Final fashion design collection - Portfolio
Titolo collezione: Est West Fusion realizzato da:
Mariolina Di Giacomo (Italy (EU))
FUSION BETWEEN ORIENT AND OCCIDENT
Aristocratic French Ladies
Pains and Delights of Court
Lady-in-waiting of XVIII century is an absolute symbol of elegance, refinement and diplomacy: a subject centre of the value system, becoming in this way a fundamental resource.
The aristocratic woman, even without any political or social power, becomes a subject really charismatic with a strong power of subjection towards noblemen.
In a century where woman condition is of total submission, a new role is developing and affirming her as a being sublime, peerless and unreachable.
XVIII CENTURY DRESS
Around the second half of the century, Rococò style is in full bloom. Its culture is signed by the desire of personal pleasure, which obviously involves the aspect of clothes, raised itself as art form.
Even if France is considerated as the country guide for fashion, it’s Rococò that reinforces and makes France as arbiter unquestioned of feminine elegance in the entire world.
After its achievement, this style flows into the fashion field in two different ways: one characterized by an esthetic ideal eccentric and factitious, the other one by a desire of return to nature. The female dress acquires a character of grace, beauty and especially dynamism. Rococò style is defined for its accuracy, refinement and culture; now women take the initiative and transform the court dress in an incomparable glitz of elegance.
The so-called “robe volant” (fluctuating dress) determines a new tendency and evolution. It’s composed by a dress provided with wide pleats over shoulder which fall softly till the floor extending in canonical form on an underskirt with a rigid structure. It’s the “robe à la francaise” to become the dress par excellence of Rococò fashion and to determine the official style of court until the revolution. For all this époque, the most important elements of female clothes are a smock (manteau), which today we’ll call skirt, and a triangular bib (pièce d’estomac) which covers breast and abdomen closing the dress and making thinner and thinner the waist and generous the neckline. These elements were put on over the bust and the rigid underskirt called “panier”
THE HISTORY
This is a period of civil progress favored by policy of reforms, big splendor and refinement imitated from other European countries as Spain and England.
The second half of XVIII Century is distinguished by elegant, dressy and elaborated dresses; luxury and glitz sing the praises at the Court of France and noblemen show off rich costumes to differ from themselves and low class.
Characteristic of this period is to get into debt to buy and dresses more and more elaborated, glitzy, showing them during parties, balls, meetings. They represented onself status symbol.
Today the concept of Rococò is synonym of a style involving all fields of art and a symbol of French beauty and harmony.
GEISHE
In Japan the figure of Geisha has a long and honorable story, upper-class woman, well educated courtesan and pleasant company. The word “Geisha” is composed by two kanji which means art and person: a person who lives of arts. For centuries the Geisha represented the ideal of woman, her esthetic is at the same time symbol of fragility and strength of spirit.
At service of authorities and men of power, desirous of being welcomed from brilliant and cultivated women which have intelligent conversations with, during private and social entertainment.
Following a sever philosophy of life, beyond the simple profession, the Geisha is submitted to years of study and discipline in order to perfect techniques and reach the absolute incarnation of “iki”, esthetic essence of Japanese culture. This is the reason why the profession of Geisha lasts even today and It’s respected as form of art. The delicacy of kimono testifies the prosperity and success of the geisha form its fine colors, few glaring in harmony with nature.
A different figure is that one of “maiko” (dancer), a little girl studying to become a geisha. She’s well recognizable for the kimono more colored, long-sleeved and obi protracted.
THE KIMONO
The passion for nature and evolving of seasons that surround all Japanese culture, influence the color and motif of kimono, according to the season: in winter the colors are brilliant while in spring they’re more delicate and pale; for summer the kimono should suggest freshness with light colors (blue, turquoise green and white), in autumn colors are more intense and deep (dark red and green).
Maxim attention to combine harmoniously the colors of several dresses which bear the name of flowers, trees and animals, and which have a precise seasonal collocation.
Kimono can be divided in “SOMEMONO” (colored or painted), more elegant, and “ORIMONO” (whit motif fabric) less elegant.
The asymmetry of drawing is a peculiar constant of Japanese esthetic: it evokes movement, dynamism, idea of reality as eternal becoming and continuous changing of seasons.
HISTORY
In Japan, the XVIII Century was characterized by “Edo Period” (1615-1868), called in this way because during the military dictatorship the “Shogun Tokugawa” decided to move the capital from Kyoto to Edo, the current Tokyo.
It’s in this époque that Japan knows the growth of all arts. A new form of popular theatre called “the Kabuki” was born. This was linked to the Ukiyo-e, the fluctuating world of pleasure areas, populated of spectators and actors of Kabuki, Geisha’s dancing and singing performances and new trends. Traditionally Geisha is considered the barometer of style and this is the reason why she becomes a status symbol.
THE FUSION
The Modern Woman – a woman without time
The present, involved in this overwhelming globalization process, is characterized by several heterogeneous signs and symbols.
Occidental and oriental culture, two realities apparently distant, made use of the same life blood of interchange. In a complex historical developing the two worlds have first just tapped into, then directly influenced the design of each other.
From a theoretical point of view oriental dresses are the opposite of occidental ones. In the first case, shapes seems to be codified, fixed in a strict geometry; elementary dresses, almost created from only a piece of fabric, which emphasize the body. In the second dresses are realized with a particular attention for anatomy. Studied, rigid and molded shapes, attention for details, innovative fabrics created to highlight the femininity.
From the fusion of these two realties MDG creates the “woman without time” which includes qualities of modern woman as style and care, trying to improve her figure as emancipated and dynamic; sensual and charming at the same time.
All the items are distinguished by style. The line is elegant, dressy, sophisticated with particular consideration for the care of shapes and details.
Marketing
Line: theatrical
Theme: “Japanese Historic Costume in XVIII century”
Social class: high
Age: 20/50 years old
Haute Couture
Colors: “four seasons”, “elements of nature”
Materials and Fabrics: Crêpe marocain, Taffetas, Crêpe satin, Crêpe de chine, Crêpe Georgette, Seta jacquard, painted by hand
Season: Theatrical 2008-2009
