Fashion

Dragon thunder in Paris

Arpita Kala, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, January 21, 2013

First Published: 19:05 IST(21/1/2013)
Last Updated: 01:01 IST(22/1/2013)

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Wearing a glittery robe, a model walks the ramp.

Close on the heels of the India inspiration that ruled the ramps in international fashion weeks last year, the land of thunder dragon—Bhutan brought in the Asian flavour this time at the recently concluded Paris Fashion week.

Silk robes, blazers and pants with Garden in Hell print by British

artists Jake and Dinos Chapman resembled ‘gho’, the heavy, knee-length garment worn by Bhutanese men, and its traditional checks and stripes featured in much of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection at the fashion week.

Soft, structured jackets, parkas and coats in traditional Bhutanese felt woven with Yak hair and Himalayan stone buttons, sweaters and coats with a snow leopard pattern and motif as well as a thick woollen headgear pinned to a side to resemble a turban of sorts also recurred throughout the collection.

The man behind the designs, Kim Jones, who worked with designer Marc Jacobs for this collection, said he had travelled to the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan for inspiration.

“A collection is often an actual journey for us. It comprises what you take with you and what you bring back — both physically and mentally from the experience,” he said.

Unspoilt by mass tourism due to restricted access, Bhutan “still had that mystery surrounding it... a fantasy idea as well as a real place... the only place where snow leopards and tigers cross paths,” he added.

Designers such as John Galliano, Kris Van Assche and Yohji Yamamoto also showcased menswear collections at the five day-long fashion week in the French capital.

(With inputs from AFP)