had a plan growing up and the fact that I am at NIFT is quite a funny story. It started when I was in grade 11, one of my friends was really interested in taking up design! It was as if she lived for it, and that in a way inspired me to look at the arts as a potential career prospect. I used to be good at art in school, but this was the first time I thought of it something I could pursue. After grade 12 though, I took up commerce at HL Commerce College in Ahmedabad. I swear I hated it there, and eventually, I flunked my first year, and that’s something I’ve never told anyone! Anyway, I did get a chance to take re-tests and get on to the next year but I completely ignored them and confidently appeared for the entrance exam to pursue design at NIFT. My highly impulsive creative side told me to hold all my hopes at NIFT and not apply anywhere else. It was quite a risky move as my parents had no knowledge of my academic performance at HL– but luckily it all ended up well, as I did get into NIFT.
Frankly, at that point I was only concerned about getting into NIFT, without any preference for which realm of design, but for the fact that I can indulge into a visual creative medium as i get in. From where I look at it now, I think it all fell in place at the right time, with no planning as life is unpredictable and I like it that way. I don’t like to plan things in advance, and I find it futile as there is no certainty even about the next moment, it is silly to have a five year plan! When I see my journey with Textile, I relish it – but there’s something about paper that surpasses my love for textiles! I love working with paper, I think there is more creative freedom when it comes to paper as compared to textiles, and I hope to see myself working with paper in the coming years – not that I am planning it, but I am hoping to do so!
I’ve observed a great play of colours and textures in your work, what is your design aesthetic and philosophy? Well, I love colours and for me they play the most important role in the saleability of a product. My design philosophy is pretty simple – I like to work with colours, textures and abstract forms with crisp alignment and symmetry. I have a compulsive need for symmetry and balance in my design and artworks.
Katputhli themed print
Batik Cover notebook prints
So when you get a design brief, what is your first instinct when you think of the final product, what is your approach in terms of priority? While, a lot of designers talk about form follows function and function follows form, my approach is something different, it is all about the aesthetics of a product, maybe that’s how I look at it as a consumer too, and because textiles are such products where aesthetics play the most important role. The play of colour and design is my first exploration while I start working on a brief, all other aspects are added on a later stage.
Creative knotted fabric weaving
How has your journey at NIFT been so far, is there anything you regret? I have no regrets in life, NIFT has been a journey with its own ups and downs, mostly ups. I knew what to expect from college life once I came to NIFT, but academia at a design school is a completely different approach and that was a shock initially. In my foundation year I was quite laid back in terms of my design work and that I would say is something I’d like to change if I could go back, because I had to learn my basics along the way during the years at the Textile Department when I could have easily grasped those skills during my foundation year.
What’s next for you, I know there is no plan, but there would be some aspirations that you see for yourself in the near future? I have given a thought to entrepreneurship in the purview of the paper industry, but that won’t be too soon – I need to experience the design culture with the experts in the industry and after I graduate from NIFT, I plan to shift my base to Mumbai, where a few of my close relatives stay. Family helps me to keep myself sane and healthy!
Artwork - Repeat
What’s your quick design tip to all those who aspire to be creative professionals in the coming future? I would say that keep the fun alive while you design, don’t get bogged by unnecessary thoughts, take the liberty of thought and explore around yourself. And finally create something good without getting overwhelmed by the plethora of opportunities you see after you’ve explored!
Artwork - Conversational
‘New salon in town’ Review – Loreal Purp Salon
Friday evening, I and the other creatives in the office thought of getting a self-pampering hair session after the hectic work week – all of them had their own choice of salon in the city, even I did, but that day we thought of trying this new place that’s popped up. Let’s check out what this new place has to offer.
‘Manage messy hair’ treatment What’s the treatment about? The process starts with spritzing heat protecting spray, after which the hair is blow dried giving a temporary fix. The straight hair lasts for a single wash. Review Great for those who end up getting their hair messy and are perpetually busy to keep their hair groomed. It keeps your hair managed as long as you groom your hair regularly! This is recommended every once in a while (Every 10 days) for those who follow the Grunge subculture too seriously, just so your hair keeps healthy!
Moisture therapy What’s the treatment about? Many of us face dehydration of hair and/or the scalp and that leads to greasy hair which are dry and dull having lost their shine. This therapy hydrates your locks. As the therapy goes on for three hours, it not only rejuvenates your hair but your mind too. Review It’s a good therapy that soothes your whole body as your head gets massaged and the nerves get flowing. Recommended for those who have an oily scalp with dry and frizzy hair as it takes away the grease and dullness to take your hair back to their original shine and good health. Recommended every 15 – 20 days!
