Prada’s Minimal Baroque or Baroque’s Minimalism?

Prada’s minimal baroque raised a lot of applause and criticism this season. Were the bananas and the monkeys to represent intellectuals or were ironic? Do Carmen and Josephine speak minimalism in terms or quantity or style?

Other than Prada, the rest seemed to stick to either one of the words for the spring 2011 shows, minimal OR baroque in the sense of excess.  As one might have noticed, baroque has just too many connotations and Miuccia stuck to the many of them from excessiveness to the sculptures.

 From the church of Quirinale to the Trevi Fountains the style is in-bred in Rome in its cultural history. Also there are other important references to the baroque style such as the Portuguese painter Josefa de Óbidos’s paintings and the Augustusburg palace near Cologne which seem to widen the ancient phenomenon to a European scope of view.  Speaking of Minimalism one not just remembers the black square of Malevich but also Composition No. 10 of Piet Mondrian (inferenceà Stripes).  And there comes the minimal reference and not the process.

 And so there was the collection, a revolution of the baroque with a tribute to Miranda and Baker in the Prada girl of the season, fun in culture. London’s Christmas windows of Prada seemingly Baroque framed themselves. Prada played with the Baroque angel sculptures using monkeys from the ’Barrel of Monkeys’ game. Prada’s change from minimalism to minimal baroque has elevated the brand’s status to new heights.

The baroque excessiveness in its modernity fused with the Samba and Charleston were in the tango music and the pops of colors. The 20s sensuality blended in with the slick hair. The idea was juggled in Prada’s mind and thereby manifested in the collection.

Like it or not, the show remains a huge incomparable topic for many. And Prada’s elevation has been beyond successful.

Make fashion fashionable with these elegant and supportive walk-makers

Wedge, defined as any shape that is triangular in section, seemingly has bloomed itself into a new trend in the world of high heel fashion. Not necessarily high heeled, as the heels can vary from low till as much as one wants. When Charlize Theron unleashed her weapons in ‘Æon Flux’ from her wedge boots, one could imagine how useful a pocket in it would be? Either way it showed how slender and supportive it could be for a woman of adventure though stilettos deceptively are represented so too. Obviously a wedge would be the more ideal option if one were to run a high-heeled marathon.

This Spring/Summer 2011 Christian Louboutin, a shoe lover’s top pick, designed the wedges in such fascinating platforms for Mary Katrantzou one would have wanted to snatch them off backstage.

In the famed success of the Minimal Baroque collection, Prada used sneaker style wedges, raced on the soles à Comfort.

The wedge was invented in the 1930s by Salvatore Ferragamo to ease the pain of carrying off High heels, but the rise in fame of the stilettos pushed aside the wedges till finally the time has come in the new millennium. So much so Disney has helped put its fame on kids by Belle wedges, for a little Beauty from the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ wanna-be, already sold-out. Simply gorgeous!

Other pros of wearing a wedge - they make ankles thinner, they are intensely cosmopolitan, and they can add height with much lesser pain and more speed.

   

   

From Donna Karan’s Textured and Espadrille styles to Nine West’s Gladiator style, wedges are available in every style and colour.

The trend is rising and seemingly would stay for quite some time to come, as comfort with elegance is the ultimate luxury a woman seeks.

