Where Fashion Resides

Fashion and history are terms rarely used together. Well, everyone wants to look their best, no matter the era. Fashion has a wide and intriguing history, but that topic is for another time. Today is dedicated to the places where fashion is preserved, namely the Museums where history is stored. Over the years many fashion enthusiasts all over the world have built museums that pay a tribute to fashion in their own way.

Cristóbal Balenciaga

The list of museums is quite long, but at the moment The Balenciaga Museum in Getaria, Spain caught our attention. The great Spanish Designer Cristóbal Balenciaga inspired this museum, which was launched in June, 2011. At the end of the nineteenth century Balenciaga was born in the Basque town of Getaria, Spain. Balenciaga’s father was the captain of a ferryboat and his mother was a seamstress. The presence of royalty in Spain during that time had made the area fashionable and Balenciaga’s mother was patronized by the local aristocrats.  

Cristóbal Balenciaga during his younger days

Balenciaga was expected to follow his uncle’s footsteps and become a priest, but it was his mother’s world that fascinated him. He would watch the beautiful women his mother would cater to, out of which Marquesa de Casa Torres was his favourite. At the age of thirteen he asked Marquesa if he could design an outfit for her. She indulged his request and was pleased with the result. This was his break and acquired his own patrons during his adolescence. Through Marquesa’s support he left grammar school to study tailoring and at 23 he opened his own house in San Sebastián. A little later he not only expanded his business, but even started to cater to the royals, like Queen Ena herself.

       

           

He staged his first runway show on August 1937, and Vogue called his show, “artfully cut little black dresses, their sobriety relieved by flattering twist of pearls at the neck.” He dramatically revolutionized the fashion scene when he altered the female silhouette by broadening the shoulders and removing the waist. This is reflected in his creations of the tunic dresses, chemise dresses, baby-doll and balloon skirts. 

The designer enjoyed an extensive and creative career and had his share of drama. He is still remembered as a couturier that had uncompromising standards and his signature style was the bubble skirts and feminine yet ultra-modern shapes. He was known to manipulate the relationship between his clothing and a woman’s body through the flexibility of his silhouettes. ‘The House of Balenciaga’ is where his legacy is still alive.

Balenciaga’s museum tells stories of beautiful Spanish landscapes, bullfighters, fishermen and the Catholicism of the country through his fabled designs. 

The Balenciaga Museum became the only Museum to be dedicated to a sole designer, which he deserves. The Museum houses some of his best works that include the wedding dress of Queen Fabiola of Belgium. 

A fashion aspirant should not miss the chance of visiting The Balenciaga Museum and should know about the designer who is considered the ‘Spanish Master’ by designers like Christian Dior and Chanel; he truly is the master of Couture!  

Seeking a Quality Fashion Education

Fashion designing is one of most artistic fields and has witnessed a steady growth in recent times. One of the reasons for this is globalization. A lot of international labels have established themselves in the country and a lot of Indian designers have made big on the global scene. But to reach those heights, your fundamentals need to be strong and for that you need a quality education.

Education is the first step towards starting your career, be it the typical nine to five job or a job with unrestricted hours. As far as fashion designing is concerned you may have the artistic skills to become a fashion designer, but you need the backing of a formal education to learn the very essence of designing. A formal education is necessary for anyone for any career in the fashion industry, from designing to managing.

Rocky S

Rocky S, one of the most influential designers in India, has made a niche in the fashion industry. He has successfully established his brand ‘Rocky S’ on both national and international levels. His initial education was in commerce, but his passion was fashion. He had the knack for picking up the right clothes and would be the fashion advisor for his friends. Coming from a conventional family, breaking away was a little challenging. But he did emerge victorious and joined J. D. Institute for Fashion Designing. He had an eye for fashion and the hands of an artist but these skills need to be developed and enhanced which is what a formal education did. Working for Roopam was his first break and a couple of years he entered the world glamour by designing for Akshay Kumar.

Neeta Lulla

Another prestigious personality in the world of fashion that reaped benefits from a formal education is Neeta Lulla. With her classic elegance and enormous amount of knowledge, she has been among the selected few to earn numerous awards. She has been on top for nearly two decades, but she started with a Degree in Dressmaking and Apparel Construction from SNDT University. Each of her works has been vibrant and unique, right from Chandni to Devdas. Now the Dean of Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion, Lulla is a firm believer in formal education.