Shine bond smoothening What’s the treatment about? Unlike a lot of other salons that end up attaching extensions to your hair, the bond smoothening process here needs no extensions as the cuticles are repaired. The process relaxes the entire skull and the hair in the process without breaking any protein bond. Also there is a glossy effect as the shine of your hair gets rejuvenated and the straight locks look naturally straight, no wavering around whatsoever. Review While there is a direct health and monetary benefit here as there are no hair extensions involved because of the fact that the cuticles are given preference. This service is brilliant and is recommended to those who prefer straight hair that look managed and groomed. It keeps the hair rejuvenated. To maintain the same texture, regular grooming needs to be done.
Keratin smoothening What’s the treatment about? Keratin is that element in your hair which in abundance makes the hair straight, and if there is a lack of it, ends up in curly locks – the hair texture and orientation is by birth, but preferences might change as your grow – so this smoothening process helps in poker straight hair and doesn’t break any hair bonds. You can get smooth healthy hair by this treatment and they can be styled according to your preference, curly, straight or wavy but your hair quality remains intact – healthy and moisturized. Review This is another great treatment that they offer that allows room for experimentation in texture of the hair- how you want them to look like. Of course there is the benefit of hair rejuvenation but also there is possibility of playing around with curls, poker straight or wavy hair, recommended for those who want to style their hair in different ways.
You can check this salon out and mail us about your experience Image Reference - Blog - ‘trendsnhealth’
Talking retail fashion in an exclusive interview with Catherine Beaudoin Hi Catherine, thank you so much for giving us your precious time! So, how do you think your journey has been like from Westport to Amazon? Westport will always remain home, that’s what has made me what I am today. My parents reside there, I have my childhood friends, some who had left, but have returned now and some who have always called it home. It makes me nostalgic to have memories of the Minnybus, the Pizza and the beach. It was a wonderful place to grow up and I visit every few days. I am glad I can still go back and visit my base and the schools I went to. Moving to college and even after that, I was completely new to fashion. I did my major in History from Trinity College, Hartford and I was always that quantitative person in office who was the geeky one. After college, my first stint at Macy’s was awful, it hurt! I hated that job and for the goodness sake it didn’t last long. I then joined Ogilvy as an Account Executive and went on to be Vice President in the seven years that I worked there. At Ogilvy I gained a lot of experience in the marketing world and how it works, which helped me on when I started working for Banana Republic - GAP Inc
where I built my skills in Marketing and also launched Piperlime, the online business for GAP from scratch. This was the turning point, and soon Amazon came along where I had to build a retail section for Apparel from scratch, yet again. Amazon’s algorithms are completely different and alien when it comes to the fashion retail market. Fashion works according to seasons, and every four months the products become obsolete. So the fashion retail section of Amazon works independently. Also, it is very important to oversee what kind of fashion we are bringing in and how are we trying to promote and sell eventually. The most critical task was to position Amazon credibly as a fashion retailer. Sponsors like CFDA, the Council of Fashion Designers of America with whom we have a seven digit deal make it possible to stay at the top of our game. Soon, Amazon would be the largest retailer of clothing in the USA.
In this section of a talk with the expert, we bring to you, Catherine Beaudoin, President Amazon Fashion to talk in some words of wisdom about fashion retailing in the online business context. Amazon has been the largest e-commerce giant successful in retailing books, electronics, fashion and apparel related products. The luxury fashion brands have often critiqued Amazon as a platform that is not apt for selling high end fashion products, but to prove them otherwise, Amazon roped in Catherine who has been successful in approaching a lot of brands – mid-range and luxury, like Michael Kors, Levi’s Strauss and many such. This has been successful in making Amazon fashion into a credible retailer of fashion in the online business. What’s the success mantra for Amazon fashion? Amazon has always encouraged its employees to experiment and have huge goals. And a lot of times, things fail – whether it is the execution or the consumer interest, sometimes things don’t work out and Amazon truly encourages you to fail. There have been many things that I’ve done which haven’t worked out and there is no shame to accept that. At Amazon, I think I am with the most brilliant minds of the world – there are so many amazing people who collaborate and work in a team to produce magical astronomical growth rates in the business. We’re constantly encouraged to take risks – we had a men’s fashion week that did great, but often there is a strategy that doesn’t work. For the Indian market, we initially named our stint as Junglee.com, which turned out to flop and we redeemed our original name Amazon Fashion and the Amazon Fashion Week in India has just been around the corner, successful and ongoing. The culture at Amazon lets you take bold steps without shying away, whether it works or not. Also we remember the fact that we are on a virtual platform
and for that we do multi-channel promotions – editorial shoots and fashion shows are a part of this, they help us maintain our presence in the social media, outdoor and other mediums that are the way to our consumer’s hearts and minds around the world, we have a diverse range of consumer base spread across the globe.