A Memoir from Rome

The Augustean Altar of Peace (Ara Pacis), a shrine for the return of Augustus from Gaul and Hispania, made of pure white marble now enclosed in modern interiors, renders peace as one enters. White, a symbol of death in some cultures, and peace in some others, surrounds the brain into a clean slate before we ride back in time through the retro-hued passageway below, with pictures from around Rome – Trinità dei Monti to Cinecittà. Yes, and there were moccasins in between. Not the soft soled sheepskin types from New Zealand, but the ones we now call Vintage - well polished leather and with a buckle. Roman Holiday, a beautiful love story of two never-to-be-united lovers is also a fun reminder of the Vespa and the jaunty Audrey Hepburn. Pictured around Rome, Audrey could exhibit a lifestyle of the metropolis. Her signature style basket bag, huge sunglasses and The LBD, simple and sleek from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, an American preppy yet French gamine use of loafers in Funny Face, an attitudinal headscarf usage and the casual look were all revolutionary yet chaperoned trends at the time. Pieces of style they were, appreciated by all. Alongside thecae with some of her wardrobe was the wonderful timeline she spent in Rome. Her accessories and the moccasins seemingly of a size 39 were also encased. A sleek gown from Valentino with hippy and boudoir styles seen on the sleeves during her family life with Andrea Dotti in the 70s was swiftly captured by the Roman Paparazzi. In the photos, Audrey always gently greets the camera with grace. Going back to the mini skirt period of the 60s, Audrey pairs them daintily with white stockings and the legendary XL sunglasses. Her elegance was never excess which made her style ever-appealing. Her first stays in Rome in the 50s are portrayed with her use of a lot of cocktail dresses, the Sabrina neckline and the LBD just below the knee on her slender figure. From the 50s through the early 70s she has had a flourishing career after which she elegantly grasps on to the role of a mother. In 1988, Audrey travelled to Somalia and described the situation of insurgency there as ‘hell’. The travel moved her soul so much so that she continued to work with UNICEF and the museum now donates a portion of the exhibit’s income to the same. Audrey personally didn’t sense much of a self-confidence regarding her looks which she believed were amazingly photographed and was the work of the cameras in the movies. Her script from Roman Holiday, with her hand-written notes is preserved at the core of the exhibit hall and so are the Vespa she drove in the same movie at the back and her original British passport, all of which reminisce the lively finesse of Audrey. On the wall facing the Vespa, is projected her personal family videos (never shown to the public before). The second wedding of her life interestingly portrays her in the video with a short pink coat dress also in display. Seemingly mature and simple, it adds to her girly style at the same time. One continues to bear in mind, the image of her childish smile, and her seagull wing-shaped eyebrows concordant with her jaw line while taking one’s leave through the passageway back to the white, clean-cut exteriors of Ara Pacis and the inescapable Souvenir gift shop.

The Tender Candour of The Hearts

Bright colours and recurring hearts - Manish Arora’s logo and designs connect with summery warmth and dreamy eyes, eyes of those who beyond doubt feel gratified. This is augmented by his name, Manish, which in the Sanskrit language means “God of the Mind”.

Federico Rocca of style.it wrote in the book ‘Contemporary Indian Fashion’, “Manish Arora…is popular to the point of excess”.

When the corporate world is taking over not just fashion but every other untaken sphere, there are very few unfeigned humane tendencies that seem to be articulated. To see with a sweet essence in itself has become an art in the place of the natural spontaneity of innocence.

The new marketing trends of making a love mark, analysing emotional reactions and planning a perfect advertising stimulus accordingly, has mechanised the way things have worked for centuries. The ethic realisation coming up now in itself has been utilised as a tool by many to purely construct a brand image. Hardly few pursue some moralities because they want to, and not as a marketing strategy. As Manish put it, “I do it because I want to do it” - incorporating the heart not just in visual forms but with its inner profound meaning, with true esteem and insight.

“Money is important”, Manish said in an interview to V&A magazine. Indubitably, it is very factual. But that which makes him like chalk and cheese in comparison with the omnipresent corporative milieu are not just his artistic creations and his unique identity but also the happiness that lights up the hearts of the specialist weavers who work for him which is different from the scenario seen in other parts of the world.

Manish has his own factory, “Three Clothing Private Limited” in a city called Noida, around 20 km from the capital of India, where he employs 300 people. From the fabric swatches to the final finishes, all garment creations of Manish are executed here. He has done the SWOT analysis of his mother land so efficiently that he mentioned in a Fashion talk on Indian fashion for Alta Roma Alta Moda “We are very good at surface ornamentations, but when it comes to shapes, we are awful.”

The traditional textiles and surface ornamentation in India have a long history and a huge variety, and Manish is still emotionally involved with his roots and with his steadfast workers. “I have workers who have been with me since the day I started; over the years they have honed their skills to suit my sensibilities.”

The textile talents of India lie in incomparable elements in fabrication and elaborate workmanship with a cut above excellence. But the life of an unemployed average weaver or traditional embroidery artisan in India would be in a small house, even a palm leaf/mud hut possibly, sweating on his creativity and on tenterhooks to sell it for some money, to keep alive that very art he inherited from his forefathers, taught throughout his ancestral roots, just to feed his rumbling stomach or to at least earn a meagre amount for his starving kids with fragile bodies.

