Déjà Vu: Modern Matajis

Sabyasachi Mukherjee almost always gets it right, when mixing modernity with the traditions of the Motherland.

I love that his clothes respect the culture from which they originate. Rich brocades, pashminas and luscious jewel tones are all an essential part of his creative toolkit. In a time when India is embracing the Western way of life at breakneck speed, he reminds us that it’s okay to be true to your culture.

While everyone else does skinnies, he sticks with the churidaar but makes it out of sheer chiffon – or is it georgette?

While everyone shortens up, he keeps the longer kurta.

While everyone uncovers, he even covers the head – a true sign of respect.

Dignity, beauty and tradition intact @ Sabyasachi FW09

A Sabyasachi earthy, textured look from a previous season or two.

What’s interesting to me is that while India is obsessed with the West, so many in that hemisphere are looking Eastward.

Missoni’s FW09 collection surely had some roots in the deserts of Rajasthan, no?

Missoni's Modern Mataji of Milan?

Missoni image from Style.com. Sabyasachi images from Rediff.

Resolution or Revolution?

It’s a New Year, my fashion friends. Put on your shiny new outfit and…

Resolve…to sparkle.

"Christmas Girl" by Lauren Bishop

Resolve to…never forget tradition and where you came from.

"India" by Lauren Bishop

Resolve to…travel, to do and learn something new.

Illustration for London Fashion Week by Lauren Bishop

Resolve to…be beautiful – inside and out.

"The Luxe" by Lauren Bishop

These beautiful illustrations are the work of Lauren Bishop, based in the UK.  They inspired me as I kicked off my year, so I asked Lauren…

JM: What inspires you?
LB: I am inspired by many things – fashion photography, pattern, textile prints, nature, the female figure, interior design and graphic design. Other illustrators who inspire me are Jason Brooks and Jasper Goodall, amongst others.

JM: How long have you been doing fashion illustration?
LB: I have been working as a freelance fashion illustrator for about five years now.

JM: What will be your personal fashion must-have, as you head into 2010?
LB: Fashion must haves for me this year are – anything from Nicole Richie’s House of Harlow 1960 jewelry line, anything turquoise and a gorgeous ruffled dress.

Here’s to ruffles, rich tussar silks, pointy, pointy shoes, the continuity of couture, burgeoning young designers in their studio flats sewing until the wee hours, to trailing black gowns, diamond spider webs and drool-worthy mughal jewels and all the other fantastical, inspirational, gasp-causing, lip-biting accoutrements that make up the intricate fashion web.

Here’s to thousands more of them this decade!

Will your voice be part of that fashion revolution?

Inspiration: Auntie Mame

Inspiration is like rainfall.

One drop lands on your head…another on your nose…and another on your tongue. Drip, drip, drop…

Little droplets of random thoughts, reckless musings, a tweet here, a conversation there and then it all flows, showering over you.

Yesterday, I had a déjà vu inspired by a vintage photograph. It was of a black and white check jacket that likely sparked in my mind because the McQueen Fall 2009 jackets were so beautiful and striking and in my recent memory database.

Maybe subconsciously they are the reason I’ve been wearing so much black and white this season. Or maybe the black and white garb is a result of my encounter with Mr. Ford. Who can be certain?

Today, I had a meeting to talk social media (part of a global social media thing I am working on with some very cool folks) and afterwards, was tweeting when I should have been fashion blogging…answering a question from @wornjournal about party planning characters.

Maybe it was the fact that I was in event planning mode, maybe it was the vintage inspiration from yesterday, or maybe just because it’s the holidays -  but the party planner that came to my mind was Auntie Mame. It’s one of my favourite films of all time.

Watching the original trailer inspired this post. So many things she wore in that movie resonate with me and resonate with the virtual fashion storage closet in my head.

May it inspire you…to dream a little, to laugh a little and to wear something shiny as you gear up for the holidays – however you may celebrate them.

Fashion Dilemma: What to Wear to Work on Monday?

Here I am, Sunday night…and I have no idea what to wear to work tomorrow. It’s that inbetween weather – neither cold nor hot, still sort of summer, but not quite autumn.

So, I avoided thought of it and decided to figure it out tomorrow (read: I’ll be late for work)…opting to catch up on my blog feeds instead.

And, as always, Sart has given me the perfect inspiration by capturing these two looks.

Yasmin Sewell photographed by Scott Schuman

I love the rolled sleeves on the trench, the pairing of simple separates but most of all – the ease of this look – as worn by Liberty’s Yasmin Sewell.

And here, I love the pseudo-jodhpurs in military green, love the vest paired with them and the contrast of the shoe. Again, the ease is the thing here.

 

So my inspiration for tomorrow? Ease + great pants + levelled layers. Done and dressed.

Photos by the one and only Scott Schuman, otherwise known as The Sartorialist.