Do you consider yourself a workaholic? Are you able to maintain a work-life balance or is it difficult? I think I am a human being and just trying to give my best every day evaluating what my priorities are. I like to keep both, my professional front and personal front in harmony by evaluating the priorities of the day. Before Amazon, I was staying in San Francisco. Sean had his own novel coming up and we had just had a baby. Initially it became a huge task to manage with everything that was new in our lives, but gradually things fell into place and I’ve been quite happy with developments in both the fronts of my life.
What is that one tip that you would give to someone new to the fashion retail business? Well, interesting question. There are no tips and tricks in fashion. It is a fast industry, things change every day. What works for one brand might not work for another – so don’t make rules and don’t stick to any rules. There are only guidelines, and even they can be taken casually, as there is no mantra for success. You have to only look at the situations critically and work according to the opportunities you get – whether it goes according to your plan or not! Be bold in making and implementing strategies, the rest of the process will take its own path.
Image Reference - Business of Fashion
The Daily Hassle and the Warli Contemporarized Warli Artwork print that illustrates a Diploma / Graduation scene which is relevant to the scenario of the 21st Century Urban world.
The art of Warli paintings is much more than just a traditional art form from the coastal line of northern Maharashtra, it relates to a greater art movement in the post modern world, the illustration style of using simple shapes - the traingle, circle and the square relates to the minimalistic portrayal which is similar to the Bauhaus movement, whereas the use of rice-paste and the essense of handmade relate to the arts and crafts movement, which is not only the use of locally available material but the essense of the area, the artist and the craft in itself. The fashion perspective can come in from the illustrative style of using simple shapes as the silhoeuttes, to the use of sustainable, locally available materials, the essence of the handmade and also the story-telling art that warli is in itself and a contemporarized form of it as a print.
Paddy grey-white
Muddy Red-Brown
Faded Mud-Red
Muddy Clay Olive
The traingles and the squares are the most integral part of warli paintings, they make the basis for defining the structure of the human body along with the circle and that’s how a silhouette in that form would take shape of the body and maintain the well defined yet flexible structure. Another possibility in terms of silhouette with flexibility yet a defining structure of the outside is the technique of pleating on the surface of the fabric, it creates an enormous liberty for movement.
Silhouettes of a square - shaped and triangular shaped silhouette
Flexible jumsuit with a square silhoutte by Issey Miyake
Suggested fashion silhoutte - a combination of triangular and square shape, pleated garment
Pleated dress by Issey Miyake
The Daily Hassle and the Warli “What should I do mommy? There is no one to play with me, and even you’re busy!, said the kid. “Take these pencils and papers, draw something, draw our house, your father, yourself, me, whatever you see around you, whatever you feel like!” replied the mother. And that’s what it has been like since the prehistoric times, our ancestors would often draw rudimentary forms of figures – human bodies, animals, plants, reptiles, and other figures they’d spot around themselves, they would draw events inside the caves, in nooks and corners – archaeologists and historians believe that these primitive creatures reflected on their daily lives and often drew to strategize their way of getting their daily bread, just like in today’s time even after technology has arrived, our basic plans – as writers, designers, engineers, architects, teachers or any other professional backgrounds – our first strategies are often drawn on a piece of paper or any other surface where we can find space to scribble or doodle. There is something about the hand-eye-brain coordination that has always inspired humans to visualize better by drawing, the language that is understood by all, because it can be interpreted more easily and is not bound by the barriers of language and literacy. Illustrations of human and organic forms found in caves were rudimentary and simplified, and as the art movements across the world progressed we saw everything from exaggeration, realism, surrealism to Bauhaus, which essentially meant we are coming down to the basics again. Currently in the post-modern era, we have combined our worlds, parallel universes may exist only in fantasy and imagination but there are
definitely parallel worlds that exist in our global world where we are processing multiple ideas at once, at one part we have a condescending, heart wrenching civilian war going on while at the other corner there is a development of a new governing system and at that very moment one part of world is fighting for their rights for three days of leisure out of work – now in such a world, what could break down the constant information that is developed into simplified form? The principles of both major art movements – The Arts and Crafts Movement pioneered by William Morris should be combined with its very contrary Bauhaus to be able to move out of monotony. We’ve seen arts and illustrations of countries across the universe, especially in India, where a majority of these arts have the essence of the handmade, hand printed and hand created. One such art is the Warli paintings, which has a glorious past, the Warli tribe of coastal Maharashtra were the ones who started drawing simple human figures, using the very structurally simplified shapes – a triangle, a circle and a square. The use of basic shapes – a principle used by Bauhaus artists’ too. The white paste using which these paintings are done was made out of rice, easily available to them locally – now that’s a principle of the ‘arts and the crafts movement’ – locally unique arts that are done by hand. What these artisans would do is use a mud base of the walls of their homes and illustrate their daily lives - whether it is a daily event like sowing seeds or an occasion like marriage or a festival, it would go there as a mural. Talking about the context of craft in fashion, the world works and ‘fashion’ either gets inspired or it inspires