The art is slowly dying out with people sticking to easy-to-use technologies and opting for uncomplicatedly made plain tees rather than hard, hand-worked Indian wear. A person off the streets of New Delhi would know the new style of trousers in fashion far better than the types of embroidery that have survived through ages in his region.

Here is where Manish’s heart comes in among the minority of those who in point of fact want to prop up time-honoured talents. With an unwavering mind he picks ethnic weavers to work on his exceptional designs, incorporating the rich adornment in not only his western “Fish Fry” line, but also his traditional line, “Indian”. The reason, he declared, “I feel happy that I am able to give them the opportunity to do something different, at the same time I also feel incredibly lucky to have access to such a talented workforce.”

The artisans when working for him not only feel content that they get paid, but also feel the art which they have never let down has at last been reawakened. In particular, the embroiderers working for Manish hail mostly from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and the economically not-so-well state of Bihar. These regions are renowned for the folk embroideries of Kantha, Kashida and Chikankari, all seen as contemporary as well as futuristic fusions in his motifs.

For a traditional weaver who has led such a habitual life in the sense of producing quite the same kind of designs for a long time, now to work for Manish with such creative designs, to make new interpretations of the redundant patterns s/he has been making is a fascinating experience, to know that what s/he does on fabrics is not only feeding the family but is also been witnessed on international runways worldwide.

Scientific innovation exists in an indispensable position and Manish undeniably utilises modern technology in all his collections. As a graduate of National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, to make the most of up-to-the-minute textile machinery is instinctive for him. At the same time however, he has assured, “I will never replace the work these craftsmen do, as it is special and will always feature in my designs.”

The pride they feel when they see the fascinating appearance of the final products, - that is where Manish’s heart is, not just in apparent logo or designs, but in those artisans who are delighted that their skills have been undoubtedly accredited now. That is where the “Colours of India” come from – not Bollywood, but from people who gain immense satisfaction from their jobs.

And that is what makes Manish Arora and his company emblematic, his heart of empathy and the artisans hearts that are steadfast in dedication to their work; not a frequent phenomenon in the fashion nuclei of the planet.

Stylish and Powerful Snowclone of Fashion

1926, a year which shadowed and overpowered the world of fashion, when Chanel introduced the LBD, famed to this day in various manifestations... ‘X is the new Black’ so they say. But in fact, what has ever beaten the empowerment of Black? Scientifically it is defined as the hueless, achromatic color, but to the eye it remains eternally mystical and noble on a silhouette, always making it sleek, or glam, or cute, or dangerous, any way one wants to use it. And that would be because the huelessness is what allows us to mould the color into various avatars, equivalent to the innumerous possibilities to be written upon a blank sheet of paper.

Hollywood enforced the image of the LBD in the 50s and 60s. In 1954, in the classic Hitchcock thriller, Rear Window, Grace Kelly wore a famed black dress.

(Left) Grace Kelly in ‘Rear Window’, 1954; (Right) Audrey Hepburn from ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, 1961

In 1961, Audrey Hepburn carried off the famed LBD from Givenchy in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which once again reinforced the fame of the dress immensely, as much as to be auctioned for charity at £467,200 recently in 2006. The attire of black could aid numerous children in India.

Rita Hayworth in ‘Gilda’, 1946

If Rita Hayworth could become the ultimate femme fatale image, it was solely due to the seductive black satin dress one-glove striptease from Gilda.

Well, and who said it is only in the form of a little dress that black should allure us? Dolce and Gabbana introduced the Black corset look, famed on Madonna with a cross necklace.

(Left) Madonna at the premiere of ‘Nine’ in New York City, 2009 ; (Right) Yves Saint Laurent Fall/winter 2010 Ready-to-Wear Show; (Centre) a representation of Diane Pernet with the poster of A shaded view on Fashion Film

YSL’s Fall 2010 RTW show’s favourite piece was the Black Silk Crepe Jumpsuit, with Black Gloves. Diane Pernet intensifies her mystical style with her all-in-black clothing, not to mention the black base of ASVOF.

