kiRstyRobyn: Wrap your head around a turban...

At the moment I have a slight obsession with turbans. Collaborating with Heidi, in the first initial shot that I saw of her she was wearing a bonnet-like hat. It was this image that inspired me to make turbans for my assessment. I've found it really inspiring working with Heidi. As artists we both share a love for "candy spew" colour palettes; femininity; a deeper, richer meaning to what meets the eye.

I love the multi-cultural & symbolic history that embodies turbans. Reading up about them, the contemporary turban or safa comes in many shapes, sizes and colours and they can be very large or quite modest depending upon religion, culture and region. Turbans are worn in the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, and the Sikh Turban wearers. Women wear them as hats in the west. I love that turbans are a symbolic itemof clothing across so many cultures and religions. For example in some cultures the turban symbolizes self-respect; dignity; youth; strength and many other things. I love these symbolic meanings, they are influential to my design process as having a deeper meaning to my designs.

Ethnicity and culture are definitely important to my design aesthetic. I come form Zimbabwe, Africa and have been lucky enough to travel a lot of the world, discovering and delving into different cultures across the world.

Turbans started to become fashionable headgear for women in the late 18th century and early 19th century. Turbans were first introduced into English fashion in the 1970s inspired by England's increased trade with india for cotton. As with all styles, they have waxed and waned in popularity.Paul Poiret, a french couturier was famous for his Orientalist designs that featured turbans. As a result sirens of the 1920s such as Greta Garbo, Louise Brooks, Marlene Dietrish and Gloria Swanson donned turbans to give their look mystery and exoticism.

I have focused on 1950s feminism in relation to Heidi's work as an artist. My aesthetic as a fashion designer is very feminine which also comes through in Heidi's aesthetic. I am taking the rich, exotic, feminine look of the 1950s and creating a turban of it.

Here are some other pics for inspiration: