A pain in the...

Suffering tremendous amounts of pain in the name of fashion is definitely not a new concept. The victorian era was all about the long balloon skirts, and tight bodices. It was not uncommon for women to force themselves to squeeze into too small corsets. Chinese women used to practice the "art" of foot binding, ensuring that their feet remain tiny and dainty- desirable to men. Even renowned fashion designers such as Schiapparelli (more famously known as Chanel's rival) designed outfit after outfit in which women could barely walk.

Although fashion has become relatively more practical in recent times, a few designers continue to create designs going to the highest extents of discomfort. One of these culprits is The Virtual Shoe Museum.

Peep toes have been all the rage during the past couple of years, but the Virtual Shoe Museum took this to an altogether different level. Their designs form the epitome of impracticality. The designers have chosen to incorporate all the downsides of a tall shoe, while providing absolutely no protection to the foot.

You'd think that nobody would resort to these painful concoctions but you'd be wrong. Pop singer Lady Gaga, known for her outrageous ensembles fell flat on her face at the Heathrow Airport this June, thanks to her Noritaka Tatehana platform heel-less boots. Although posh spice Victoria Beckham developed bunion problems due to constant wear of skyscraper heels, this did not deter her from returning to wearing her beloved heels as soon as she recovered.

Everything comes at a price. Fashion included. But when it starts pinching beyond one's pocket, one cannot help but wonder whether this is indeed high fashion or a masochistic addiction, a modern day version of self inflicted torture.

Good enough to eat

Photographer Fulvio Bonavia recently presented his collection of footwear and accessories made from food products such as fish, pasta, fruit, cheese, candy. You name it. These items are not just aesthetically appealing but also trigger off a mouth watering reaction, making the product in question more desirable.

His collection is only for viewing pleasure as the food products used are perishable, thus making these pieces temporary works of art. What makes them exquisite is that they have all been modelled by hand, and are not mere photoshop products. Bonavio's shoot was done for the publishing of his book "A matter of taste," where he wants to portray to the reader his concept of fashion as food.

Bonavio's innovation no doubt comes from an evergrowing love for food and clothing. "If you do not want to wear it, eat it," he exclaims. A passion for food is a far thought on the minds of those associated with the fashion industry, as they are on a constant diet to remain fit. But Bonavio apart from candy and chocolates also makes use of health food such as salads, broccoli and red fruit, giving it a perfect balance. emphasizing on the importance of nutrition, while simultaneously maintaining the sheen.

The idea of fashion as only visual has been long been disproved by the concept of edible underwear, and Fulvio Bonavio simply takes it one step further. New generation fashion appeals to sight, sense, touch, smell as well as taste- creating an effervescent image of equipoise.

Fashion for a cause

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Vintage Vision, a store in Abergavenny, Wales is working towards womens empowerment through fashion. They teach women new skills, so that they can earn a livelihood on their own. It gives opportunities in terms of work experience and volunteering to women, many of whom are not financially well off. They recently held a fashion show, the organisation of which provided employment to several women.

According to Amanda Peters, one of the founders, Vintage Vision initiated their work because of a general lack of social enterprises catering to women and their skills. But they were also concerned about the way people just throw their clothes away, and thus came up with an innovative way to recycle them- by transforming them into pieces of high fashion.

Vintage Vision started its work in 2009, and has successfully carried out a number of sewing workshops since then. An inspired Rosie Bell, owner of Vintage Vision has recently started an online vintage fashion site, which features different types of clothing ranging from the dominant styles of the 1920s to current day fashion. Many of these are made out of recycled clothes.

These clothes portray all the classiness expected out of a designer label, while at the same time benefitting several hard working women. It is the perfect unity of fashion and social development. A coming together of like minded women with similar interests and goals in mind. In a world where one cannot count on one's fellow beings, Vintage Vision portrays a type of Utopian vision.

Fashion Backward

Wayfarers are one of the hottest new looks of the season. Practically everyone owns a pair. Available in a variety of colours ranging from the classic black to neon greens and pinks, these sunglasses target a wide variety of people.

