The students at Whistling WoodsInternational-Neeta Lulla School of Fashion always go back in time to learn
something new from the old. In an assignment last week, our freshman students
explored ancient Egyptian and Indian clothing.
Egyptian civilization has always
been looked upon as a benchmark of art, culture and style. The discovery of
cotton and expensive fabrics like Linen, were a breakthrough by the Egyptians
in the world of clothing and fashion, which still remains with us today.
Ancient Egyptian clothing was
about richness of the fabric and ornamentation, yet simple in construction and
draping.
The men wore a wrap-round skirt
that was tied at the waist with a belt. Sometimes the cloth was also wrapped
around the legs. The length of the skirt varied depending on the period- short
in the time of the Old Kingdom while in the Middle Kingdom they were calf
length. In the New Kingdom period, pleated garments became fashionable.
Egyptian women wore full length
straight dresses with one or two shoulder straps. The affluent class wore finer
fabrics with embellishments. Jewelry and headdresses were a must for both men
and women alike. The women wore dresses made from fine, translucent linen.
In another assignment, the
students created ancient Indian costumes out of flowers and leaves. The challenge
was that they had to source materials from whatever was available around the
campus.
Ancient Indian men used to wrap a
garment piece made of leaves around their wait and women would wear a skirt
similarly made. They also used natural materials like fibers of the flax plant,
reeds, etc to weave garments. Keeping this in mind, the students had to procure materials for constructing the costumes.
Our students surely had a blast, working with
materials sourced from the natural surroundings of the campus and recreating prehistoric clothing.
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