This articles comes to us from the Roma Virtual Network. So often we focus on what is wrong with this world, what goes wrong in life, then it is easy to overlook the positive aspects. We must celebrate the victories as well, and celebrate them loudly for all the world to see. Erika Varga has turned her passion into a statement, celebrating beauty, color, and culture. Brava, Erika!
Romani Design – See with Your Heart!
2011.11.25
Photo: Endre Holecz, FashionTime.hu. Erika Varga (front) and her sister Heléna at the "See with Your Heart!" show.
FashionTime’s Krisztina Székely reports on the Romani Design fashion show at Budapest’s Museum of Fine Arts on November 5, 2011.
This article and the accompanying photos have been published with the kind permission of FashionTime.
But perhaps the root of the problem lies in the fear of the unknown, a fear that Romani Design is trying to dispel by opening a door through which anyone can enter, calmly and without doubt, to become acquainted with this relatively alien culture. To be sure, the arts themselves provide the easiest and most beautiful way for us to become acquainted, for cultures to present themselves and introduce one another. Through her clothing, Erika Varga records and presents the motifs of Roma folk art in such a way that anyone would wear them proudly, on any day of the week. As we stroll in the city, every piece in the 2011/2012 collection seems conceivable in our mind’s eye.
Apart from the motifs of Roma culture, the clothing follows a young and trendy line: apart from several basic colors (black, cold, beige, black-and-red), Erika was inspired to emphasize the culture’s truly typical rose motif along with ribbons, which hung from virtually every garment to remind us of the traditional braiding of ribbons into a Roma woman’s hair. The 40 pieces presented were in perfect harmony, whether they were eveningwear, cocktail dresses or simple, everyday outfits. Erika Varga also reformulated the long-tiresome baggy Turkish pants in such a way that we’d like to get a pair for ourselves right away—and the same goes for the little jacket paired with a sleeveless jumpsuit of rose-patterned lace.
As before, the jewelry was designed by Heléna Varga, and every single piece was unique and harmonized to the utmost with the presented clothing.
It added to the orgy of colors and feelings that upon entering the lobby we were greeted by music played by young Roma. And later, as well, we heard authentic Roma music from Heléna Varga and alumni of the Snétberger Musical Talent Center.
Again we found proof that through fashion it is wonderfully possible to reduce prejudice, that it is possible to start a trend toward acceptance and openness through a few incredibly beautiful dresses. Finally, we can only quote ourselves: fashion is the common language through which the values and viewpoints of the majority and minority cultures can successfully approach one another. So let’s approach each other fashionably!
Translated from the Hungarian by Andy Haupert
Source: http://www.fashiontime.hu/divatbemutatok/20111107_romani_design_sziveddel_lass/
This article and the accompanying photos have been published with the kind permission of FashionTime.
The meeting of cultures, the struggle against prejudice and for acceptance, imaginative and colorful clothing—this is what awaited us at the Museum of Fine Arts.
You go to a fashion show knowing ahead of time exactly how the evening will be: dresses on the catwalk, models parading one after the other, pulsating music, high heels and a mostly positive visual experience, then a quick exchange of views among colleagues and the door is already closing behind us. You go to a fashion show not expecting anything beyond beautiful clothing; the eye is happy with the things it has seen, but the experience, the effects and memory of them wear off hours later or perhaps the next day. A Romani Design show, however, is not like any other—in this case, the soul hungers as well as the eye, the conscience might even speak up, and for days, for weeks an outfit or a pattern—and, of course, “the Issue”—will come to mind.
Fashion has already been used for all sorts of purposes. We have sought out and evaluated “re-buttoned” young talents [ed.: This is a reference to a state-sponsored Hungarian fashion competition.]; we have called attention to the struggle against AIDS, just like we have roused you to the fight against global warming. Fashion is a sphere that we can use for important, pressing and valued causes, as well as the adoration of beautiful clothing. Fashion is a battlefield.
