LIGHTS, CAMERA, CHRISTMAS...

This is not  particularly fashion post but then again, Christmas has inspired a lot of fabric creations. Yep, its that time of the year and Christmas is already fluttering its wings in the air,causing joyful ripples in the hearts of many. Funny how a place is literally lit up by the sheer idea of Christmas. Remember that chubby white bearded man we all have grown to love and see as the iconic representation of Christmas? YES, FATHER CHRISTMAS. Well I thought long and hard and wondered, what Christmas look like if we were not handed the image with which to define the season. But then again, what is Christmas? I think it’s more, yeah, more than the blinking lights of many, many colours with a towering plastic or freshly harvested Christmas trees. I must say I am particularly fascinated by the tree-why does it have to be such with a bust of decoration dripping all over it? 

What truly is the essence of Christmas beyond the tradition of lights? Randomly I asked a few people what Christmas means to them, Theoretically, Pictorially and summed in one word.

"For a long time, Christmas meant a time when I had to endure the bad Christmas dresses and awesome white rice and stew my mother made. As time went by and I understood what it meant to have a relationship with God, I understood Christmas to mean a time when the most miraculous event in the world took place; when God took the position of man in order to elevate him to the position of God. It is still a mystery that I am trying to unravel, but these days, I look forward to Christmas because I love the contemplation of the love of a God who didn’t give up on his own children.

I’m not sure I would like to replace Christmas with any other word. It’s perfect for me

I would paint the portrait of a father cradling a baby in his arms standing in front of a burning house. Too many times the portrait of mothers with babies abound, taking away the true essence of fatherhood."...Estrella Gada

"Christmas is family time, when everyone come back home as we share thoughts and stories that have resounded throughout the year. If I had to replace Christmas with one would it would definitely be Family and for a picture, well, I would draw the barbecue grill at the back space of our family house, steaming with a nice turkey and my siblings chilling around"...Ijeoma Obi

Christmas is FAMILY; the tearing down of borders to be with the ones you love, sharing memories and good food. For one word I would say Family and my picture would definitely be a picture of my Family...Nwandy Jen

Christmas for me is a replay and a reminder of the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. If I were to replace Christmas with a word it would be LOVE and a Christmas tree would be my pictorial representation. “...Joy Yakubu

"As a child, Christmas meant new clothes (a dress with a hat n purse), pictures, hairstyles I wouldn’t make ordinarily, moving from one friend's house to another and stuffing my purse with my Christmas money - mints. Now, it means basically, a time to reconnect with my family, friends and smile more. My other word for Christmas would be 'Love’, people actually give more than they can imagine at Christmas, to known and unknown persons. I'd draw a people from different tongues and tribes, rich and poor, young and old together feasting and tearing chicken thighs with love". Eliye EkeneChukwu

Spectacular views wouldn't you say? Well for the most part, my childhood Christmas was characterized by walking in a pack with  friends , moving from one another's house, chewing on the graceful meaty beauties-Beefs or chicken, lol. But now, it is a day of EPIPHANY, a transfiguration, a road to NEWNESS. A summation of Spiritual beauty and world salvation.

Fashion is not far from this though, Christmas is as much a muse as every other glorious gift from God. Hayden Williams, a London based fashion illustrator and designer makes this very eminent. 

 

 

 

                                     ...................................FABULOUS........................

DID YOU KNOW...?

Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year falls on December 21 or December 22 and is called the winter solstice. Many ancient people believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick and weak. They celebrated the solstice because it meant that at last the sun god would begin to get well. Evergreen boughs reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and summer would return.

The ancient Egyptians worshiped a god called Ra, who had the head of a hawk and wore the sun as a blazing disk in his crown. At the solstice, when Ra began to recover from the illness, the Egyptians filled their homes with green palm rushes which symbolized for them the triumph of life over death.

Early Romans marked the solstice with a feast called the Saturnalia in honour of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans knew that the solstice meant that soon farms and orchards would be green and fruitful. To mark the occasion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs. In Northern Europe the mysterious Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts, also decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life. The fierce Vikings in Scandinavia thought that evergreens were the special plant of the sun god, Balder.

Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce. It is a widely held belief that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree. Walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. To recapture the scene for his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles.

         Do have your selves a FASHIONABLY blessed Christmas and a Joy-filled New year

SOURCES: http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees
                      http://www.7-themes.com
                      http://www.haydenwilliamsillustrations.tumblr.com
                      http://www.newgirllook.wordpress.com
                      http://www.pinterest.com

MILITARY ELEGANCE...CHRISTE BROWN

The fashion industry has become heavily flocked and over chocked; well, so some would say. But even in the plenty, there is a room to create uniqueness.  Aisha Obuobi , creative designer for the label, CHRISTE BROWN has created versatile women's wear with African fabrics while infusing the retro and modern fashion trend. I particularly love the elegance with which she creates each piece and her Winter 2015 Coup de Classse is no exception. She merges mesh and plain cotton fabrics with the primary infusion of Ankara to create a fashion statement that is not over powering yet independent in itself and very unique in ever ramification. 

The pieces are military inspired and even with such a powerful muse, the designs do not take away femininity or even that elegance of a woman from the collection. The jackets, asymmetrical skirts, mesh  and uniquely pleated blouse are summations of  the revolutionary vision of this young vibrate African designer.

Christie Brown is a Ghanaian based luxury women's fashion brand that aims is to satisfy the stylish urge of "that modern woman who seeks a true taste of Africa".

With peculiarity, Christie Brown infuses modernism into carefully selected traditional African aesthetic that transcends international borders. An open field is created for women to experience the culturally rich and opulent side of Africa without having to compromise their personal contemporary style. The designer are vibrant with a modern twist to African fabric.

Founded March 2008 with its first run way show in Accra, Aisha began her love affair with fashion at an early age. However, the real motivation came from watching her grandmother Christie Brown, a seamstress, create rich and vibrant garments. Aisha a psychologist turned fashion designer revealed some of the things that make her fashion label tick.

  “At the time I started my label, precisely in 2008, there wasn’t much experimentation being done with African prints; the material was mostly used in very traditional ways and I always envisioned more interesting, modern designs in which to incorporate the gorgeous prints. I wanted to cultivate a fresh appeal for African prints; I wanted to celebrate the fabric in a unique way. And I’m so excited that the label was well received even beyond my own widest imagination.” 

 Christie Brown stands uniquely as a women's apparel and accessories manufacturer and retailer with pieces ranging from beautiful bespoke gowns, practical yet statement pieces to innovative accessories all inspired by the African culture and art. Her clothes and accessories have made a bold statement, painting the runways with a fuse of colour and culture, fit for the contemporary African woman.

To date, the label has demonstrated international success. Besides winning The Emerging Designer of the Year Award in 2009 at the inaugural Arise Africa Fashion Week in Johannesburg, South Africa, Christie Brown was also the only Ghanaian label chosen to showcase in the Arise L'Afrique- a- Porter, in Paris as part of Paris Fashion Week in March 2010. At the 2010 Africa Economic Forum hosted by Columbia University, Aisha was invited to sit on the panel for "African Fashion Going Global"; a discourse on making African Fashion a recognizable global industry. The brand has also captured the attention of global magazines including Harpers Bazaar, Vogue Italia, Arise (UK), Canoe 53 Sails, Black Hair (UK), Destiny (SA), and Glamour Magazine to mention a few.

After only a few of years in the industry, Christie Brown has created a strong presence for itself, reflecting the personality and inspiration of the founder, with a continued promise of effortless sophistication in each design.

Every time I look at these dresses, I literally skip a breathe and leap with excitement for the positive direction that the African Fashion industry is treading.

"The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It’s the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years."

— Audrey Hepburn

......................#Africanfashion#Revolutionaryminds#Ankarapower#Militaryelegance...................

SOURCES: http://www.christiebrownonline.com/about.html
                    http://www.bellanaija.com