FASHION AND ART

Art and design were more closely tied at the turn of the twentieth century than they are
today. Artists did not see the difference between creating an original work of art, such as a
painting, and designing a textile pattern that would be reproduced many times over. Each
was a valid creative act in their eyes.

The famed French couturier Paul Poiret moved in artistic circles, employed Parisian artists,
and collected their work. He went to art galleries and showed his artistic sensibilities by
preferring Impressionist paintings at a time when they were new and unappreciated by the
public at large. Poiret became very interested in modern art and said, "I have always liked
painters. It seems to me that we are in the same trade and that they are my colleagues."

The Fauvist painter Francis Picabia was his friend, and they shared a love of bright color
with other painters Maurice Vlaminck and Andre Derain, whom he knew from sailing
excursions on the Seine in Chatou. Among other artists whose work he collected were
Picasso, Matisse, Dufy, Rouault, and Utrillo.

Poiret also loved the theater and throughout his career designed costumes for the theater
that served as a springboard for his couture designs. He was famous for his parties,
elaborate costume dramas with decorations by modern artists.

Poiret’s theatrical background explains his great interest in the Ballet Russes, whose first
appearance in Paris in 1909 impressed Poiret so much. With their colorful designs by Leon
Bakst, echoing Russian peasant art, the costumes and sets expressed for Poiret not only the
exoticism celebrated by painters like Picasso, but the appeal of spontaneity, a concept at the
heart of much modern art. Immediately he began including "oriental" motifs in his dress
designs.

The fashion press employed fine artists to illustrate the designs of the day. A new technique
in printing–pochoir–allowed fashion illustrators to show broad, abstract expanses of bright
color and a simple line. Poiret realized its potential from the beginning and employed
printmaker Paul Iribe to illustrate his radically simplified gowns. In 1908 Iribe illustrated
ten Poiret gowns in a limited edition titled les Robes de Paul Poiret; racontées par Paul
Iribe.

Poiret was only the best known and best documented of couturiers with connections to the
art world. Many other couturiers in the first half of the twentieth century were not only
collectors, but also friends of artists. Some collaborated with modern artists in the design of
couture or in other artistic projects, especially for ballet and the stage.

The interest of artists in fashion was not restricted to France. From the artists of the
Glasgow School in the nineteenth century, to the Russian Constructivists, Bakst, the
Wiener Werkstatte, many participated in other aspects of art and design–including
illustration, theater design, decorative arts, and even advertising art. Couturiers traditionally
participated in events that showcased the decorative arts, taking part in international
expositions since the first appearance of the designer Charles Worth at the Crystal Palace
Exhibition in London in 1851. Poiret belonged to the Société des Artistes Décorateurs,
founded in 1901 for the promotion and display of modern French art.

Through the first half of the twentieth century, fashion design tracked and echoed trends in
modern art. The developing aesthetic of modernism can be followed in the progression of
fashion design from the heavily corseted S-curved silhouettes that reflected Art Nouveau
interpretation of the female form early in the century to the first uncorseted, tubular,
simplified silhouette that arrived before the First World War and continued into the 1920s,
to the streamlined, body-hugging dresses of the 1930s.

Designers in the early years of the century could choose fabrics with designs from the
stylized organic motifs of Art Nouveau or the flat, abstract designs of the Vienna Secession
movement–both styles having originated in the 1890s. Cubist painters, whose canvases
presented greatly abstracted objects to a shocked world, influenced fashion silhouettes.
Tubular dresses and rounded cloche hats turned women’s bodies into geometric shapes that
echoed those found in modern paintings.

The chemise dresses of the early 20s were a perfect foil for surface design. Taking
advantage of the plain tubular shape as a painter’s canvas, each garment could be highly
decorated with beading and ornamentation. Underlying this would be a textile pattern based
on Japanese, Egyptian, Persian, or Viennese design.

In the late 1920s, a new streamlined design aesthetic dubbed Moderne (now known as Art
Deco) combined Cubism’s geometric base with sinuous embellishments. Once again,
textile patterns and fashion design echoed the trend. Shiny fabrics only enhanced the
connection with the "speed" of modern life–and art.

The dresses, coats, bathing suits, and evening wraps found in the Tirocchi shop, when
placed chronologically, chart for the observer not only the changing silhouette of fashion,
but reflect the fact that fashion was part of an aesthetic that was part and parcel of its time.
From the chemise and cloche of the 1920s, echoing Cubist concerns, to the evening dresses
of the 1930s, with the body-skimming silhouettes and reflective surfaces, each garment has
a particular relationship to the art of its time.

The designers of these garments–and by extension Anna and Laura Tirocchi and their
clientele–were reflecting the developing aesthetic of the early twentieth century and asking
the question, "What does it mean to be modern?" The Twentieth Century felt "new" to
people. Advances in technology increased the speed of life and the speed of change. Artists
and designers responded to this new age with their work. The Tirocchis and their customers
watched modern trends with interest, and did their best to wrap themselves in clothes of a
 new age.

