Sunday, April 23, 2006

Earth Day Fashion with Bugs and Bark




Here are some images from a Earth Day fashion show I went to at the Abbey yesterday.

The designer, a girl I know who is also a local hula-hoop teaching master, makes luscious bellydance costumes and is promoting her line of clothing made with natural dyes from insects and marigolds and cherry-bark and such.

Of course, I went for the belly-dancing!

The fashion lines ( Goddesswear, Naturally Dyed, Funwear and designer Tracey Mantha's personal Costume Collection ) were loosely grouped around the theme of the four elements-- Earth, Water, Fire and Air-- and a different dancer introduced each line of clothing in an outfit made by Tracey.

Heather danced Earth in a green and white outfit hung with quartz crystals--she always looks so relaxed as she dances.

Edith danced Water in silky blues with a beautiful jewel on her forehead. I loved the other dances too, but Edith's was special--she was like a naiad gathering water in a otherworldly forest.

True to her personality, fiery Taiya danced the element of Fire, in a peek-a-boo ripped velour outfit with a lit candelabrum on her head. She once danced a Fire-Finger dance at a show I was co-producing (she had long lit tapers on the ends of her fingers), and I was certain the smoke was going to set the fire alam off....she's pretty amazing.

Cathy danced Air combining gauzy veils, trailing white flowers and feathers. She used the breeze from a portable fan for artistic effect.
Between dance numbers the models (at least two of them pregnant) pirouetted to the strains of Slammin' Jack and Declining Amphibian Phenomenon .

The fashions were funky and fun to look at, although few were my personal style. I liked the ruffles added to denim effect though--just the other day I saw someone wearing a skirt of hers and admired it. I thought the long hooded velvet outfits were quite lovely too, in a medieval/witchy way.

I was also impressed (nay, blown away) by the colours produced by the natural dyes: organic raspberries can create a fabulous shade of purple. A Mexican insect produces a soft blue shade. Tree barks coloured clothing in oranges, yellows, browns, and greens. Marigold flowers dyed things a yummy yellow. I remember long ago trying to dye cloth and experimenting with beets and onion skins--my colours were in comparison disappointingly bland.

My favourite piece of clothing today was a soft and velvety fringed, sleeveless brown dress with mushrooms appliqued on the front and a matching shoulder-bag. Super cute. I would definitely wear it:

" Mushroom Girl glows in this simple and natural frock, perfect for a walk in the coastal rain forest with her handy mushroom-picking bag......"
Other clothing made by Tracey was recycled from vintage pieces and even garbage. One girl modelled a costume known as The Recycling Queen : it featured a chest-piece made from take-out food cartons and a skirt fringed with old CD's. She was crowned with old Christmas tree lights. Oddly enough, the look somehow worked on her.









12 comments:

nicki said...

!!!!!!!!!!!! COOL !!!!!!!!! i like that shirt in the first picture!!

blackcrag said...

So, did you buy anything?

Some of those look pretty cool, though the candelabra hat looks... heavy.

Jade L Blackwater said...

Hooray for eco-friendly goods and services!!! Happy Earth Day SpiderGirl. :)

Crazy Me said...

I love the water outfit. I took a belly dancing class at a community center with my girlfriends. Sadly, it only lasted 6 weeks and we wore shorts and t-shirts!

Dagoth said...

They remind me so much of the Gypsy Girls at the Medieval Faire I go to...And I'm partial to the "Water Bearer" as well...

Mz.Elle said...

Wow...those are amazing!

Valkyrie said...

I'd love to learn to bellydance but this white girl has noooo rhythm.

(Plus my metal brassiere and horned helmet make me a hazard on the dance floor.)

kimber said...

I love the yellow & pink hula hoop ensemble! Fantabularosa!

Anonymous said...

Hello friend,

I’d like to thank you for your nice comment about my (so called) poem. I hope you find true happiness, where ever you go and what ever you do. I loved your pictures. You have already contributed your verse!

Sahar Maranlou said...

I have told my friend Sasan "above comment writer" that his poem was beautiful and he can be a great poet. I hope your words encourage him to write more poems,

Any way… nice pictures,

Tai said...

oooh, that looks like so much fun!

I, too, am suprised at the vibrancy of the natural colors.

Outdoorsy Girl said...

very beautiful costumes!

I like the blue best.