REFURBISH | Mannequein Styling Display by Fashion Communication students

On 31^st May 2019, the students of Post Graduate Diploma in Fashion Communication showcased a fashion mannequin styling exhibit as part of their Fashion Styling module. The exhibit was centered around themes selected by the students wherein they chose various materials and decorated the mannequins to suit the aesthetic of the theme.

Visual images are a powerful medium for the viewer to remember and store information. The colours used to create images further play with the psyche of the viewer as each colour denotes a specific meaning. This medium of visual appeal is used by retailers to draw customers through their theme based and colourful window displays.

EGYPTIAN

Chithkala and Meriam drew inspiration from the land of Pharaoh – Egypt, with an emphasis on jewellery. The team was influenced by the royalty of ancient Egypt and this was projected in the display through the use of ornaments, colours, fabrics and hieroglyphs.

The mannequin was adorned with a headgear as affluent ancient Egyptian women wore it along with headdresses. The team created headgear using graphite. The backdrop of the display was decorated with images of Hieroglyphs, considered to be the formal writing system of ancient Egypt. Egypt is a land rich in gold and to represent this, the team decorated the bottom of the mannequin with gold coloured materials.

The colours green and white of the silk fabric used to drape the mannequin symbolizes, positive life producing behaviour; and purity and omnipotence respectively. The team placed cotton under the mannequin as the Egyptian cotton is known to be softer, finer and long lasting.  Whereas, silk though initially introduced to Egypt from their trade with Asia, was perceived as a sign of decadence and immortality. Both the fabrics are made out of natural fibres and were considered to be durable and long lasting.

EROTICISM

Mini and Harshitha’s exhibit was inspired by Eroticism which highlights the taboos associated with the topic in our society. It concerns sexual desire, sensuality and romance. Critics have often confused eroticism with pornography, however, it is defined as a quality that causes sexual feelings.

The society at large views eroticism as taboo and this has stifled the voices of women wherein they could not be open about their needs and desires. Since creativity is a medium to express ones thoughts and address societal stigmas, eroticism has been addressed in the works by artists, novelist, poets, musicians etc.

The objective behind the display is to start healthy conversations surrounding the taboo associated with the basic needs of the human body rather than it being viewed to scintillate the audience with sensualism as portrayed in the movies or advertisements.

The team had incorporated colours red and black, women in lingerie, bare bodies, red lips and red roses which have been viewed as symbols of eroticism. With changing times, eroticism is not just limited to heterosexual individuals but also trickles to the LGBTQ community as well. The society at large should work towards eradicating stigmas associated with basic human needs and call for open dialogue that makes it a common ground for discussion rather than looking down upon it.

CASINO

Ankita and Lisa were inspired by the glitzy casinos. The flamboyance, showmanship and the competitive aura of a casino draws a lot of customers.

Taking influence from the casino, the team decorated the mannequin with poker chips, round white balls to signify roulette and cards along with two dice. Heart, spade and club have been used on the right hand side of the mannequin to symbolize the game of cards.

Red forms the backdrop and black is placed below the mannequin as they are colours associated with the game of cards and are the colour combinations that symbolize casinos.

The display can also be used for a casino themed party.

AUTUMN

Autumn is the season which arrives after summer and just before winter. Some of the changes observed during this season are the falling of the leaves after turning yellow, brown or red. In some countries is also associated with harvest time.

Drawing inspiration from it, Shraddha and Pooja used dried twigs, leaves, flowers and threads on the mannequin in colours of autumn. The backdrop of the display was decorated with images of red dried leave, whereas the area around the mannequin was decorated with dried leaves.

THE UGLY SIDE OF EVERY THING

Prashanth through his display had emphasized on the impact created by waste dumping on our environment. Just like the domino effect, our choices have direct consequences on our environment. Popular culture feeds us to make choices to stay on trend and make purchases to stay on trend. The impact of these choices has led to global warming.

One of the major contributors to global wastage is the fashion industry which not only contributes to 20% of global waste water, but is also responsible for fabric waste that ends up on the cutting room floor. Plastic is another contributor of pollution. About 60% of plastic either ends up in the landfills or is conveniently dumped in our water bodies or on the streets. Since it is non-biodegradable it takes years to decay and this in turn becomes toxic to the environment.

The mannequin was styled using plastic wrappers, soft drink cans and paper packets. The backdrop of the display featured images of polluted rivers, landfills, posters of discounts that lead to over consumption by the consumer and plastic waste. It is important to take educated decisions while making buying choices. This will not only ensure a clean and safe environment for us, but will also make our future generations aware of the impact of their choices.

SUPREMATISM

Anannya and Anju drew inspiration from Suprematism introduced by avant-garde Russian artist Kazimir Malevich and fashion designer Lazaro Perez’s, ‘Black Wedding Gown’ from his 2019 collection.

Suprematism sought to develop a form of expression in order to access “the supremacy of pure feeling” and spirituality. Malevich’s key works included pure geometric forms like black squares on white. However, he faced opposition from the new government, which led to his imprisonment and loss of his teaching position. Upon his release he used abstract art in a representational style.

A black wedding gown is considered an unlikely choice for a white wedding. However, in Spanish culture a Roman Catholic bride dresses in a black wedding gown, as the colour symbolizes the devotion to the marriage until death.

The team portrayed the amalgamation of the influence of Malevich and Perez in the display by decorating the mannequin as a bride in all black with a veil. They team also added geometric shapes in black, white and silver colours, to represent the coming together of unconventional choices and the freedom of expression.

The Display was one of a kind and was successful under the mentorship of our in-house stylist Mr. Sidhanata Das.

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