propulsive surrealism

The basis of surrealism is pure psychic automatism by which one tries to express verbally, in writing, or by any other method, the actual process of thinking. It can also be expressed as understood-dictation without any control exercised by reason, beyond any aesthetic or ethical consideration.

Surrealism style uses visual imagery from the subconscious mind to create art without the intention of logical clarity. The founders of surrealism aimed to revolutionize human experience, in its personal, cultural, social, and political aspects. They wanted to free people from false rationality, and restrictive customs and structures.

Surrealism influenced various sectors in a way that directly or indirectly we all are living it but may be in contemporised way. Photography, Cinema, Music, advertisement and many more are broadly inspired or influenced by surrealism.

Fashion is one of the major areas in which we all can sense it if dig it a bit. Today’s fashion, if talking about apparel highlights unusual & bizarre features, creates an illusion which gains attention. Fashion became the most visible juxtapositions between the normal and surprising, disfigurement and embellishment, body and impression, imagination and reality. What covered the body had always been important to the Surrealist philosophy, in the way that it allowed the imagination to wonder what lay underneath, and this translated easily into wearable garments. The essential characteristics of fashion open a natural suggestion to the physical properties of disfigurement that was central to the Surrealist style. Strange fashion is somewhere dreamy and exciting so with all these features we can highlight surrealism in fashion in the contemporary world. Over the time ideas about fashion presentation in magazines, window displays and apparel have reformed, but Surrealism remains fashion's preferred art. The teamwork between artists and designers endorsed for fashion to move ahead in unique ways. Started by the works of Dali and Elsa Schiaparelli, and shown in today's fashion by the creation of Viktor & Rolf and many more.

By this we can specifically point out the main characteristics of surrealism and those are-

● Elements of surprise

● Unexpected Juxtaposition

● Distortion of Reality

● Dream-like Subject Matter

● Interest in Subconscious

Looking at fashion observable timeline of west vs. east the evidence of existence become visible with variable factors.

Surrealism in fashion needs to be identified to understand juxtaposition contradiction in garments for social influenced fashion trendy outfits. Our dress is our identity. But what we think of as traditional Indian modesty, can turn out not be not very Indian at all.

Through this research, I figured out the scope as fashion need to attend to abnormalities and capacitate design efficiency through functional clothing. Today’s fashion garments are trendy but are not found connected with social-cultural lifestyle sentiments.

The design is not just art but a good design is also functional — so need is to balance my creative instincts for art and design to design that has to be both sensible and relevant. As we can see we are only surfacing fashion inspirations or influence adaptations. We are not culturally being responsible for fashion/product launches which are high in design innovation but lack socio-cultural sensitivity. The scope here is to develop a fashion garment that has socio-cultural adaptability yet trendy.

Socio-cultural Trend Indicators

The trend is seen focused on women related intimate needs but yet aided garments for women breast-related care need attention.

Blouse can be treated because have a cultural connect and most adaptable garment in India.

General Opinion on Breast Feed taking it as a taboo through public interactions

• Make it legal

• Comfort association of a child to mother breast/body sense

• No pity equation feel proud to feed and responsible in public

• Liza Hayden-Taboo Breaking

• 2008- Me & Child show introduced feed baby in public poncho

• Alternate of exposed top replaced with ponchos

• Travel environment not supportive which why nursing women prefer women coach against general

• Change mindsets and acceptance

• It is not an issue but a natural phenomenon

• If men can pee in public and not feel shame so why do feeding mother take it as shame to feed in public

• In ancient time childbirth was in the exposed environment and a celebrated event

• Due to a deprived environment of feeding working women face severe health issues such as breast cancer

• Create asymmetric garments to add illusion and comfort to feed in public forum

• Create awareness and sensitivity with active media campaigns

• A recent article made it legal in 49 countries as the right to feed in public

Design Scope:

Sometimes there are very contradictory possibility which is against all odds so there is no option for their management. So being in a retail environment, being a retail manager you’ll always look upon to those situations where you can give solutions to those needs of the consumer because sometimes consumer doesn’t agree to the actual. Those possibilities are not available much in the market.

Taking the possibilities of the consumer is not so favored environment, solution for that can be looked in surreal possibilities which can also overlap the requirement and need of the consumer at the same time.

I’ve looked at the retail environment which already have kids were, sportswear, menswear and all that. Malls have various sections for entertainment, kids, food etc. Looking from a female point of view, when they carry infants along the provision which is missing come to notice when they need to feed the baby they don’t have an option around.

Most of the Indian women are dressed in saris, they would like not to struggle with the garment too much for this necessity. Removing the first drape and unloop the zone where they want to feed the baby, so looking this as a provision I found this as a problem area. That is why I wanted to go with this idea. In a real environment with surreal possibility.

The retail market is majorly consumed by the mothers as they shop for their kids along with their needs. But they feel withdrawal the moment their baby is not comfortable and need the feed at that moment. So, in that case, the mother needs to leave the vicinity and we may lose our customer.

In maternity time, women can get loose fitted and oversized garments in retail environment easily but, the market somewhere lacks in attending the problem of a women ‘ what after’. Lack of the availability of feed garments for the mothers in Indian retail markets.

This concept in our India is coming as a noise if we see this poster. That is very controversial as an idea when we look at the reaction of the audience and us in a way celebrating this. India is opening up with time and showcasing their upgrading thought process where movies like padman and toilet ek prem katha is talking about a social taboo in the country. So this in a way is in trend now. I’m trying to go with the trend. In a way, I’m trying to connect surrealism with the trend.

So looking at this trend, the consumer will accept the product because it is supporting their noise. Surreal mostly gives a disconnect but we are coming up with a solution with a surrealistic angle to it and giving a connection to the physical environment.

References:

●Alkazi, R. (1996). Ancient Indian Costume. India: National Book Trust.

●Biswas, A. (1985). Indian Costumes. India: Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

●Blackman, C. (2012). 100 Years of Fashion. London: Laurence King Publishing.

●Dillon, S. (2012). The Fundamentals of Fashion Management. (UK): Bloomsbury Publishing.

●Matthews, J. (1971). Surrealism and film. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

●Martin, R. (1990). Fashion and surrealism. Metropolitan Mus. Lib., New York: Rizzoli .

●Rousso, C. (2012). Fashion Forward: A Guide to Fashion Forecasting. (UK): Bloomsbury Publishing.

●Wood, G. (2007). Surreal Things: Surrealism and Design. (UK): V&A .

●Rathore, U. (2018). Who in India wears the sari?

●Balakian, A. (1915). Surrealism: The Road to the Absolute. [ebook] chicago: University of Chicago, pp.153-160.

●Business Standard (2017). The ethnic wear market for women.