Whilst we see the likes of actress Rachel Bilson sporting these in green , an image of Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's comes into mind- deconstructing the 'newness' of it. Wayfarers were first designed by Raymond Stegeman in 1952, launched by Bausch and Lomb and made popular by Ray Ban. They have been in vogue on and off since then. They made a brief appearance with the Blues Brothers in 1980 and then were nowhere to be seen for over two decades until they were brought back successfully by teen celebrities such as Robert Pattinson, Adam Brody and the Medina brothers.

While the classic RB2140 remains the aboriginal model, Ray Ban has made changes to it in terms of fresh varying colours and patterns to suit evolving tastes. A new model called the mini wayfarer, which is a smaller version of the original has also hit the markets. The young and the old alike can be seen going gaga indulging in these uniquely designed sunglasses.

Fashion is often cyclical and repetetive. It doesn't fail to surprise me when I see the same clothes I don in my grandmother's old pictures. High waist pants, which were synonymous with the 50s have come back in a huge way, along with the high waist pencil skirt and shorts. Bell bottoms were all the rage during the hippie era and then again in the 90s. Whereas these are all examples of trends that keep coming and going, a select few remain constant. Marilyn Monroe's white halter dress and Audrey Hepburn's LBD are considered classic buys because of their timeless appeal.

Fashion, like art is not always about the creation of the new. It is a constant process of revival and modification. So next time you're throwing out your old outdated clothes, think again. History repeats itself.

Skinny thins out

Fashion models have come a long way since Twiggy. Recent fashion shows in Paris, following the fall are showcasing less and less of the ultra skinny tall model, giving a chance to "normal" well built, curvy women. Prada and Louis Vuitton were among the first to expose the voluptous model to the audience.

Tom Ford followed suit, with Beyonce Knowles showcasing his designs on the ramp. Ghesquière went one step further by getting a very pregnant Miranda Kerr to model for him, along with a myriad of non models. He claims he is bored of the "clone-like appearance of models." A pregnant woman certainly breaks the monotony. These new non models have acquired the name Novelty Models.

"Novelty models are a reflection of reality...It can’t be good for business if you’re only showing clothes on a six-foot-tall, 120-pound 16 year olds," Editor-in-chief of Fashion Magazine, Morra stated. However, this is something that designers have always been aware of, and yet year after year they chose the skinniest of them all to hang their clothes on, creating an unhealthy culture.

One that is bound to haunt the fashion industry for eternity, according to Dan Grant, publisher of Toronto based modelresource.com. “It’s a trend and like most, it will come in waves...Next season we might even see a few more novelties...But in a few seasons I expect we will be back to letting younger, straight-sized models rule the runway again.”

Although this current fad may help in breaking the unhealthy body image most adolescent girls rear, growing up with the desire to be a "perfect" size zero. But must it really be one extreme or another? Skinny or fat?

Back to Basics

Designers have recently discovered khadi as a creative canvas because of its elegant simplicity, porous nature and its ability to stay cool during summer and warm during winter.

Khadi however, is not a new fabric. It has its roots deep within the freedom struggle. Mahatma Gandhi- the father of the nation, along with ahimsa or non violence also propogated simplicity of living, sans paraphernalia and extravagance. He always worked for the empowerment of the poor, and it was in these conditions that the khadi fabric emerged as part of the 1958 khadi institution. It provided employment to the poor. The current annual production is in the range of Rs 700-1000 crores.

What makes khadi different from other fabrics is that no two products are the same. Since it is handwoven, disparities are bound to occur but it is these very disparities which makes each product eclectic and gives it exclusivity value for which people are willing to pay. Also, khadi gets softer with each wash, without degrading its quality. It is very long lasting.

The spread of khadi is beneficial on many levels- it is economically viable, eco friendly, practical, helps in the growth of poor artisans and is aesthetically appealing.

The current leading stores retailing khadi products are Khadi India or Khadi Bharat, Sarvodaya, Desi Ahar, Kutir and Khadi Gramudyog, among others. It is a growing industry and we hope to see it reach grander scales nationwide as well as internationally.