Creative people say that there's inspiration everywhere. Even from the most random thing, you can find a trigger that gets your creative juices flowing and pushes you to create something.
This was the case of the dress that Ate Lissa wore during Pichon's wedding last Saturday.
The story starts at Forever 21. Ate Bullet has a wedding to attend in June and is planning to wear the black, pleated long gown that I bought for her in Singapore. She needed earrings to go with it, and I remember seeing a pair of black, art deco ones at the Megamall store. (More on that another time.)
Immediately, I found the pair that I was looking for. But just as I was walking away from the rack, there was this other pair of multicolored sparklers that called out to me. It said: "Don't leave just yet. Look at me! Look at me!" So I looked at it. And bought it.
This pair was also a bit art deco in design, thought its vibe was more Bollywood. Maybe it's the deep jewel tones that remind me of India. Immediately, I knew that "Modern Bollywood" would be the theme for Ate Lissa's dress.
With that accessory in mind, it was time to find the perfect Indian fabric. Which would've been easy if we were in Singapore or India. But this is Manila, and this might have been a tall order. So, I went to several Indian shops in search for a sari that can be reworked. Luckily, this Indian silk fabric presented itself to me.
It was perfect. The deep magenta base, a red cenefa, and small brick red patterns - it was very Indian, but still modern. What struck me the most was the paisley edges that echoed the design of the earrings that this was supposed to match.
The fabric was already busy and a bit complex, thus, I thought the design should be simple, classic, but still with a touch of modernity. Which led to this sketch:
A simple, strapless dress with a flared hem. It was classic, and it would bring out the cenefa both at the bodice and the hem. Just to keep it from looking too simple, the back had an open detail to show off some skin and to break the color and pattern.
After showing the seamstress the dress, she immediately knew what to do. And after a few weeks, the modern Bollywood gown arrived.
Like a lot of creative endeavors, this gown looked better than I imagined it to be. The flared hem gives it an edge, and the back offers a hint of sass. It could've been a tad bit more open, though, but the cenefa would've been cut if I insisted.
Just add some "chori, chori," and this gown will definitely go straight to Bollywood.
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