Sunday 5 April 2015

Dark Dalliance

This shoot for Varsity Fashion captures the glamour and thrill of a late-night, romantic dalliance... and in those dresses, how could she not have admirers flocking to her side?








Photography - Barney Couch
Models -Dan Schofield & Maddie Leadon
Direction/Styling -Livs Galvin & Gayathiri Kamalakanthan
Clothes -Chic by Choice: http://chic-by-choice.com, +44 20 3095 7117

Fashion in children's literature!


I spoke to Kiera Vaclavik for Varsity Fashion, (Senior Lecturer in French and Comparative Literature at Queen Mary, University of London),  after her lecture at Homerton College on fashion in children’s literature: development of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’ as a style icon.
1 )  What first inspired you to study fashion in children’s literature?
For me, it all started with the literary theme of katabasis, (the descent to the underworld by a mythical hero.) During my doctoral research on works for young readers involving such stories, I came across the remarkable US Vogue December 2003 photo essay on Alice in Wonderland, devised by Grace Coddington and shot by Annie Liebowitz. Couture designers from across the world were invited to design a dress for Alice (Natalia Vodianova) and be photographed – in character – alongside her. The photographs are incredibly evocative and over the years whenever I saw anything connected to Alice and fashion, I stored it away. I thought that one day I’d have something to say at an Alice and fashion conference. Such a conference never materialised and now, as part of my current AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council) fellowship, I’m now organising a one-day event on this subject at the Museum of Childhood in May 2015.

Down the hole (Credit: Patrick Emerson)

2 )  Do you think writers such as Lewis Carroll were aware of the impact they would have on the fashion world when creating characters like Alice?
Within his lifetime, Carroll saw various merchandising initiatives (from musical adaptations to parasols, biscuit tins and wallpaper) involving Alice and was even behind one or two of them himself. Even so, I’m not sure he would have anticipated that a century and a half after the first publication of Wonderland, people around the world, young and old, famous and unknown would be wearing clothes adorned by Alice and dressing like her. Carroll took a keen interest in dress, and once expressed a desire for the next little girl to play the role of Alice on stage to wear a dress of cream-coloured Liberty silk. I think he would have been pleased to know that Liberty’s SS2015 collection is entirely devoted to his creation.


The tea party (Credit: Patrick Emerson)
3 )  In your lecture you mentioned labels such as Chanel and Mulberry taking inspiration from fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood. Why do you think designers have taken to children’s literature?
There are lots of possible reasons. Partly it’s to do with a re-evaluation of children’s books. Many of the collections and campaigns draw on fairy tales specifically. Designers and tellers of such tales both spin stories; they are both purveyors of fantasy and make-believe. Feminist reinterpretations of these tales highlighted dark undercurrents and emphasised ongoing relevance to our times. In addition to the fantastical, there’s also the whimsy and quirky. I can’t see all children’s literature being equally inspirational (Mr Men books? Spot? Potter of any description). But never say never, Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox might not sound very likely either, but it played its part in Mulberry’s 2011 collection.

Fantastic Mr.Fox (Credit: Jason Eppink)

4 )  Is what a child wears truly his or her own free, self-expression?
It depends on their age: babies get what they’re given. Teenagers (not to mention tweenagers and some younger children) have much more say in what they will (and won’t, EVER!) wear. Parents play a big part in how and what children wear and in what circumstances. Even parental ‘choice’ is never free but circumscribed by money, time and many other factors. One of the first things I realised on becoming a parent myself, four and a half years ago, is how often children’s clothes are not an active choice but received as gifts or hand-me-downs. What I wanted and what I could afford (and thought morally appropriate to spend on a 25 cm piece of fabric) hardly corresponded.
5 ) Characters like The Gruffalo are seen to be in a state of “undress.” There seems to be somewhat of a desire to dress animal characters in clothes when it is not actually necessary. Can you give some examples of this and comment on why this has become the case? Why do we have such a repulsion to “nudity”?
We must note that his isn’t a universal truth and the Gruffalo is a case in point. In the US, nudity in print (and other media) is far less tolerated than in other Western countries. For example a book about Carroll’s muse, Alice Liddell, featured a picture of Alice in the bath; but she was hidden behind a towel in the US edition. A lot of this stems from well meaning concern for, and protection of children. But the hyper-awareness of undress is itself troublesome.