Often young aspirants have a lot of questions regarding the need of education pertaining to careers in creative fields. Even with the internet making things easier, there is still a certain hesitancy among students. The Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion is dedicating an evening to aspirants, a little A & Q time with Subhash Ghai and Neeta Lulla. So make sure you’re ready with your questions on 5^th July 2014!

Unique Venues for Fashion Shows

A fashion designer endows every ounce of their talent into their fashion shows. From the staging to the color of eye-shadow, each element is carefully selected. A designer devotes months, often more, into one fashion show and goes over every aspect to make it perfect. There are various designers who have played with the theme of the show, turning an unimaginable idea into reality. However, some have transformed everyday and familiar places into their ramp, creating some of the best fashion shows. We have gathered a list of some of the most unusual venues for fashion show around the world, so be sure to check out this exciting list.

Fendi

The Great Wall of China:

The Great Wall of China was converted into one of the longest ramps during the Summer/Spring in 2008 by fashion mastermind Karl Lagerfeld. It took more than 12 months of careful planning by the Creative Director of Fendi to create a never before seen fashion show. Inspired by the fifties, 88 models walked on one of the wonders of the world in trimmed jackets and fur.

Pierre Cardin

Sun and Sand:

Pierre Cardin, another innovative personality, laid down the catwalk in a place that is generally associated with camel riding. His Spring/Summer 2008, collection had the exotic Dunhuang Desert as its backdrop which was ideal for the collection. A whopping number of 200 couture designs were seen walking on the podium placed on top of a sand dune.

Catherine Malandrino

Fashion on New York Streets:

Imagine walking down the street and coming across beautiful models clad in even more beautiful garments surrounding the pool outside Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, New York. Now there’s a sight that would definitely brighten up your day!Catherine Malandrino, a designer known for her ingenious ideas made this a reality in Spring/Summer 2011. Inspired by an artists’ village, Vallauris in the South of France, specifically ceramist Roger Capron her collection ‘Madoura’ was stunning and just so Malandrino.

Moncler Grenoble

Fashion on the Station:

The Grand Station, New York, is known for various reasons and one of them is the Flash Mob. But for the Autumn/Winter 2011, the team of Moncler Grenoble staged a ‘Flash-Fashion’ mob at the station.  Around 160 dancers donned the collection and flashed the fashion in a new and groovy way.

Thom Browne

There are so many more fashion shows with unique runways like when Thom Browne ramped up the New York Public Library with an extravagant dinner party. Another one was a show held in the Old Believers Church by Goshi Rubchinskiy or the launch of ‘Chanel Line’ at the airport in Santa Monica in Los Angeles by Chanel, all of which were impressive. 

                      Goshi Rubchinskiy                                                   Chanel

All these are unlikely venues for fashion shows but a creative mind will find possibilities, so pay attention to your surroundings because you don’t know when you might stumble on your next ramp!

Fashion Jazzed Up

One of the most glorious eras in history was the 1920’s. The jazz, the clubs and everything that was prohibited found a voice during this time. By the end of World War One, there was a sense of optimism in the air, but the loss and destruction was immense. The only country to reap any benefits was America. Their contribution of arms and ammunition made America a very prosperous country. And the start of the 20^th century saw drastic changes; it seems that society was purging the war away. Morality blurred and society became more liberal. Fashion was obviously affected, along with ideas, and fashion too became liberal.

One of the factors that influenced this change in fashion was the evolving role of women. With men busy with the war, women started sharing the role of the bread-earner and after the completion of the war this continued. This brought about a change in the way women dressed; trousers crept into their wardrobes, and the dresses lost length, but fashion was still conservative but soon changing.

              

The 1920’s were about living in the moment, instant gratification became the way of living. The entertainment industry accelerated with silent movies and music changed with comets and trumpets creating jazz in the expert hands of Louis Armstrong. Another thing that has gained prominence during this time was a phenomenon called the ‘Roaring Twenties’.

This new found freedom and the need of instant gratification were reflected in the fashion. Clubs were on the rise and no matter the lack of legality of these establishments they became the hub where people exercised this liberalization.

Men’s fashion was known by high waist jackets paired with a belt and hats. 

On the other hand a ‘new class’ of women emerged called the ‘Flappers’ with bobbed hair, who wore short skirts with hair bands with feathers tucked, a long string of pearls, along with dramatically lined lips as a ‘cupid’s bow’ and smoky eyes who listened to jazz and visited the clubs. 