And not forgetting the initiator of the black dress revolution, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel designed a Marienbad inspired collection for Spring 2011 RTW, with a ninja twist though. The last section of the show totally made one nostalgic of Delphine Seyrig’s clothes designed by Coco Chanel herself. Salute to the lady in black!

(Left) Chanel Spring 2011 RTW; (Right) Delphine Seyrig in ‘Last Year in Marienbad’, 1961

Sink into the Ancient Bourgeoisie Ship

In the ongoing winter of 2010, what seems to capture the eye of fashion is any hint of bourgeoisie – be it a velvet Jabot or a post-modern Just au Corps as seen in late Alexander McQueen’s collection.

Jackets pinned behind to show the stomachers, skirts ruffled in rich silk, all remind us of the ancestral middle class. Even the for-fun bright pink stockings were of that age, one must know. The Bourgeois style seems to immensely have its effect at the men’s fashion at present. Despite the style of the designers, the effect is indelible as seen in the Gucci Men’s fall 2010 show.

Prada, undeniably too introduced the bourgeois chic in the shoes, for fall 2010 miu miu collection, also referring to the best representing pumps of Catherine Deneuve from Belle de Jour. Speaking of icons, one can’t forget the beautiful modern day bourgeois dresses of Audrey Hepburn from Funny face. Modern day celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker, seem to be taking it into the post-modern direction with Duo Marchesa’s beautiful cocktail and evening bourgeois inspired dresses.

Henceforth let us plunge into the Christmas season with at least a pair of elegant gloves from Sermoneta to show our part-take in the return of the Bourgeoisie.

Pubicity for DIverse Hopes

Flipping through a renowned fashion or lifestyle magazine (as the two are truly quite different), a technical calculation would result in the sense of being cheated by paying for more of advertisements than just information - visual or written. But the ads do render knowledge for those who seek it. But is it truly effective in communicating the message which the sender, or in the philosophy of fashion, the designer wishes to convey to his clients? - Surely not always. Here are three diverse picks to implore the same.

Antonio Marras Fall/Winter 2010-2011

At the first view to the average target this would resemble a girl of the past century having a picnic in the countryside in autumn.

The broadcast which Marras wants to convey, however, is the era with the glasses and the selection of Black and white (which was a reference to the turn of the last century); a picture in which Paska awaits her love even in the midst of winter out in the open.

Here is Daphne Groeneveld, barely fourteen when the photo was taken. Regardless of her Swedish origin what Marras represented in his collections and wanted to characterise in the end effectively was his inspiration from Paska Devaddis from Sardinia, his region of nativity – romanticism and brutality layered onto each other as can be seen with the thick-soled rubber flats.

Success is not dependent on the ad alone for Marras, is it?

Rajesh Pratap Singh Fall/Winter 2008-2009

Travelling from Italy to India, we have a highly regarded designer here - Rajesh Pratap Singh, of Rajasthani Origin but who has experiences from Italy as well. He is well known to incorporate inspirations from the Thar Desert’s cultural wear into his clothes as well as clean cuts and attention to details, a trait he gained from the west.

In this particular propaganda he portrays a mirage from the desert, towards an oasis out of the border of the state. Thorny bushes and specifically bangles made of camel teeth, typical of what Rajasthani women wear, show the roots of the piece in display on a modern Indian woman. An unfinished hem to denote the rusticity for the skirt paired with an artisanal embroidered Jama (Royal Rajasthani men’s tunic which buttons as seen on the top, to the left and is cut short high in the waist, below which it is conventionally skirted out) in shades of Italian black and use of leather in the belt show an intellectual blend.

At first sight, from the occident, it would obviously seem inspired from the east but more Oriental and the scenario, equatorial. Vintage and a Japanese touch, perhaps?

Manish Arora Spring/Summer 2008

Appointed Creative Director of Paco Rabanne, due to his preference of modular insertions of handcrafted techniques in his collections, Manish always mirrored the backbone of Rabanne in spite of strong Indian roots, a powerfully similar trait of netting modules geometrically.

