Saturday, August 13, 2011

Varanasi - Spring 2011



The heavy handed intro video was entirely unnecessary - like being forced to sit through all of the credits before getting to watch the movie. The African influence on the collection would have been abundantly clear without the laborious video (OR the African singing, OR the sculptures on the runway - though both of these I enjoyed). Lightweight white linen pieces floated down the runway with patchwork and applique details that ride the line between tribal and holly-hobby but somehow manage to come across mostly fashionable. As the music amped up and the group started singing we were delighted with a celebration of colors in interesting geometrics - both on the clothes and the models themselves (the models had painted hands and arms). All of the colors seem to have a root in nature which allows them to be mixed (at times in abundance) interestingly and elegantly. The clothes are definitely for a more modern and artsy woman who appreciates the hand touched feel of less processed fabrics and a spice of something different. Bright bold prints brought back the tribal feel in a modern and interesting way. One of the recurring visuals was a (nearly giraffe) pattern that seemed to emulate the cracks in dry mud - both structurally and in prints. I still can't decide whether the plastic Massai neckbands and giant gold starfruit earrings were over the top or a genius new jewelry trend to watch.

The wood, metal, and leather sculpture were just as interesting as the clothes and never waivered in their taste level or interest. They definitely added rather than detracting (unlike the video).


Photographs courtesy of Mike Ferre











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