A collection of luxury silk scarves inspired by the landscape of Tanzania for Chano Accessories
The inspiration for the collection came from a photo series by UK based photographer Jessica Fulford-Dobson which documents the girls of Skateistan, a program that helps young Afghans learn to skate and brings them back to school. These photographs show little girls in their beautiful, bright, flowing clothes learning to skateboard - in a country where it is considered taboo for women to ride bikes! I was deeply moved by the courage, strength, resiliency and grace exhibited by these young girls, and equally struck by the visual exuberance of the photographs. Bright colors, vivid floral textiles, skateboards painted with graffiti inspired art - all set upon a dusty backdrop of old walls with peeling paint, seemed almost revolutionary.
Through my textile designs I wanted to capture the freedom of expression, the rebelliousness and the courage to go after one’s desires portrayed so emotively in the photographs. The bright and vivid floral fabrics worn by the girls inspired me and led me to research traditional Afghani textiles. My textile designs have a strong hand-drawn, unfinished and abstract look that emotes self-expression. Bold brushstrokes vie for attention while texture adds a layer of depth and dimension. Bright pinks and oranges break down stereotypes and established conventions. Floral motifs, inspired by Afghan ikats are abstracted and stylized to create something new and forward. The techniques of devore and screen-printing have been used in creating the designs.