He believed in marketing internationally through every mode possible, “I knew that, to get international, I would have to collaborate with different global brands from Swatch to Absolut.” And then he landed in Paris for the fashion week in 2007. His collections are fun, vividly coloured and innovative (the carousel dress) and mount with a magpie vision, traditional technical details (Shisha embroidery – mirrors embedded onto fabrics).

One of his collaborative ventures for his Spring 2008 collection was with Swarovski crystals puzzled on a dress with Lord Ganesha’s face. The promotion clearly exhibits his work with the crystal elements and is the same, as it is perceived - an effectively marketed ad. Well, the Indians can be ace when it comes to entrepreneurship, isn’t it?

A Prayer to Nature and A Play of Brightness at Paris Spring Summer 2012

The conceptual and never-obliging capital of fashion (a name so indisputably irremovable) – Paris, managed to bring us a strongly reminiscent array of collections and news from its top designers even while the economic and threatening booms are exploding around.

Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel’s ‘Last year at Marienbad’-inspired collection still lingers onto to one’s mind in shades of clean black and white for spring summer 2011 whilst Versace and Maurizio Galante have taken it upon themselves to shock up some colours for the upcoming spring summer 2012.

Maurizio Galante patched up his fabrics to create extravagant volumes in prominent lime -green silks. The headgears felt like variations of the thorn crown of Christ, a sehra (floral veil covering groom’s face in the north-western Indian subcontinent) and planet rings. Pleated chiffons and crepes covered over

the dresses to form an effect of satin rags, in the shape of modules or tags or tassels. Galante also played up the collection with kirigami (an art of paper hangings) cut fabrics. Overall a sense of aliens and blazing brutality mirrored; also in Versace, wherein Donatella brought back the famous Barbarella styled silhouette in Versace’s signature shiny materials with slits on the shoulder caps and waistlines. Colours were even more stupefying with fluorescent oranges and yellows flashing ahead of a luxurious background. By the end, a Missoni/Ikat styled bright orange gown was displayed all of which together shined just so exaggeratedly. However, there was a use of ivory in the collection as well which tried to tone down the flamboyance.

Light beige tomes was also used in soft, yet clinging pants and translucent tops in the Spring Summer 2012 runway of Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci where the 40’s style ankle strapped sandals came back. The show also had breaks of black in a slight fetishist way and ended with super-sparkling silver sequins.

The nature element of Galante’s show and the beige usage of Versace and Givenchy this season are seen fused together in a much more delicate, sweeter and younger capsule collection – Garden Party of Valentino by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli where the feel of nature is fluidised with a Japanese water colour effect. Nocturnal scenarios of flowers on skirts and a tulle bag with butterflies and flowers of coloured leather rendered memories of capturing butterflies on farms with a net and wearing a light frock in summer. A continuation of the earthy feel is seen in the new bag play accessory of Jean Paul Gaultier by a necklace made of woody brown leather and leaf green buckles.

Paris, quintessentially, for the upcoming bright weather has given us a very bright silver lining in the cloud. Is all the extravagance and return to mother nature, but, to rise hopes that dear Europe and the world can and will fight the threat of recession or even perhaps, the apocalyptic prediction?

Hats of the new age - New?

People just don’t want to go forward or stay at home, do they? As the nomadic era predicted by Jacques Attali, French Economist and scholar in ‘A Brief History of the Future’ seems to be realized finally even though it is a bit behind schedule (thankfully), one is enthralled by the fixed styles of the past and looks up to the ancestral trends. Besides, globalization is unifying and signifying cultures from out of home; for western fashion, the ethnical east always does. It’s been quite some time since one could see a great hat on the street. Time to bring it back, seems to be the chorus of various designers in the last spring 2011.

Pondering over the nomads of the Sahara, Giorgio Armani introduced into the collection the Alasho of the Tuareg tribe, celebrating passage onto maturity, in all its modes (which is the traditional use of the Alasho).

 Speaking of celebration, Missoni ceremonially used mortarboards which had a touch of inspiration from Lilly Daché’s famous square brim hat as it had the crown. Going back in time and looking at the years passed like days, Hermés showed hats with a twist of dressage corps style (owing to its horsey heritage) with brims like those of the ‘Boss of the Plains’ from the late 19th century. John Galliano advanced into the future of the past to the 20s, Paris hats.