They were considered impetuous because of their excessive makeup, drinking, smoking and having casual relationships. They listened to jazz, danced, drank and wore dazzling clothes.

The fashion style of the 1920s has been so exceptionally stunning that the students of Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion had to recreate it. 

Under the expert guidance of Belinda Bawa and taking inspiration from the ‘The Great Gatsby’, a classic example, the students designed their first shoot for a specific look. The scenario was an underground club. 

The task was more challenging because along with their own designs they had to create looks for models too. The students had a fabulous time and were able to capture the essence of 1920’s fashion beautifully.

A Page from Fashion History

The flashing lights on the stage, the smooth surface of the runway and the stunning models in beautiful clothes is what fashion shows are made of. People have always desired to look their best, making fashion one of the oldest existing businesses. Today there are countless fashion shows in London, Milan, Paris, America, India and almost every country in the globe so much so that it has become a common occurrence. But, the commencement of fashion shows has a vague history. France, one of the prime places where fashion flourished could be said to be the first ones to start the tradition of fashion shows. It is hard to narrow down the time or place for the first ever fashion show but let’s explore history.

Our story begins somewhere in the 1800s, during which time a horde of fashion parades took place in Fashion saloons; the glitz or glamour was mellow during that time, compared to what we are used to today. The models, who were called ‘Mannequins’, at that time, were taught the art of walking and posing in a saloon for onlookers. This was a way of displaying their collection and the latest trends. In all technicality it was a fashion show, though the models that time had fuller figures, but that too changed later on. In fact, depleting of the figure has been so much that we have size zero now!

In 1903 there was a resemblance of fashion show in New York City in Ehrlich Brothers boutique. The events had more of a theatrical flair to them compared to today. The show was generally organized around a theme which was narrated by someone. A couple of years later many of the large department stores such as Wanamaker’s and Philadelphia were also organizing these shows. 

The events exhibited couture gowns from Paris or gowns inspired by Paris fashion. Soon these events were taking place across New York City. But towards the end of the century, somewhere around the 1970s and 80s designers started having private shows which became the start of what would eventually become fashion show.

Nowadays we have fashion shows running on for weeks all over the world. For this we have some bright minds in the past to thank who in difficult times, when war was looming bring with it million of problems along, did not let the art die and found a way to reach the world. So remember when you see a fashion show next this all started in some saloon tucked somewhere in France.

Rainy Fashion

Movies Inspiring Fashion

Trends may be set on runways, fashion houses or out on the street, but it is on the silver screen that fashion is created. Movies have always been a source of inspiration when it comes to all things fashionable. There have been a lot of movies that have fashion or the fashion industry as their main theme; on the other hand there are plenty of movies where fashion is an undercurrent. Some of these movies have changed the fashion scenario. There are too many films to name, but here are some of the most memorable ones.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Let us start with one of the classics. Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of the most loved movies of all time. This film is known for its romance, the cast and their acting and of course the style trends it created. One of the first appearances of the little black dress was seen in this movie, which was donned by Audrey Hepburn. The look was classically simple, refined, glamorous and elegant. 

Annie Hall

Annie Hall: Annie Hall was another trend setting flick in which Dianne Keaton made menswear look alluring and feminine. Her costumes throughout the movie consisted of trousers, shirts and waist coats, a trend that is still considered classic.

The Talented Mr. Ripley

The Talented Mr. Ripley: A psychological thriller, The Talented Mr. Ripley did amazingly in the box office. Besides the story the movie has a visual appeal to it, what with a stunning cast shot against an even more stunning backdrop. Gwyneth Paltrow’s look is very soothing and feminine and the entire cast including Matt Damon and Jude Law wear a vintage look. 

Sex and the City: The Movie

Sex and the City: The Movie: The four stylish ladies ruled the television scene for a long time before arriving on the big screen. Sex and the City is one of the most fashion inspired movies and each of the characters has her own unique style. 

The Notebook

The Notebook: One of the most romantic movies, The Notebook is a heartwarming story. Set in 1940s, the film has a vintage aura to it that is reflected in the elegance and vibrancy of the customs.

Grease

Grease: This list is incomplete without the movie Grease. The musical romantic film grabbed attention for all the right reasons, the music, cast, everything. The flick was a huge trend setter- the jackets, the flowing skirts are still idolized.    

