Fashion Kraft consists of a team of people who have the vigor and the passion in what they do, and have managed to link their talents to create this joint. When Hrishant Bipashwa Rai is the observant model coordinator, Sakil Kunwar is the eloquent and gesturing makeup artist whose talent lies in glorifying people with the help of his tools, whereas Sizan Bhattachen, the professional model who’s recognized for maintaining a benchmark as a model, is the choreographer behind every posture and glare of the models. And Tenzing is the clean-cut stylist who garnered much fame after designing the well appreciated gown for Sahana Bajracharya for Miss Earth 2010, and Asim Chitrakar is the art director whereas Yusha Pun is the official photographer.
The latter two members were absent during the conversation but the other team members somehow filled in the space. The team proudly mentions that everything (beside the accessories and the shoes) has been produced in Nepal.
“We initiated this project to make the Nepali people realize that Nepali fashion can be paralleled with international standards so that people don’t hesitate to buy or even look at products from Nepal. We want to convince them to buy goods from Nepal, not shy away from them,” says Tenzin.
The clothes are entirely focused with the notion of Haute Couture Fashion – the models donning in guise that are unlikely for anyone to wear on a regular day, very non-street fashion, with drapes, train, knitted cat suit and below-the-cleavage revealing sequin dress. But there are quite a few other styles like Harem pants and structured jackets that can be strutted on a regular occasion. Tenzin has not only played around with various fabrics but has also tried to create a blend of Nepali, Tibetan and Western style.
When you can see Tibetan brocade being used as a belt on one season, you will find a contemporary and an ordinary Dhaka topi from Thamel oddly but fascinatingly positioned on the head well-coordinated with a structured jacket in another season and there is the cat suit which the stylist says is an inspiration from the performer Lady Gaga in the following season.
Working in tandem with the clothes, Sakil has applied exaggerated eye make-up and has also put his best foot forward in creating intricate headgears for some of the looks to add more drama. A teenager who knows what he wants and how to get it, Sakil states, “We aspire to promote art through this calendar and not exude skin in a vulgar manner that has been the tendency in the modeling industry.”
This year also falls as the Nepal Tourism Year; so the team decided on using the project to promote the year by having the photographs taken against the backdrop of the culturally rich sites like Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Patan Durbar Square.
Fashion Kraft has worked odd hours to create the calendar to their optimum satisfaction – waking up at 3 o’clock in the morning and packing only after 1 in the following morning. Since most of the team members had their individual commitments like a job to hold or a college to attend, this stressful work schedule was done with an interval of six days every Saturday.
What started off as an exciting conversation slowly steered into a train of brooding thoughts poured unflinchingly about the state of the fashion industry that stands poised with organizers only concentrating in promoting sponsors through various fashion shows. It’s a shame to yearly looking forward to shows that try to earn fame by importing Indian models when the designers could be the factor behind enticing the audience and the media. So what can be done to generate a seismic shift in the long process?
“The fashion shows should focus on inviting potential buyers. Because if there’re no buyers, the designs aren’t sold, leaving the designers without enough revenue to purchase good quality fabrics. And because there’s no demand for good fabrics, the unavailability of the required fabrics leaves the designers to deliver less than mediocre result,” describes Tenzin, shedding some light on the issue. Further adding, “Some of the fashion students are very creative but they don’t have the space to explore, and there’s certainly a lack of good teachers in Nepal.”
Just like the cycle of the ecosystem with each sector interdependent on the other, when one factor works towards progress, the others will adhere accordingly. Hence, if only buyers are kept under consideration or the designers are promoted a little more, even the slightest of change could bring some transformation which is better than nothing. Now seems to the opportune time to heed mostly because today people devour fashion with a huge appetite and also because people equally assess and dissect fashion like any other subject.
“You can’t fool people these days. They’re a lot smarter now,” says Sizan frustratingly. She has more than often experienced times when foreign models are preferred over Nepali ones. Therefore, it is high time Nepali fashion came out of its shell and played the cards right.
With the fashion calendar, Fashion Kraft has taken the first step to bringing that change in the industry. Honestly speaking, the calendar does have a drawback with advertisements overshadowing the pictures, and a minor lacking in the coordination of the design. But this is a step forward to the future which seems possible if there are dedicated people like the team of Fashion Kraft who take it upon themselves to be responsible to uplift the fashion industry. Kudos to Fashion Kraft, and the next year at least adds anticipation for something exciting for fashion enthusiasts.
The launch party of the calendar, the Pirate Party, is taking place this Friday, January 28 at Neon Pub.
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