 Marni rocked 50s swim caps with a rather leather helmet design.Marc Jacobs decided to stick on to the classy 70s. Dior sailed off with ‘South Pacific’ nostalgic sailor hats while Prada went Sombrero in urban stripes.

Lesson learnt: Baseball caps are banned. It’s time to get classy while getting inspired by the whole world.

Black - An Infinite Void or A Sinkhole of All Pigments

Black isn’t considered a colour, technically. But if it were, it would be alongside white, as one of the two major colours surrounding us. Its flexibility or even possibly, its ability to cancel out colours have always been assimilated in different ways. In Fall-Winter 2012-2013 Ready-to-Wear at the Paris Fashion Week, the same is proved with possibly four notable designers of various wavelengths.

One of Gareth Pugh’s trademark combination of colours is black and white; but usually like that of a chess board. For this fall-winter though, the show started with a downpour of black shards or it shall be rather referred to as petals since most of the cuts and edges repetitively visible on the runway were shaped so. Swishing out on the catwalk were models given the effect of being in medieval shreds. An evil yet powerful Aztec woman power was prominently billowed upon all.

With power must come control, and with Hermes comes luxury and heritage which aired its black horse rider video in October 2011. A black sheen as on the mane of the horse was felt through the eyes on Hermes’ indisputable level of quality on the black leather straps and black riding gear. Travelling from this equestrian root to modern luxury, this fall-winter, Hermes had to represent its voyage in the form of nomads. All blacks were broken down by gypsy colours and black pieces in themselves were androgynous and toned up with subtle shades of coloured tints.

Continuing the equestrian touch, with riding pants, were also a royal Goth slavish look seen in the Fall-Winter 2012-2013 collection of Givenchy. Black was on furs and a notable coat with kimono sleeves highlighting a strong horsewoman.

Night and dawn seemed to meet at the horizon of dominatrix cum vampire woman which said a powerful demise of farewell to the house of Yves Saint Laurent from a wise creative director. Needless to speak of black by the couture house, the timeless le smoking for women was the first of its kind to attract attention from the whole planet and continues to remain inseparable from the founder’s signature; wherein to bid farewell, Stefano Pilati decided to sign off with a sharp martial slickness from top-to-toe with calla lilies on black to bid a strong ciao.

And there lies from the science of Gareth Pugh, the nomad of Hermes, the horse rider of Givenchy to the adieu of Stefano Pilati for Yves Saint Laurent, the various shades of a single block of black continues to be infinitely full within in its void.

Black & White went up The Roman Hills?

Travelling down to Rome from Paris for Spring-Summer 2012 Haute Couture, to pay tribute to the couture of the city of eternal beauty, one is pleasantly surprised to see the continuingly predominant modern shocks of colours in perfect contrast to an equally dominating B&W palette this year.

Nino Lettieri expanded classic clothing in terms of volumes in the have-to-mention Black and White tones, whereas Silvina Maestro, a truly sweet Maestro (Italian for master/teacher), flashed the same shades, not in nostalgia but in truly innovative volumes. A frontal window of awe was cut onto a piece not to emphasize on nudity, she explains, but on the natural femininity. Fabrics differed completely from transparent chiffons pulled to wrinkle in slashes and total fur full-dress - a true adverse in every term, of even minimalism and surprise.

However, the black and white blend was broken off into pastels at Gattinoni with splashes of lavender purples, ivory white floral, jute woven bags, silk-satin kaftans, oriental water colour flowers, Maya accessories, and a general play of transparency and Goth in pauses, all of which were swirled together into the collection.

The clashes were tapered down at Fausto Sarli to thoroughly Indian conventional colours alongside the repetitive hues of Black and white (so not normal in India); combined in an all-out India-inspired collection, which has turned out to be kind of a must-have in western fashion. Notable ensembles and inclinations were towards a Vedic age saffron sari, inevitable blooms, embroidered cuts, dupatta (scarf) drapery, a classic female suit of the Persian period similar to the pre-fall Chanel 2012 collection, and a comprehensively off-beat section of bridal wear, which, though was unattached, managed to stay soft and exhilarating.

