TODAY, I SHARE WITH YOU A PIECE OF MY PAST, A PART OF MY WORLD, A COLLAGE OF MY MEMORIES FROM MY CHILDHOOD. THIS STORY IS A CROSS CULTURAL EXPLORATION, A JOURNEY FROM WEST TO EAST AS I DISCOVER THE VARIOUS ITERATIONS OF FEMINISM AND FEMININITY.
I WAS RAISED BY A SINGLE MOTHER AND SURROUNDED BY STRONG WOMEN. THEY WERE THE ONES WHO STOOD AT THE FOREFRONT, WHO CAME FIRST. THEY WERE MY SUPERHEROINES.
ON A QUEST TO UNEARTH THESE MEMORIES, I WAS INSPIRED BY THE MATRILINEAL WORLD OF THE MOSUO TRIBE, SITUATED IN THE YUNNAN PROVINCE OF CHINA. REMINISCENT OF THE SHERPAS THAT I SO VIVIDLY RECALL, I WAS TAKEN BACK TO TIBET AND MY NATIVE NEPAL AND ULTIMATELY REACHED THE BUNDELKHAND REGION OF INDIA, HOME TO THE GULABI GANG, A COMMUNITY OF FEMALE ACTIVISTS WHO ADORN THEMSELVES IN PINK SARIS SYMBOLIC OF THEIR SELF PROCLAIMED POWER AND FEARLESSNESS.
WHAT UNITES ALL OF THESE PLACES ARE THE GRACEFUL WOMEN WITH QUIET STRENGTH, RESILIENCE, AND UNRELENTING DESIRE FOR INDEPENDENCE. FULL OF DETERMINATION AND GRACE, THESE WOMEN TIGHTLY WRAP THEMSELVES IN YARDS OF PATUKA CLOTH, READYING FOR THE FIELD, TO PROTECT AND TO PERSEVERE. IN ALL OF THEIR GLORY, THESE WOMEN WORK WITH PURPOSE AND WITH POISE, UNABASHED IN THEIR APPROACH.
THE COLLECTION CELEBRATES THE MELDING OF THESE BEAUTIFUL CULTURES WITH THE USE OF RICH PANNE VELVETS, FLUID FEATHERS, HAND EMBROIDERED SEQUINS, ENGINEERED PATCHWORK, AND TUFTED QUILTING. MONGOLIAN ACCENTS REPRESENT THE RAW GRITTINESS AND SAVAGE BEAUTY OF THESE FEARLESS WOMEN.
THE ARTISANAL SPIRIT SEEN THROUGHOUT IS AN ODE TO EASTERN PRACTICES, CAPTURED BY THE MANDALA-INSPIRED AND HAND DRAWN GRAPHIC PRINTS, HAND CUT FRINGE, HAND KNIT SWEATERS, AND HAND EMBROIDERED FEATHERS, PAILLETTES AND PEARLS. THE UTILITARIAN QUILTING AND CARGO DETAILS HAIL FROM MOUNTAIN TREKS THROUGH ROUGH TERRAIN.
THE TASAKI ATELIER EAR PIECES ARE METICULOUSLY CRAFTED WITH COUTURE IDEALS TO MIMIC THE GRACEFUL SILHOUETTES OF EASTERN DRAPING. VIVID GOLD WRAPS AROUND THE EAR, HIGHLIGHTED BY OVERSIZED PEARLS. THEY EPITOMIZE FEMININE LUXURY AND DEMONSTRATE THAT POWER AND FEMININITY CAN LIVE TOGETHER IN HARMONY.
A NEW ERA OF CHANGE IS UPON US WHERE OUR MODERN WORLD IS BEGINNING TO SEE THE CUMULATIVE POWER OF FEMALE SOLIDARITY. IT IS HISTORIC AND IT IS EXHILARATING, AND WHILE UNQUESTIONABLY POWERFUL, IT IS OFTEN COMMUNICATED IN A WAY THAT DOWNPLAYS WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE ONE OF THE MANY STRENGTHS OF A WOMAN. HERE, I SHARE WITH YOU THE COLOURS THAT ARE THE EASTERN WORLD, COLOURS OF OUR FUTURE.
XPG
Photo courtesy of Michael Stewart.