Dyed In The Wool
My boredom threshold is extremely low, Clark drawls in a confessional tone after a couple of pulls. And I dont have to explain what that means when it comes to my profession. I couldnt have stuck to it for so long if I hadnt been in love with fashion designing.
Clark should have been pleased with herself; she had finally gotten in a word about herself in a conversation repeatedly drifting to inane statistics and technicalties of the global textile industry, thanks not in the least to her Indian colleague, Monal Desai. He hadnt had the intention of intruding, and said so at the outset, but then he had not contended with the fact that his concerns expensively produced and well-glossed brochure wouldnt grip somebody the moment he set eyes on it. Business has to take a back seat to creativity, a precondition of the engagement thats rather hard on a mind that reels with numerics.
The bubbly fashion designer knows that too: they have a job to do, and on that hangs the fate of the 50 million odd clients in New Zealand who pay for the steaming pot of coffee the stewards just walked in with. Oh, yes, Ive been to New Zealand. Its an incredibly pretty country. I was quite impressed with the pains New Zealanders take to maintain their quality of wool in keeping with international standards, she gushes. Now weve taken the single most important step in ensuring that the world appreciate this fact its a branded product now.
Thats where the fernmark enters. The fern leaf is an authentic symbol of New Zealand, representing the traditional values of the country and its people, Clark points out, taking her cue from Desai, the professional-to-the-core Area Manager for New Zealand wool. It perfectly expresses the unspoilt, natural qualities of NZ wool, and rest assured, itll be applied only to products meeting the highest standards, she concludes with a flourish. In other words, you cant tell one sheep from another, but now youll be able to tell NZ wool from another wool, adds Desai, who finds the provocation to express things in other words hard to resist.
It wouldnt have been surprising had the PR woman who sits at the other end of the table furiously scribbling something away on a notebook (jotting minutes of the meeting?) chimed in too in favour of her employers project.
Either this team from NZ actually believe in giving a hand for the betterment of their sheep, or they are so sceptical of an Indians understanding of the true value of wool that its all they can do to drive in the significance of wool to the apparel and carpet industry. The only hint of a possible chasm between the two teammates comes when the latter concludes his monologue on how their organisation is not interested in production activities and that its in fact a non-profit organisation. That doesnt mean of course that no money is involved, Clark interjects. Somebody has to be paying for this, right? Its just that its the NZ sheep farmers themselves who finance us.
It cannot be denied that NZ sheep enjoy an eminent status in New Zealand, which exports 96% of the yearly harvest of 200,000 tonnes of wool, making it one of its prime foreign exchange earners. NZ wool is supposed to be the cleanest and the whitest wool in the world for all purposes. It has very low levels of both vegetable and chemical contaminants, assures Clark. We both hope that that statement takes care of the nitty-gritty of what the representatives of NZ Wool Board are here for so she could move on to fashion.
Colour is the magic word that gets Clark springing out of her chair. With a flourish, she turns to her pattern charts in a thats where I come in kind of attitude. This is her forte all right, and she nearly whoops with joy to get back to talking of fashion. Look at these colours carefully, though I think indoors theyre a bit hard to fathom. She reaches out to retrieve a couple of colour catalogues. These would make it easier to explain why I think these colours would ride the autumn/winter of 1997-98.
The contents page declares that the catalogue is a guide to colours appropriate for womenswear. It comprises a pallete of 30 shades, sub-classified in three categories. Theres Scarlet, Sunshine, Lime, Magenta, and Aquamarine, which I classify under New Brights. There are Sharp Accents which include Amber, Citrus and Candyfloss. And then there are the Sultry Darks Mocha, Amethyst, Mulberry and Midnight, Clark declares with all the confidence of a world class fashion pandit, which in fact she is.
Having received her initial education at the Leicester College of Art which earned her a degree in Knitwear Design, she joined Dawson International, a leading fashion-wear concern. Here she teamed up with Pringle of Scotland before eventually joining another acclaimed name in fashion Barrie Knitwear to design their famous range of top quality wool and cashmere. Since then shes been a consultant with European as well as Indian companies. She also did a short teaching stint as an associate lecturer at the University of Northumbria.
She is not yet through with her womenswear collection. The key interpretations here are derived from irridescent mixes, surrealistic trends, futuristic effects, unexpected impacts, and kinetic looks, she explains. Turning over to colour directions for menswear, which comprises of a pallete of 28 shades, she says that they are all unusual and innovative colour combinations, such that contrasting and conflicting effects such as dark to light, rich to ethnic, town to country, organic to engineered, real to surreal, clean and clear, tonal and textural, and sophisticated and sporty rule the roost... Black and nearly blacks are back in a big way and look dynamic when teamed up with Rich Blues, Fresh, Clean Greens, Warm Reds and Sesuous Browns she pauses to catch her breath.
Now for trends. Its more important to talk of the fernmark and she doesnt exactly have all day for it. She begins with a general statement. The autumn/winter collection for 97/98 should see a return to individuality. The dominant moods will be dramatic, organic and graphic, with the prevalence of traditional values, fibres, patterns and shapes, all inspired by fresh prespectives.
When I say organic, its to say that trends are likely to follow natural forms, with an infusion of hi-tech influences. Neat geometrics of precise square weaves would dominate the graphic line. As far as dramatic lines are concerned, I think their colours would be strong and contrasted with matt and shine. All in all, the autumn/winter 97/98 would be a subtle evolution of refinement of todays fabrics and fashion.
Clarks immaculate pattern sheets demonstrate the actual patterns and trends better. Organic wear for women recommends intricate textures combining with playful, clown-like silhouttes. Exaggerated shapes provide comfort and ease of movement, while hoods and longer lengths offer protection from the elements. And wool, of course, plays an important role since it has ideal properties: It is soft, light weight, absorbant and easy to clean, as Clark puts it.
The story for Organic menswear is much the same deceptively simple relief textures manufactured using highly technical methods. Silhouttes are likely to be roomy and relaxed, offering protective and concealing qualities similar to those provided by shells and cocoons. Graphics for women implies that a pared-down prim and proper approach is adopted for this collection of sophisticated knits. However geometric silhouttes and innovative textures move this knit story into fast forward. Men going in for Graphics could look forward to reworked traditional knits offering a modern look, but without losing the feel-good familiarity of classics. In slightly flaring shapes, they layer effortlessly under their woven counterparts.
But what about unisexual wear? Are the days of unisexual apparel dated? Not quite. That would be covered under what I call dramatic wear. Stretch is essential to this collection of clinging, body-conscious silhouettes in opulent colours, besides plush knits, fur and feathers evoking an air of unremitting luxury. Fur? Wouldnt that be risking the animal rights lobby?
Not at all. I am referring to synthetic fur, which is nearly as good as the real one. Personally speaking, as well as speaking on behalf of the Wools of New Zealand, theres no question of exploiting animals for commercial gain.
Shearing of wool, of course, is a healthy and painless process, and the sheep are subjected to no degradation of any kind, concurs Desai, whos been uncharacteristically quiet for the last quarter of an hour. He thus manages to also have the last word on any subject.