Bonnie & Clyde                                            Clueless

Bonnie & Clyde, Clueless, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Almost Famous and Vicky Cristina Barcelona are few another names from an extremely long list which you should definitely check it out!

 

Confessions of a Shopaholic                                   Almost Famous
& Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Above)

A Guide to the World of Fashion

The Fashion Industry is a constantly changing, yet stimulating world to belong to. A large number of people have tried but few have succeeded in cracking this glamorous business. The Fashion Industry is a tough industry to survive in. The first step is to know what you want; half the battle is won once you have chosen a path. The second thing that an aspirant should possess is passion, for you to accomplish your goals a burning desire to achieve them should be present. After realizing these two goals it is time to act on them, hence here are some pointers that may help you.

Education: We live in a very competitive world today; everyone is busy running the race. In order to keep up with this fast paced race, knowing the rules of this race is essential, therefore a quality education is of paramount importance. Fashion designing is a highly creative field so you should possess that artistic sensibility, which a formal education will polish and enhance further. Schools and Institutes that are wholly dedicated to fashion are rapidly growing in India and students keen on establishing a career in fashion should enroll themselves in a fashion school of their choice. Now there are multiple career options in this field of fashion, like styling or fashion marketing, so research and read a lot before picking up a career line.

Internship: Education is only theoretical knowledge, which won’t be enough outside the walls of an institute. The remedy to this problem is to undertake as many internships as possible. An internship will give you a glimpse of how things work outside a textbook while providing you a safety net. No matter which line of career you pick in the fashion field, an internship will prove nothing but beneficial in the long run.

Portfolio: In most creative fields a portfolio is mandatory, including the fashion industry. A portfolio should be a compilation of your best and most innovative works. This portfolio will represent your creativity, so choose wisely.

Other than the above points, do a lot of research; this will give you a better idea about the different genres of fashion and help you decide which one you prefer the most. Lastly, after every point is ticked and done with, have faith and confidence in yourself because that is the one quality that will get you through anything!

The Art of Embroidery

We all had needlework lessons in school, which we very reluctantly learned. Embroidery is one of the many forgotten lessons from school, but more than that it is an ancient form which has persisted till date thanks to people with passion and skill for the art. Generally yarn or thread is used for embroidery, but metal strips, pearls, beads, quills and sequins are also incorporated. Besides this the biggest quality of embroidery is that it is one art form that has always stayed in the fashion. Techniques that were practiced ages ago like chain stitch, blanket stitch (buttonhole), running stitch, satin stitch and cross stitch still remain the basis for hand embroidery.  

This art form has been in existence for centuries. In fact, embroidery can be traced back to the 3^rd century. The process used to tailor, patch, mend and reinforce cloth fostered the development of sewing techniques and the decorative possibilities of sewing led to the art of embroidery. The industrial revolution led to the invention of machines, and this proved to be a slow but steady boost for the art form. 

In India the styles and techniques for embroidery keep switching from region to region, giving it diverse forms. Designs are formed on the basis of the texture of the fabric and the stitch. The circle, the square, the dots and the alternate dot, the triangle and the combinations of these make up the design.

Zardosi Embroidery 

One of the most elaborate and tiresome kind of embroidery is the Zardosi. Here metallic threads are used over the usual silk or rayon. The fabric, silk and velvet are generally used, on which the pattern is marked by the craftsman and embroidered with metallic thread and stones and beads are embellished. Another well known style in India is the Ari work that is done by stretching the fabric on a frame and stitching with a long needle. This also holds sequins, beads and most other embellishment. 

                   

Chikan 

Phulkari 

   

There is Kashmiri embroidery, Chikan from Lucknow and Phulkari from Punjab region are just few. 

English Crewelwork

Embroidery as an art form has its presences in all cultures at all times, from England to Japan, and every other place which makes it a rather broad area of discussion. 

Japanese Kimono Embroidery 

Someone pursuing a career in fashion should be well aware about the different kinds and techniques of embroidery. Taking this very idea into consideration, the Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion organized an Embroidery workshop which was conducted by an acclaimed embroidery artisan, Mr. Izhar. He helped students understand the different mediums and technique of embroidery. The students not only gained knowledge but also had gala time learning more about this age-old art that still has so much to offer in this day and age.