Quarantine Reflections: Designing & Styling my UG Collection
A thing of beauty is a joy forever and we are doing just that! Giving you beautiful things to bring you joy in what has been a bleak time for us all. Since there is little that we can do to fight this scenario, we wanted to dust off some of our older shoots. In the hope to take you on a colourful journey to help you keep calm. Not only that but also to enable you to see for yourself that tranquillity and chaos can coexist.
Mood: Travel
Tabgha, is the land of the miracle of five loaves and two fish. It is also the name of our most special collection which I designed and styled not so long ago.
In the final year of my UG, I took a journey to Tabgha, Galilee. It is the place where Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the five thousand. The story goes that more than 5000 people had gathered around Jesus. He had compassion for them and he healed their sick. The people got hungry and there wasn’t much food around since they were in a deserted place. Until a young boy offered his food to Jesus which was just five loaves and two fish. Jesus took those, looked up to heaven, gave thanks, and broke it. His disciples then distributed the food to the people. It turns out that there was more than enough to feed the multitude that was present.
At Tabgha, where Jesus had performed this miracle, is a mosaic depicting the little boys offering.
Inspiration: Tabgha
Drawing inspiration from this spiritual journey, I designed my final Under Grad collection in 2013-2014.
The main feature of the collection is the colour palette and the motif of the mosaic at the Church. To honour this miracle, this particular church was built. I chose a calming and serene blue and contrasted it with a radiant and hopeful yellow. Some of the fabrics I used were American crepe, Georgette, Raw silk and Tibetan Brocade.
Muse: Sonam Kapoor
My muse for this collection was the ever-so-fashionable Sonam Kapoor. The silhouettes I designed for the Tabgha collection were Indo-Western to explore every possible expression of the motif.
EJ 1: Anarkali with a twist
For our first look we have this beautiful fusion piece. This includes the silhouette of a timeless waistcoat coupled with the panels and cut of an Anarkali. Paired with a perfect pair of cigarette pants. This outfit is just the right choice for a Sangeet. The golden jewellery compliments the Tibetan brocade border at the hemline. With this no-frills attached outfit, you can dance the night away in style and ever so effortlessly at it. For hair, a messy up-do was perfect, but in all honesty every hair style blends seamlessly with this ensemble.
EJ 2: Shirt dress with a Pop
The second look includes a traditional Princess line button-down shirt dress with a twist. Not to mention a pop of turquoise blue for the collar, deep blue panels with loose fit sleeves, and the iconic digital print mosaic pattern on the yellow panels has just the right amount of busy written on it. A pair of black stilettos with straight hair makes it the chicest outfit for a lunch date with the ladies.
EJ 3: Hassle free Lehenga Choli
The third look is the most comfortable of them all. This contemporary lehenga set includes a vibrant yellow, motif-laden, panelled skirt in sunlight yellow. It also includes a black waistband and a Tibetan brocade border. So refreshing that you would struggle to take your eyes off of it.
We have this lovely multi-purpose jacket with a sporty zipper and a hassle-free hand pleated Georgette dupatta for the top. This dupatta is attached to the hem of the jacket. Pair it with a skirt, or even tailored trousers, the options are endless. This outfit echoes wedding vibes for all the right reasons.
EJ 4: Sweetheart meets collar dress
For the fourth look we have just the perfect dress for that night-out. The sweetheart neckline corset in yellow with the mosaic motif and the black detailing stands out in contrast to the deep blue and the serene turquoise of the lower skater skirt of the dress. The quirky stand-alone collar draws eyes and steals hearts wherever it goes. The best part about this is that it requires minimum nude make-up to finish the look.
EJ 5: Sari for the busy
This final piece is my interpretation of a sari without the hassle of draping it. The two-part bodice is a walking piece of art. This includes a deep blue-collar and a calming turquoise blue paneled mermaid cut floor-length skirt. Incorporating an illusion of the pleats of a well-draped sari. The clever placement of the cutouts helps distinguish the upper blouse piece and the lower pleated sari skirt. In addition, the pallu is embodied in the dupatta, a rich yellow, print-heavy work of art with Tabgha motifs and of course our favourite Tibetan brocade border for the perfect finish. Just the right choice for a special evening event, be it a festive get-together or a wedding reception.
And that is a wrap! Finally, I hope this inside scoop into my collection brings you as much joy and hope as it brought me thus far.
We, at Shoulders of Gold, are glad to be able to provide a way to escape our present reality. In the midst of everything that is going on, every little bit helps. So, where would you like to wear any of the pieces once we are all out of this? Let us know! We would love to hear from you.
Collaborators:
Location: The Glass House
Photography: Shashank MB
Designer & Stylist: Yours truly
Assistant Stylist: Irene Ellis
HMUA: Naomi Demello
Models: Tessa Vellara, Teena Vellara, Shamaila Khan, Irene Ellis, Aditi
Special Thanks: Jonathan Michael