Trudging deep into the steamy jungle, near the rivers of Borneo, is where a young Dane designer, Yasamin Zafar, fell intrigued by the indigenous native tribe, the Ibans. What would become the inspiration for her latest collection, “Rites of Passage”; their way with the world – the spiritual world- would become the source of creativity for the creation of a Ready-to-Wear collection for AW12.
Image Courtesy pof www.artsthread.com
“Rites of Passage” symbolises a young Iban’s journey between childhoods to adulthood. Reputed for their traditional practice of headhunting - now a thing of the past - their engagement with the spiritual world is still at the forefront of their ancestry and is very much at the heart of their existence. The collection is a visual interpretation of their customs and rituals and a reflection of her moods and feelings of her journey through the jungle, as she watches and studies their communication with the spiritual world, to protect them from evil spirits and prepare them for a world outside the one they live.
Image Courtsy of www.flickr.com
Inspired by working with different materials, the textile design graduate of The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design, has juxtaposed simple silhouettes dominated by a monochromatic printed catsuits, a laddered knitted gown and a bodice bearing a soft shade of sand teamed with a white sheer layered fabric to create a soft and simple aesthetic, all of which possesed intricate details illustrating their strong connection to the land of mysterious Gods, legends of the forest as well as posing Borneo tribal tatoos.
The designers interpretaion of tribal tatoos are prevalent throughout the collection. Images of mythical creatures, in abstract and reality, are ubiquitously the main attraction. Used for cultural identity, standing within the community and protection from the evil spirits in the forest; common designs take form in the dog, scorpions, tigers and other images depicting nature.
Image Courtesy of www.muuse.com
Each piece tells their own story of being born into a tribe of warriors showing strength and resilience when protecting their territory; the mysterious might of the wilderness; the rituals of death in which the model wilts, exemplifying an emotional and crushing pain one feels when one goes beyond this world but to the spirit world and the three stages of life - birth, child to adult and death.
Image courtesy of www.pimawards.com
The strength of a woman is a flowing theme throughout this collection. A woman with a daring personality, who isn’t afraid to stand out from the crowd, is what a Yasamin Zafar woman is.
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