further movements. Today we have designers around the world who have developed their own ideologies about fashion, attire, what looks good and what doesn’t– and those perspectives have trickled down to those at the bottom who often turn insecure about how people perceive them as whether they are a part of the crowd or not, whether they are thin or fat, and similarly, there are others who have given up their existing ideals and are creating fashion that lives to make people secure of their individuality and uniqueness whether it is by the colour of their choice or the body type they have – Warli as an art has shown bodies in such a way that it goes without defining anyone heavy or slim, there is no heterogeneity but neither is there any homogeneity as the kind of shaping used is what a structure in the most basic way would look like – an inverted triangle over a triangle and a circle on top of it. Well such a silhouette would often look interesting as it gives unforeseeable liberty to the form and structure of the human body, but inspires a sense of security in those who feel inferior and instils the required humbleness in those who consider their bodies as the ones that are the ‘preferred’ ones. The earthiness of the shades also is what could inspire a trend of using sustainable material – which is locally procured and makes no harm to the environment – probably what is organic waste or even that now we live in a world of digitization, it could be digital waste out of which there could be creation of wearable art, which can help us shield our bodiesthat’s where fashion started from, right?
The art of warli can be interpreted in many ways and for generating a trend in the fashion scenario there can be concepts like telling a story what you wear, a piece of clothing that can be used as a canvas and can be a mural, maybe depicting it like warli but a scenario of the 21st Century Urban scenario which could be what the artist wants to talk about! Another perspective is that of structural clothing which is flexible by allowing accordion pleats all over the surface of the garment, there is immense flexibility and it defines your body shape without having to say there are flaws or flawlessness – because no ‘body’ is flawed. Colours and textures are to be derived from what the art has always had – shades of browns – muds, earthen, sands, clay and white – the colour of the rice paste! The Fabrics would be ones that are manufactured locally, whether by a handloom produce or machine manufactured, it should be procured from that particular region – options vary are bound only to those kinds that which can be pleated easily. Using a traditional old art-form to create something more than just the same old prints of the traditional scenario is needed, let’s take the forms – the depiction – the style of storytelling – let’s tell the story of our daily lives rather than telling the stories of what the powerful are up to – while we have the power to demonstrate how the world looks like to us, there are enough stories to be told, and an endless number of places where inspiration could come from and that’s what it is all about!
Gucci, SS/15
H&M, Summer’14
Gieves & Hawkes, SS/15
The White on White A Local Classic, an International Trend
Kendall Jenner, May’16
Stella McCartney, S/S 15
Michael Kors, S/S 15
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A Rabari shepherd, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
A Muslim local, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
rom the runway to the celebrit y closet, pairing of Whites has been a major trend that grabbed signif icant at tention during the SS/15 and the SS/16 season. While internationally it has been embraced by major fashion brands and celebrities, locally it is a classic. Majorly adorned by the natives of hot and arid regions in India who have traditionally paired Whites, for, they are bound to wander in the sun all day long for their daily bread. White is known for absorbing the least amount of heat, and the theor y of pairing the pale white during summers has seen an unrelated trickle up!
A local businessman, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Collection Review
Issey Miyake
Ready-to-Wear Spring '17
Unapologetic and unafraid to experiment, Issey Miyake has always been a designer who takes the ‘surprise’ element very strongly in approach to his fashion ideologies and the looks that go to the ramp. This collection has a great play of structure, silhouette, colour and shape – but one aspect that remains common throughout the collection, is the kind of freedom of movement the attire has allowed for those who have adorned it. Starting with plain solids and a colour blocking of triangular and trapezium blocks with a free flowing silhouette that creates a balloon-like illusion from the midriff till the lower end where it tightens up a bit, this piece of garment gives fluidity with a structural look. In that sense, this collection is a good denominator of the future in fashion silhouettes where body-positivity trends are concerned.
