Among the many fashion trends born during the Swinging Sixties, few captured the era’s spirit of experimentation quite like the Nehru jacket. Distinguished by its streamlined shape, stand-up mandarin collar, and lack of traditional lapels, the style represented a dramatic break from conventional Western tailoring. Named after Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, whose achkan knee-length long coats inspired the look, the jacket became an unlikely symbol of the counterculture and flower power movements, blending Eastern influences with the decade’s appetite for bold colors and new ideas. Continue reading Eye On Design: The Nehru Jacket and the Psychedelic Spirit of the 1960s→
“Clothes that will stun the crowds in museum exhibitions in the future,” was how New York Times fashion critic Bernadine Morris summarized Yves Saint Laurent’s spring /summer 1988 haute couture collection. A highlight of the collection was the Irises jacket shown here, a simulacrum of Vincent van Gogh’s 1889 painting. The jacket echoes the original’s cropped composition, zooming in even further on the curved and twisting lines of the irises. More remarkably, the embroidery amplifies the luminosity of Van Gogh’s colors, and enhances the materiality of his thick, short, wavy brushstrokes. Continue reading Eye On Design: Van Gogh’s Irises On Bead Embroidered Jacket→
Designed by Marina Draghici for the lead actor of the Broadway musical Fela!, this custom-tailored garment evokes the unique style of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti (1938 — 1997), who often wore vibrant, embroidered two-piece costumes. The suit features intricately stitched renderings and stylized motifs from some of Fela’s signature looks. Continue reading Pink Thing of The Day: Fela! Shirt and Trousers Designed By Marina Draghici→
Artist and designer Beau McCall uses buttons to tell stories “about African-American life, love and experience,” noting “buttons are universal. There are those that express class differences, political views, and cultural issues.” His jacket, The Revolution (1995) communicates black American Afrocentricity through the colors of the pan African flag.