Various Facets of Indian Fashion

When we speak of the Indian fashion we should mention of the traditional Indian
culture. Truly speaking both are interrelated and the Indian fashion being an integral
part of the noble Indian culture is also diverse. But fashion is in no way a new concept
in India and has been in vogue for centuries. What is more with the change of ages
and generations many styles and trends have come up and disappeared. But there is
one unusual aspect. It has been found through several instances that the popular
trend or fashion of one age may get disappeared with the passing of time but in no
way gets extinct. It has been witnessed at several times that one fashion disappears in
one generation but is again renovated after few generations. In the earlier decades or
in the last century the Indian fashion was related with the predominant style of sari
and suits. Even though the presence of British style was largely imbibed. From the
middle of the 20th century some variations in fashions were noticed that were
characterized by trendy clothes. But the present generation in its preference for the
indo-western outfits represent the mix of modernity and tradition. For this it is quite
different from the predecessors.   
    
But whatever may be the preference of any generation it is impossible to outshine the
grace of Indian sari, which is simply marvelous in elegance and grandeur. Throughout
the world there is an admiration for the Indian sari and it is increasing day by day. If
any Indian woman at any occasion appears in sari, she will outdo others and will look
more graceful, opulent.  In actual fact the presence of various saris like Benarasi,
Hakoba, Chikan, Bandhej, Kanjeevaram, Baluchari, Patola, Chanderi are making good
business in the international market. Well, the Indian fashion concerning men also
deserves special mention. For instance, dhoti-kurta, or aligarhi-kurta is also creating
spell in the international spectrum. 

   Origins

The origins of Madhubani painting or Mithila Painting are shrouded in antiquity. Tradition states
that this style of painting originated at the time of the Ramayana, when King Janak
commissioned artists to do paintings at the time of marriage of his daughter, Sita, to Lord Ram.

Madhubani painting has been done traditionally by the women of villages around the present
town of Madhubani (the literal meaning of which is forests of honey) and other areas of Mithila.
The painting was traditionally done on freshly plastered mud wall of huts, but now it is also done
on cloth, hand-made paper and canvas.

As Madhubani painting has remained confined to a compact geographical area and the skills
have been passed on through centuries, the content and the style have largely remained the same.
Madhubani paintings also use two dimensional imagery, and the colors used are derived from
plants. Ochre and lampblack are also used for reddish brown and black respectively.

Madhubani paintings mostly depict nature and Hindu religious motifs, and the themes generally
revolve around Hindu deities like Krishna, Ram, Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Natural
objects like the sun, the moon, and religious plants like tulsi are also widely painted, along with
scenes from the royal court and social events like weddings. Generally no space is left empty; the
gaps are filled by paintings of flowers, animals, birds, and even geometric designs. Objects
depicted in the walls of kohabar ghar (where newly wed couple see each other in the first night)
are symbols of sexual pleasure and procreation.

Traditionally, painting was one of the skills that was passed down from generation to generation
in the families of the Mithila Region, mainly by women.[1] The painting was usually done on
walls during festivals, religious events, and other milestones of the life-cycle such as birth,
Upanayanam (sacred thread ceremony), and marriage.

Madhubani paintings are pretty and well recognized by their distinct style of painting. Colorful and vivid
in their description and get, the Madhubani art form is well appreciated by one and all. Madhubani
paintings add a dash of vibrancy in the room and enhance its appeal when used as home décor item.

Madhubani painting is an expression of day-to-day experiences and beliefs. Madhubani painting is a

traditional art symbolism, simplicity and beauty. In the Madhubani painting, the treatment of color is
beautifully done. The themes of daily activities, nature, flora and fauna and Hindu Gods are the most
prominent.

Madhubani paintings are characterized by the vibrant and bold use of colors and traditional geometric
patterns that supports the main theme. Some of the main attributes of all the Madhubani paintings
double line border, ornate floral patterns, abstract-like figures of deities and bulging eyes and a jolting
nose of the faces of the figures.

The Madhubani painting is a traditional folk art form which has succeeded in creating a place for itself in
the internationally and is recognized world wide.

Madhubani painting, also referred to as Mithila Art (as it flourishes in the Mithila region of
Bihar), is characterized by line drawings filled in by bright colours and contrasts or patterns. This
style of painting has been traditionally done by the women of the region, though today men are
also involved to meet the demand. These paintings are popular because of their tribal motifs and
use of bright earthy colours. These paintings are done with mineral pigments prepared by the
artists. The work is done on freshly plastered or a mud wall.
For commercial purposes, the work is now being done on paper, cloth, canvas etc. Cotton
wrapped around a bamboo stick forms the brush. Black colour is obtained by mixing soot with
cow dung; yellow from turmeric or pollen or lime and the milk of banyan leaves; blue from
indigo; red from the kusam flower juice or red sandalwood; green from the leaves of the wood
apple tree; white from rice powder; orange from palasha flowers. The colours are applied flat
with no shading and no empty space is left.

Figures from nature & mythology are adapted to suit their style. The themes & designs widely
painted are of Hindu deities such as Krishna, Rama, Siva, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Sun and
Moon, Tulasi plant, court scenes, wedding scenes, social happenings etc. Floral, animal and bird
motifs, geometrical designs are used to fill up all the gaps. The skill is handed down the
generations, and hence the traditional designs and patterns are widely maintained.

In order to create a source of non-agricultural income, the All India Handicrafts Board and the
Government of India have been encouraging the women artists to produce their traditional
paintings on handmade paper for commercial sale. Madhubani painting has become a primary
source of income for scores of families. The continuing market in this art throughout the world is
a tribute to the resourcefulness of the women of Mithila who have successfully transferred their
techniques of bhitti chitra or wall painting to the medium of pape