Next came very interesting pieces of attire, which were the highlights of the collection, a great showcase of layered attire – asymmetrical shapes, the silhouette remained pedestrian but the design and the cuts were done just right, whether it is the asymmetrical top or layering by blazers – short, long, heavy or light! Another great style element was the pairing of colours – peaches and pales with neons and brights – a great combination, keeping the colour palate unique and intriguing. That’s what Issey Miyake’s colour combinations have always been like. The colours also remind me of the Japanese aesthetic, the vibrancy paired with the pale combined with an aboriginal aesthetic of neons – a good match of the street and the ramp.
Next came a play with patterns and silhouettes with the classic monochrome – while the cuts are experimental and innovative, the aesthetic added the much needed sense of balance to the collection. The addition of a waist-belt and a neckline with a zipper was unique and would catch the eyes of those fashion conscious clumsy ones.
A few pieces of the collection were reminiscent of the intricacy the house has, high on aesthetic and technology a, here Miyake has kept their signature style of pleating alive, again giving a free – flowing silhouette helping the shape of the body define the structure itself. The patterns and the shades give a great aesthetic appeal to these pieces adding that spark to the collection as a whole. Image References - Photographer - Luca Tombolini, InDigitalTV, Vogue
What was another spark of the collection was the colourful designs with slight pleats referencing the collection to the African and Australian Aboriginal community, the patterns and the accessories steal the show here. A few peices are extremely delightful and are the ones to look out for especially the onesies with reds, blues and blacks - in the signature way of pleats, they seem to be extremely comfortable and flexible.
In a few other peices although there was a lot of inspiration from the East, West and the Middle regions of the globe with regards to the use of colour, silhouette and the entire style – there was a part of the show that did not conform to the aesthetic of the house. It looked a little naïve where the brand name is concerned for the quality of aesthetic that you look at when you see Miyake, it seemed unruly for the entire collection and that’s one end that I truly felt could have been better. Too cliché was this approach of using only the vibrant and the neons with elaborate neck pattern on women of color, while the entire collection has broken the stereotype of neons and pales, this one part has been to much dismay for most, and I feel that there are way better elements that could have been borrowed, redone, remixed with the existing aesthetic of the house without compromising on the design sensibilities. As a collection, it has a balance, some pieces are novel, unique pieces of wearable art while others can be considered a cliché and have a scope for elimination for the high aesthetic value that the house has always followed. The use of colour and silhoutte is phenomenal in most part of the collection and it sure could strike a cord of inspiration across the globe in the context of fashion around the world.
Doctors Turning Writers? By Leena Jain
If you are anyone like me, you would research your head and heart out as soon as you see symptoms of an ailment, and just like me, forty percent of the world likes to refer to the written word for a medical problem they face before going to the clinic. There is a huge demand for authentic non-fictional medical report writing and the most apt professionals who can meet this demand are Doctors. They know every inch and micrometre of the human body, and perhaps nobody can articulate facts, theories and recovery better than them in this field. There are a number of resources available in the form of books, online journals and websites that give information about ailments that are health specific, but unless it is written by a registered medical practitioner, there is a really low level of trust. The win-win situation here is doctors now are willingly taking on to the writer’s pen as much as they are willing to take the scalpel,ready to enlighten the world by articulating health specific themes. A wave of such doctors comes from the United States of America, where surprisingly it is the Indian-American Doctors who are at the forefront of this revolutionary idea. Not only does this add value to their professional abilities and their expertise, but also increasing their years of service to mankind after they’ve retired from practicing medicine proactively. The written word remains forever and if doctors start recording their experiences with a particular type of ailment with a particular individual,
it would be abundance of knowledge and information that could help so many other people – including budding medical practitioners and enthusiasts. Another reason why this turn proves to be towards a great direction is because there is medical knowledge deficiency across the world especially in underdeveloped countries where majority of the world’s population resides, for instance Africa, where 1/5th of the world’s population resides, the condition of healthcare facilities are below adequate, at such places these resources can be of great help. Writing is skilled articulation of information and barriers to this information can be solved through this skill. While the late Indian-American, Dr. Paul Kalinithi started this by publishing ‘When Breath becomes air’ which became a revolutionary piece of non - fictional medical writing, more Indian-American doctors followed his steps. He lost his fight with terminal cancer at the age of 37 and this book is a memoir. The wave of this new culture of professional non – fiction writing must not stay limited to just the medical profession, but also touch through all professions alike, especially subjects like Policy development, defence and human rights to enlighten masses around the world about these sensitive issues that need to be discussed and brought to light.
Image Reference - Amazon Books
Bibliography
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