She is a mountain woman now, but still sees life through the eyes of the west. Below, she explores Nepalese fashion:
Even at the top of the mountains, in these insubstantial mud huts, where there was no running water or electricity, things we not only expect but demand, where washing is done in the freezing cold stream, where food must be hunted for, then skinned with bare hands, where essentially, people have nothing….what these people do have and must be wholeheartedly credited with, is beautiful clothes.
But it is not only the juxtaposition of the poverty of the situation around them which makes these clothes stand out, it is the amazing colours, the layers, the fabrics. I don't know anything about the intricacies of fashion, but I know these gals have got it right. But what really got me thinking extended beyond the clothes elegantly draped on their bodies. In the surrounding rice and cornfields, where the clothes were drying freshly washed from the river, was an abundance of colours that brought this little village to life. Bright, confident, confrontational colours. Here, it is all about colour, and colour they wear with pride.
So what got me thinking is how has the colour black become our staple fashion food.
But what does wearing the colour black reflect about us? About our society? Our state of mind?
Fashion, it is said, and I agree is an external projection of the internal, a tangible expression of the subconscious.
We could argue we have shit weather. But they have a shit economy, shit health, shit education, an altogether harder and demanding life. We who have everything, shy away in the statement less statement black dress. Nepal is the 13th poorest country in the world and they can still muster up some colour in their wardrobe. But even more than that, they take pride in themselves, in their lives by taking advantage of the beautiful colours available to them. They value their bodies and in doing so worship it with colour.
I'm out of money, and I'm entering my well known silent vacant stage where the point of my still being awake becomes highly debatable. But before I lose all power of speech, what I’d like to conclude is a confirmation of all my previous affirmations, money can’t buy style, grace, beauty, and fundamentally it can’t but happiness. A big statement to make?
What do you think of when you think of the colour yellow, green blue?
What do we think of when we think of the colour black?
In our western society it is associated with sadness, mourning and ultimately death.
But it is not only the juxtaposition of the poverty of the situation around them which makes these clothes stand out, it is the amazing colours, the layers, the fabrics. I don't know anything about the intricacies of fashion, but I know these gals have got it right. But what really got me thinking extended beyond the clothes elegantly draped on their bodies. In the surrounding rice and cornfields, where the clothes were drying freshly washed from the river, was an abundance of colours that brought this little village to life. Bright, confident, confrontational colours. Here, it is all about colour, and colour they wear with pride.
So what got me thinking is how has the colour black become our staple fashion food.
But what does wearing the colour black reflect about us? About our society? Our state of mind?
Fashion, it is said, and I agree is an external projection of the internal, a tangible expression of the subconscious.
We could argue we have shit weather. But they have a shit economy, shit health, shit education, an altogether harder and demanding life. We who have everything, shy away in the statement less statement black dress. Nepal is the 13th poorest country in the world and they can still muster up some colour in their wardrobe. But even more than that, they take pride in themselves, in their lives by taking advantage of the beautiful colours available to them. They value their bodies and in doing so worship it with colour.
I'm out of money, and I'm entering my well known silent vacant stage where the point of my still being awake becomes highly debatable. But before I lose all power of speech, what I’d like to conclude is a confirmation of all my previous affirmations, money can’t buy style, grace, beauty, and fundamentally it can’t but happiness. A big statement to make?
What do you think of when you think of the colour yellow, green blue?
What do we think of when we think of the colour black?
In our western society it is associated with sadness, mourning and ultimately death.
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