Kuwait Times

Published Date: January 22, 2008
By Shruti Ganapathy

The future of Italian fashion and haute couture is uncertain. With Giovanni Versace no longer there, Valentino retiring and Armani getting old, the only way for new fashion to continue to exist is to train and teach more young people about fashion and designs, said Giorgio Forni, Director of Castello Di Sartirana, the organization that put together a wonderful exhibition to showcase Italian creative talents in the Gulf region.

The only answer, that he forsees for the future is to research three times as much as what is currently being done in the field of fashion. Establishing schools, training young people, encouraging them to create, is the only way out. Current fashion trends stem from current social trends. Therefore it is very important for fashion to keep changing alongwith changes in the social scenario.
One very big field I see is men's fashion. Men are capable of carrying much more than simply a black suit. What we need is to encourage designers to think creatively for men, as much as they do for women.

The Al-Thuraya complex, situated on the busy Salem Al-Mubarak Street in Salmiya was the venue where late 20th century costumes alongwith modern Italian designer furniture was displayed. A part of a travelling exhibition, Stile Italiano (Italian Style) had a lot creative ideas to offer - both in terms of home design as well as the unique wardrobe. Most of the designs were big names - Valentino, Capucci, Armani - creating for famous people - Grace Kelly and Madonna being the more well-known among the others.


Situated in the basement floor, the furniture designs ranged from a bed with a sun and a moon, to a chair that stuck its tongue out and even more - a wooden compass that was converted into a dining table. The creativity of the designers alongwith their imagination came forth as well as their urge to make things look different albeit a bit crazy. One particular chair was made of red velvet and had a headrest shaped like many rose petals. The back of the chair had a dinner bow-tie attached with black velvet.


The significance of creating these designs is not relevant. What is important is the fact that art has broken free from traditional mould and designers and artisans are willing to experiment with new ideas in all fields.
This Italian designing revolution of course began with fashion - a prime example being Armani and his revolution of evening wear for men. It was this developed into some sort of fusion of formal and casual wear - both being interchangeable depending on the occasion.

The furniture on display have been designed during the last 5-10 years and most pieces can also be purchased by art collectors. The dresses, however, are a part of the Forni's personal collection - many of them with memories he might cherish for his entire lifetime.

At the beginning we were planning to bring around 70-80 dresses and a lot more furniture, but it did not seem plausible. The collection we have displayed here is a selection from the treasure that we have. It is our attempt to bring things that never came to Kuwait. To prove that our tradition is not over yet. We were not just simply the masters of renaissance.

Italy, especially Rome and Milan have been the centres for haute couture. The birth of fashion, of comfortable yet exclusive evening wear. But the recent trends of outsourcing ready-to-wear clothes to Asian countries for making is not something Forni is extremely pleased with. "We are very proud of the Made In Italy stamp. Fashion comes from the marriage of the designer with the artisan.

The designer creates and the artisan teaches the designer the ways of the fabric. How it can mould itself, how the designer can use the fabric to the advantage of his design. Fashion cannot be created by sending design samples and then correcting proofs, a practice that many American companies are currently indulging in by outsourcing their workmanship.

The exhibition - one of the six parts that are touring the Gulf region - is to also visit Jedda, Riyadh, Manama, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Muscat. Other exhibitions, currently being shown in some of those other cities will be showcased in Kuwait in the near future.

Our Foreign Affairs Ministry from Rome is helping us promote this Italian vision in all the Arab countries we are visiting. But what we are really aiming for is a collaboration between the two countries in terms of designers and artisans. We are aiming for co-operation in the textile field - an attempt to also combine old ways like weaving with contemporary designs and uses.