While you are there, check out the great shots of Scott and company at his NY book signing by Joe Ferrucci - they seem to have been taken in a different era.

Maharani Mode

It seems whenever I watch old films – Bolly or Holly – I look at the craftsmanship, the art and the heart of those clothes. Same goes, of course, for couture’s old masters. That level of love and effort isn’t visible in clothes anymore – or it’s rare to see.

In a world of mass consumption, mass production, pre-fabrication and machine made, machine stamped, machine stitched, it is not often that you see true artistry and passion in any collection these days. And when you do, you know it.

Such is the case with Sabyasachi Mukherjee. His Bridal Sutra collection that closed Lakme Fashion Week for FW09 back in April, was nothing short of majestic.

Sabyasachi FW09

Known as Sabyasachi, he has been one to watch on both sides of the Atlantic for a number of years. He was one of the first designers to use Indian fabrics in a modern way. There is an old-world charm and richness to his designs and a definite nod, not only to literature, but to Indian art masters including Raja Ravi Varma and a multitude of maharanis, both real and imaginary.

The velvet palloo on this saree reminds me...

...of Raja Ravi Varma's painting of Draupaudi Carrying Milk & Honey

Thinking of Gayatri Devi, and the life she must have led in her 90 years, I imagined all the fantastical things she must have worn to represent her role as Rajmata of Jaipur. Any of these pieces would have been perfect on her, especially this regal saree, something she always looked best in, in my opinion.

Sabyasachi's regal saree from a bygone era...

Gayatri Devi demonstrating the grace of a Maharani in a saree

[Click on the thumbnails to see the larger images.]

Chiffon churidaar with rich layers

Blouse with brocade detail on sleeve

Ravi Varma’s Raja and Rani

Layers of richness

Maharani Kailash Kumari of Patna with her Maharajah

Men still look princely in brocade

Maharani Jind Kaur

The perfect lainga at Sabyasachi

Voluminous in velvet

Yards of adornment

Sabyasachi FW09

The velvet palloo on this saree reminds me…

…of Raja Ravi Varma’s painting of Draupaudi Carrying Milk & Honey

Sabyasachi’s regal saree from a bygone era…

Gayatri Devi demonstrating the grace of a Maharani in a saree

My head is filled with reflections of old meets new, of slower times with more craftsmanship, artistry, passion. Perhaps I lived in those times in a different life. These musings and inspirations will release themselves slowly in posts to come. They are pieces, floating fantastically for now.

And isn’t fashion supposed to do that? Inspire us to be fantastical? To dream? Sabyasachi seems to know it to be true. As do I.

Sabyasachi images source. Ravi Varma image sources: Draupadi , Raja and Rani. Jind Kaur image source. Royal family of Patna image source. Gayatri Devi image source.

Fashion 101: Louise Wilson talks to the NYT’s Cathy Horyn

I read one of the most poignant, inspiring, agitating and just plain true articles about the state of fashion today.

The always on point, Cathy Horyn of the New York Times, interviewed Professor Louise Wilson, the feared and revered course director of the Masters program at Central Saint Martins. This is the woman who taught McQueen, Giles Deacon, Christopher Kane, to name a few.

Here are a few crisp quotes…

Read the full article, but be warned…it’s not for the fashion faint-of-heart.

Thanks for the inspiration, Ms. Wilson and for a great piece, Ms. Horyn. We look forward to the unfashionable future of fashion.

Karl Kills Me

Karl Lagerfeld is killing me lately. Whether it’s with the brilliance of his sky-high cuffs, or the romance of his ’20s inspired Resort 2010 collection for Chanel, or with his life observations, Karl never ceases to amuse.

What tongue-in-chic fashionista wouldn’t want to carry Karl around on a daily basis? Angela Lindvall seems to have her eye on the prize.

I spy with my little eye, something that is black and white...

Karl may not be comfortable carrying himself around, so he begs the question:

Karl, So Nice in Nice, So Nice in Nice...

He may be ‘an unbelievable narcissist” and generate a lot of ‘Karlisms‘, but would Fashion as we know it, be even half as entertaining without him? I think not.

As someone who has shaken the half-gloved/Chrome Hearts ringed hand directly, I can tell you that Karl gives good karma.

KL collection image from Style.com. Karl in Nice photo by Eliot/bigpicturephoto.com.

Déjà Vu: JPG vs. Marcel Duchamp

Jean Paul Gaultier’s love of art and architecture was obvious, this season. He paid homage to Buckminster Fuller in his Spring 2009 Couture collection.

Now he’s gone ga-ga for Dada, with this beautiful nude gown…

Nude Descending a Runway, JPG Couture SS09

…reminding us of another famous nude by Marcel Duchamp.

Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2, Marcel Duchamp, 1912

Surreal dressing, indeed.

JPG image from Style.com. Duchamp image courtesy of Tate Modern.

Learn more about Monsieur Duchamp at the Marcel Duchamp World Community.