Erika Varga, the mind behind Romani Design, is struggling for a noble cause: apart from dazzling the public and the industry alike with new ideas, she is struggling to decrease or eliminate the giant chasm that has separated Roma and non-Roma for decades. We won’t now try to examine the reasons or possible solutions to the problem; we are simply writing about the impressions and feelings that struck our heart at the Museum of Fine Arts on Saturday evening.
You go to a fashion show knowing ahead of time exactly how the evening will be: dresses on the catwalk, models parading one after the other, pulsating music, high heels and a mostly positive visual experience, then a quick exchange of views among colleagues and the door is already closing behind us. You go to a fashion show not expecting anything beyond beautiful clothing; the eye is happy with the things it has seen, but the experience, the effects and memory of them wear off hours later or perhaps the next day. A Romani Design show, however, is not like any other—in this case, the soul hungers as well as the eye, the conscience might even speak up, and for days, for weeks an outfit or a pattern—and, of course, “the Issue”—will come to mind.Fashion has already been used for all sorts of purposes. We have sought out and evaluated “re-buttoned” young talents [ed.: This is a reference to a state-sponsored Hungarian fashion competition.]; we have called attention to the struggle against AIDS, just like we have roused you to the fight against global warming. Fashion is a sphere that we can use for important, pressing and valued causes, as well as the adoration of beautiful clothing. Fashion is a battlefield.
Erika Varga, the mind behind Romani Design, is struggling for a noble cause: apart from dazzling the public and the industry alike with new ideas, she is struggling to decrease or eliminate the giant chasm that has separated Roma and non-Roma for decades. We won’t now try to examine the reasons or possible solutions to the problem; we are simply writing about the impressions and feelings that struck our heart at the Museum of Fine Arts on Saturday evening.
Watch a video of the "See with Your Heart" fashion show.
But perhaps the root of the problem lies in the fear of the unknown, a fear that Romani Design is trying to dispel by opening a door through which anyone can enter, calmly and without doubt, to become acquainted with this relatively alien culture. To be sure, the arts themselves provide the easiest and most beautiful way for us to become acquainted, for cultures to present themselves and introduce one another. Through her clothing, Erika Varga records and presents the motifs of Roma folk art in such a way that anyone would wear them proudly, on any day of the week. As we stroll in the city, every piece in the 2011/2012 collection seems conceivable in our mind’s eye.Apart from the motifs of Roma culture, the clothing follows a young and trendy line: apart from several basic colors (black, cold, beige, black-and-red), Erika was inspired to emphasize the culture’s truly typical rose motif along with ribbons, which hung from virtually every garment to remind us of the traditional braiding of ribbons into a Roma woman’s hair. The 40 pieces presented were in perfect harmony, whether they were eveningwear, cocktail dresses or simple, everyday outfits. Erika Varga also reformulated the long-tiresome baggy Turkish pants in such a way that we’d like to get a pair for ourselves right away—and the same goes for the little jacket paired with a sleeveless jumpsuit of rose-patterned lace.
As before, the jewelry was designed by Heléna Varga, and every single piece was unique and harmonized to the utmost with the presented clothing.
It added to the orgy of colors and feelings that upon entering the lobby we were greeted by music played by young Roma. And later, as well, we heard authentic Roma music from Heléna Varga and alumni of the Snétberger Musical Talent Center.
Again we found proof that through fashion it is wonderfully possible to reduce prejudice, that it is possible to start a trend toward acceptance and openness through a few incredibly beautiful dresses. Finally, we can only quote ourselves: fashion is the common language through which the values and viewpoints of the majority and minority cultures can successfully approach one another. So let’s approach each other fashionably!
By Krisztina Székely, FashionTime.hu
Photographs: Endre Holecz
Source: http://www.fashiontime.hu/divatbemutatok/20111107_romani_design_sziveddel_lass/
No comments:
Post a Comment