LFW: Little Shilpa's Tulle, Chiffon and Lace Dreams
I love the exhibition at London Fashion Week, it's a quick and easy way to discover new designers doing exciting things in one building, while seeing your favourites' new collections in person and have a chat about them. I walked in to Somerset on the Sunday through the Embankment entrance where hat designers were grouped. It's a tough spot to be seen. I saw some very unusual hats, some odd for the sake of it, it seemed.
Then I noticed the Little Shilpa display in the corner by the door. I guess someone has to take that lonely spot? I saw delicate shapes and fabrics in the form of tulle, chiffon and lace in slate blues, taupes, grey and rose, and I floated over to them. I wasn't crazy about some of the presentations on male mannequins that look like Ken dolls, but I was still intrigued. And Ken looked ok with it, really ok with it. I fell in love with the chiffon and lace neckpiece hanging from thick chain. I wanted to touch it but Ken's eyes told me 'Noooo.' (That imaginary detail reminds me of a story. Years ago in Toronto I took a part-time job at a boutique while working at my communications job, thinking it would give me extra money. We all know where that 'extra' money went, and then some. One day the owner was helping a Japanese girl who was trying on jeans. When she came out of the changeroom he knelt down behind her and began adjusting something in the 'seat'. I swear, he wasn't a perv. She said sternly 'That not for feel!' He had no idea what she was saying so he kept doing what he was doing. Then she started swatting his hand away and he still didn't get it so I had to go over and say 'THAT NOT FOR FEEL!' The poor girl was traumatised. But I think she still bought the jeans. He should have given her a discount for the 'feel'.)
Back to Little Shilpa. I didn't see anyone there so I didn't speak to anyone, and the website only offers a teeny bit of biographical information in easily digestible form - we want to know about you, Little Shilpa! There's a comprehensive CV for download, however, if you've got the time. (I had a quick skim and after two seconds I was feeling grossly unaccomplished.) What I did gleen is that Little Shilpa is Shilpa Chavan, a Mumbai-based designer of one-off headpieces, jewellery and accessories for retail and runway. (I kind of already knew that.) You can see examples of her commercial and runway work after my poorly-lit photos.
The pieces above and below were made for Manish Arora at London Fashion Week, 2005
Life-size flowers and styling for W ad campaign
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