Naked Gruffalo (Credit: Axel Bührmann)
6 )  We’ve spoken about children’s literature having an impact on fashion. Does fashion have an impact on children’s literature? And if so, how so?
Visually, it will influence the way in which characters are re-presented over time. Alice often sheds her Victorian garb and is restyled in the dress of the day, and this is true of many other characters too. I think fashion has less of an impact on children’s literature than dress, more broadly conceived. Dress is hugely significant in works for young readers – as a plot device, as part of characterization or setting, or to fulfil a symbolic role. But fashion is on the whole an adult preoccupation.
7 ) You mentioned the ‘Pip and Posy’ books and how Pip is, in a way, punished for accidentally relieving himself on his shorts. This punishment entails enduring the embarrassment of having to wear clothes which are traditionally associated with girls. How far do you think children’s literature has an impact in perpetuating gender stereotypewith regards to fashion? Do you think authors and parents who buy these books are aware of the impact and do you think they have a responsibility educate in a more responsible way?
I think children’s literature (alongside many other forms of childhood culture and other influences) has an important part to play in inculcating ideology. There are publishers who make a point of presenting ‘difference’ of various kinds, but there is a mainstream which certainly sticks to what is safe, and in doing so keeps showing children narrow and restricted gender images. This is true of boys as well as girls. But when writers and publishers set out with a mission, however worthy, the story often suffers.
8 ) What is your favourite piece (for example a dress or a particular shoe) which has been created in the world of children’s literature?
I like the always suspended in space scarf in Saint-Exupery’s ‘Petit Prince’. Very appropriate for a cosmic traveller.

Indecent Exposure



So I've just finished my term as Fashion Editor of Varsity (Cambridge's student newspaper) I will be uploading the shoots and features I worked on for them! This particular shoot questions the taboo of nudity in this Eduardo Recife-inspired shoot. The human form is beautiful and we should be able to parade it, celebrate it.We should not have to be constrained by media sites such as Facebook who “impose limitations on the display of nudity” (Facebook guidelines), thus perpetuating the myth of ‘indecency’.





















Model: Ruth Jenkins
Illustrator: Sophie Buck
Photography/Concept: Gayathiri Kamalakanthan

Thursday 8 January 2015

Rise of the New Feminine

Here's a piece I wrote for my University Newspaper "Varsity" a couple of months ago. Thought it was about time I put it up on here! Enjoy :)

When I typed ‘define feminine’ into Google, the first answer it gave me was “having qualities or an appearance traditionally associated with women, especially delicacy and prettiness.” This is absurd. For me, feminism, and indeed being feminine (with regard to fashion) is about enjoying what I wear. It’s not about what other people will find most sexy; it’s about what’s right for me. Forget what is trending or what’s deemed ‘in’ this season: one designer simply cannot speak on behalf of all women. It’s this individuality that we need to respect and celebrate. With this in mind, it is time to acknowledge fashion’s nod to feminism.

If you’ve been paying any attention to London Fashion Week (or even to high-street shop windows), you’ll know one thing: the time has come when heels, in the eyes of fashion royalty such as Chanel and J. JS Lee, are no longer a woman’s staple shoe. With the rise of ‘normcore’ – that is, the idea of one’s style being so normal and restrained that it represents normal gone hard core – it’s no surprise that the way the fashion world views femininity is evolving.

Even Victoria Beckham, the Queen of Heels herself, has ditched her five-inch stilettos in favour of the flatform (flat platform shoes). Her new Autumn/Winter collection boasted more practical, anti-injury inducing footwear – and thank God for that.Regardless of the fact that wearing heels for at least eight hours every working day (only to swap them for taller and more spindly ones on a night out) can cause major long-term foot problems, the heel has also perpetuated a rigid, one-sided and hyper-sexualised image of what ‘womanhood’ is about.

Don’t get me wrong – I love a good heel, it makes me feel empowered and sophisticated. However, so does a brightly coloured trainer. And I shouldn’t feel like any less of a strong, young woman if I’m not wearing heels. From an early age girls are subjected to the idea that unless they are teetering around in Cinderella-esque, ultra-dainty shoes, they aren’t fulfilling their roles as beautiful, ‘proper’ women.But what is a Proper Woman? Twenty years ago, she may have been the LBD-donning, stiletto-wearing siren, but now,things have changed. Personally, I feel as womanly as ever wearing my deep blue and magenta Nike trainers, high-waisted jeans and baggy T-shirt. I feel confident, feminine and, most importantly, like myself. And that’s exactly what feminism is about, right? The whole point is not being defined by someone else’s definition of what being feminine means. And it’s about time the fashion world stumbled off its high heels and onto a more humble, all-embracing flatform.

For the original article check out: Varsity

And Varisty has a whole Fashion Section which I will be editing this term. So watch this space for more of the same!



Tuesday 9 December 2014

Love from Berlin

Abandoned runway screaming for attention! How could I not.





Sunglasses: Ray Ban
Shirt: Vintage
Lips: Red Tint, Benefit






Belt: Vintage
Bag: River Island










Ring: Vintage
Nails: Barry M 



Model: Anisha Doshi
Photographer: Praneeja Roy
Director, Stylist: Gayathiri Kamalakanthan

Friday 22 August 2014

Back to the 20's for a lesson in Glam

Here is a shoot set in Oxford's Christ Church Meadows. I would like to thank my friend and photographer Romain Reglade for his time and talent! I directed this shoot a few months ago...the models are all students who were good fun to work with. Please visit Oxford Fashion Society's Blog to see more of what we do.












































The Most Decadent Dance Costumes

I did  a photoshoot for Oxford Indian Classical Arts society. The dance costumes for South Indian Classical dance are typically brightly coloured and incredibly mesmerizing . I thought they were breathtaking...what do you think?











Go to www.oicas.co.uk to find out more about what OICAS do.