Meanwhile, the other ventures of Alta Roma cannot be left unsaid with the A.I. Gallery portraying ‘The Origin of Trauma’, wherein Diego Buongiorno cut up a black network to liberate the exposure of the uncontrollable energy of the era we live in. In a similar white backdrop, Les Objects Singuliers reviewed by Silvia Venturini Fendi, displayed various silk prints hung on by 5 artists. An interesting cape inspired by Brioni by Grcic was also on display. Silvia Venturini took it upon herself to also emphasise the importance and quality of craftsmanship in Rome through Limited/Unlimited at Acquario Romano. In a black backdrop, unique pieces were installed developed by 32 designers, mostly of exciting marine colours. Though the press release was packed with mention of various movie inspirations, a clear designer root influence was highly evident in all of these singular morsels of their profiles.

Speaking of craftsmanship, last but not the least, the A.I. Fair has to be mentioned. Held open to the public in one of AltaRoma’s favourite buildings, the Tempio di Adriano, with the perfect mix of music, the place was packed. Hitherto, one could grab a view of amazing installations, either innovative or inspired from afar or even both. An interesting corner of broken porcelain-attached accessories and clothes and the upper level of vintage sci-fi outfits were a never-to-miss must-see amongst all the boom of varieties offered to us this year by Rome. In spite of the major black and white monochromes, Rome didn’t block itself of its handmade creativity this year in this city of contradictions.

A Need to Push Back into Those Leg-Warmers with a Boom Box

Three branches of the tree which root out from the same place but diffuse and infuse – Street style, Hip-Hop fashion and urban wear. But who waters the tree now? All three were and is still synonymous with youth, and now with a retro aspect too of NYC and a sort of heritage.

Modern urban street wear comes from NYC and LA, needless to say. The tips of the roots historically touches the surf culture of the 70s when Shawn Stussy used to sell printed Tees on the beach and that came from the Do-It-Yourself culture of the Punk movement and parallel therefore by Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop started in South Bronx, NYC in the late 70s by the Afro-American youth soon followed by LA, Chicago and now the whole planet. Graffiti, bboying and rap come together into a violence translated into creativity. Soon it was hyped by the media monster and is sustained by it to date.

Asia, the Middle East and Africa have had a long-standing historical stalking of the same movement leading to its globalization, localization and personalization. For example, the largest form of Hip-Hop in South Africa is called Kwaito and it is a lifestyle that claims to give voice to the voiceless and is a reflection of the post-apartheid period.

In the early 80s brands such as Le Coq Sportif, Kangol and Adidas came up alongside the growth of the jheri curl hair. By the mid-80s brightly colored name brand tracksuits, sheepskin and leather bombers were made prominent by the icons of the street. Clarks stayed consistent, so much so Kenyans make songs on its unwanted necessity amidst the poverty in 2010. Otherwise the sneakers mostly from Pro-Keds and Puma were worn and surely, Converse’s Chuck Taylor All-Stars. Popular accessories were Cazals (Oversized Eye glasses), Kangol bucket hats and nameplates. Heavy gold jewelry remains as an enduring element popularized amidst men as chains and women as door-knocker earrings to signify prestige, wealth and Africanism.

By the late 80s, Black Nationalism, rap and traditional African elements became the three cruxes of the movement. Baggy pants for dance and otherwise Fezzes, Kufics decorated with the Kemetic Ankh and Kente cloth hats were popularized. In the early 90s pop rappers like Will Smith brought in Baseball caps and bright neon colors whilst women had to express their own version of feminism with oversized clothing over a tight t-shirt.

Capitalism could not wait more, could it? Nike started battling Adidas with basketball icon Michael Jordan in 1984. Nike started to dominate the sneaker market more or less in a monopoly on urban street style whereas Champion and Timberland decided to get social with the east coast. Throwback clothing and bling were and are two symbols utilized immensely by brands of all kinds to show off its urban street side. With the advent of the new millennium, Gucci and Louis Vuitton have immensely take off to be absorbed in male hip-hop whilst the females have started getting more feminine. All in all, urban music and urban
fashion have been two rails of this train’s track. The African-Americans bled out their ethnicity across the corporate and the corporate have exploited the hip-hop cult like an exotic woman. Black America continues and hopefully does to remain her sole soul mate.